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USDA Food Patterns

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Sam is a 21-year-old male, weighing 175 pounds. His estimated calorie needs from Myplate is 2600 calories. The USDA food pattern recommendations are each food group are grains 9 oz., vegetables 3 ½ cups, fruit 3 cups, protein 6 ½ oz., and oils 8 tsp. Sam’s two-day average intake shows that he consumed less than the recommended amount in some food groups while greater than the recommended amount in other food groups.

Sam’s USDA food pattern recommended amount of intake of grains is 9 ounces, however, his average intake was 10 ¾ ounces. For whole grains, Sam had consumed 6 cups of buttered popcorn, which accounted for 2 ounces of his whole grain intake, which is less than the amount that he should consume. Sam should eat at least half of all …show more content…

Sam’s average intake of the vegetable group was 2.4 cups, whereas his USDA food pattern recommendation is 3 ½ cups. Sam did not meet his recommended amount of vegetables, nor did he consume enough of enough of any of the vegetable subgroups. In order to increase his overall vegetable intake, he should include vegetables in meals and in snacks, such as fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables. Sam needs to increase his consumption of dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, romaine, and dark green leafy lettuce. He can incorporate dark leafy greens into his salads. Additionally, he can choose a variety of dark green vegetables whether they are fresh, frozen, or canned. His red and orange vegetable intake was also below the recommended amount. In order to increase his amount of red and orange vegetable subgroup he can include tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pumpkin. These vegetables can be added to main and side dishes and like dark green vegetables, he can choose from a variety of red and orange vegetables such as fresh, frozen, or canned. He did not consume any foods from the beans and peas subgroup. The beans and peas subgroup include kidney, black, pinto, and lima beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, split peas, and lentils. Due to the high nutrient content, …show more content…

Sam’s recommended intake of protein foods is 6 ½ ounces, and Sam’s two-day average was 8 ¼ ounces. Sam should try to eat a variety of protein foods each week such as seafood, lean meat and poultry, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds. He can consume seafood in place of meat or poultry twice a week. Seafood includes fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and tilapia, and shellfish such as shrimp, crab, and oysters. Upon selecting seafood, choose seafood that is higher in oils and lower in mercury, such as salmon, trout, and sardines, herring, and Atlantic or Pacific mackerel. For the days that he eats meat or poultry, he should choose lean meat and poultry. Additionally, choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat, such as round and sirloin, and ground beef that is 90% or more lean. If Sam decides to cook the meat, before cooking or eating, he should trim or drain fat from meat and remove poultry skin. Additionally, to prevent adding extra fat, Sam can try grilling, broiling, poaching, or roasting the meat. Another protein food group are nuts and seeds. However, nuts and seeds are high in calories and therefore, should be consumed in small portions in place of other protein foods, like some meat or poultry. Nuts and seeds include almonds, filberts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and peanut butter. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds to help reduce sodium

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