Choose My Plate and Your Nutrition

Image via Wikipedia

                A few weeks ago, I received an assignment for my Introductory Nutrition Class. I was to go onto www.choosemyplate.gov and create my own “Super-Tracker” account. Okay, shouldn’t be a problem. Oh, but it was harder than I thought it would be. First, it took me forever to find the correct place to log-in. But once I was logged-in, I was completely lost. What’s the first thing I’m supposed to do here? Apparently, first I was supposed to find the right link in order to put in my weight, height, age, and whether I want to lose or gain weight. You’d think that a program that advertises easy-to-use software would kinda be, I don’t know….easy to use?

                Once I found the link and recorded all the necessary information they needed, I was flooded with page after page of recommended dietary guidelines, recommended physical activities, how much calories I need to eat per day, how much food I need to eat in order to achieve those calories, and more. After the feeling of being overwhelmed got the best of me, I logged off and decided to work on it later.

                After three days of procrastination, I decided to give it another try. This time, I wasn’t flooded with all kinds of information and was given three choices: to compare calories in my favorite foods, to record the food I ate that day, and to record the type of exercise I did and for how long. I chose to record my food. I put in that I ate cheerios for breakfast with a cup of milk, and that banana I had with two tablespoons of Nutella. The chart refreshed and showed that I had eaten 448 kcalories of food. Not bad, I thought. This shouldn’t be hard, all I have to do is eat enough food to reach my recommended 2600 calories. But then I noticed something else. Apparently, I have to diversify my meals enough so that I eat certain amounts of different kinds of food. For example, I have eat up to 9 ounces of grains. Shouldn’t be hard, I thought. But as I quickly realized, you have to eat a lot of bread, pasta, and crackers to reach the recommended amount (even if all you eat is whole grain).

Below in chart number 1, is the recommended dietary guideline for myself.

1.)    Daily recommended calories and food amounts for a 22 year old male with moderate physical activity who is underweight (130lb.). Goal: 140 lb.

Calories	2600 Kcal.
Grains	9 oz.
Vegetables	3 ½ cups
Fruits	2 cups
Dairy	3 cups
Protein foods	6 ½ oz.
Oils	8 tsp.

My professor’s assignment required that I create a one day meal plan based on the above guidelines. Shouldn’t be hard, I thought. Boy was I wrong. I spend 3 hours trying to add enough food to the plan that wouldn’t put me over or under the recommended amounts of each food group. I was determined to have foods from all of the groups in the food pyramid…er…I mean…plate.

2.)    My Ideal Meal Plan based on the recommended food guide above.

Food	Amount	Where fits in guidelines	Calories
Breakfast
Pancakes	2 (5inches ea.)	2oz Grains	90
Chocolate Milk	1 cup	1 cup Dairy	208
Eggs	2 large eggs	2 oz. Protein	184
Morning Snack
Strawberries (with sugar	1 cup	1 cup Fruits	76
Yogurt (whole milk)	½ cup	½ cup Dairy	135
Lunch
Whole grain bread	2 slices	2 oz. Grains	138
Cooked Broccoli w/ butter	1 ¾ cup	2 cup Vegetables	181
American Cheese	1 oz.	½ cup Dairy	95
Lunch Meat	2 oz.	2 oz. Proteins	224
(Cont.)
Afternoon Snack
Assorted Veggies (baby carrots, celery, etc.)	½ cup	½ cup Vegetables	26
Whole Wheat Crackers	5 crackers	1 oz. Grains	126
Whole Wheat Bread	1 slice	1 oz. Grains	69
Vegetable Juice	½ cup	½ cup Vegetables	36
Dinner
Pasta	1 ¼ cup	2 ½ oz. Grains	363
Toast	½ slice	½ oz. Grains	35
Fruit Juice	1 cup	1 cup Fruit	130
Chocolate Milk	1 cup	1 cup Dairy	208
Steak	½ small steak	2 ½ oz. Protein	181
			Total: 2,505 kcal.

As you can see, even with all the food I put in my meal plan, I still only reached 2,505 calories. That’s 95 calories less than my goal. Not bad, I think. But then I looked back on the list. Something is wrong…terribly wrong. This list is huge! Surely the USDA doesn’t expect me to eat ALL of this?! In order to meet this meal plan, I would have to eat constantly! Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here? Did the grain industry lobby the USDA to put the recommendation high? As did all the other agriculture industries? Maybe the USDA recommended dietary guidelines aren’t flawless.

After 3 or 4 days of recording my food intake, I notice a link that’s labeled “My Reports.” Upon clicking on it, I found that I could read several reports on my calorie intake, physical activity, meal summary,  and nutrients I’m eating. Below is the report of what I ate during the assignment.

3.)    What I actually eat (which is probably why I’m underweight).

	Goal	Actual
Calories	2600 Kcal.	1593 Kcal.
Grains	9 oz.	6 oz.
Vegetables	3 ½ cups	2 cups
Fruits	2 cups	1 ¾ cups
Dairy	3 cups	2 ½ cups
Protein foods	6 ½ oz.	4 oz.
Oils	8 tsp.	4 tsp.

Conclusion:

            My eating habits aren’t great. I’ve never had a good appetite and because of it, my portion sizes are almost always very small. The effects of this have even been noticed by my friends; I have low energy. This project has opened my eyes to my unhealthy eating habits. For example, a healthy protein level is 6 ½ ounces for my goal, but I’m only eating 4 ounces daily. The same can be said for all food groups; I fall below the desired calories in all food categories. My plan is to take these goals seriously and to gain weight so that I can reach a more healthy weight and energy level.

            Even though the whole website is pretty complicated, you can learn to use it over time. I’m making it a project of mine to log in at least once a day to record my eating and physical habits. Sure, I think that the food industries have caused the USDA to exaggerate their recommended intake levels, but in my case, more food isn’t a bad thing. For people trying to lose weight, however, food intakes that are exaggerated could actually make it harder to lose. But you have to start somewhere, and this website holds a lot of promise even if it is hard to navigate and understand.

            Another aspect that I really appreciate about the website is the privacy it ensures. When I was creating my account, it didn’t ask me my name or where I was from. Instead I was to put in a username, password, and my email address. For some, trying to lose weight is embarrassing, and the anonymity the website offers is great.

You have to hurry and do it now though, the USDA only gave Michelle Obama’s idea until 7-31-2012 before it expires and the website is taken down.

UKAgStudents: The Value of an Agricultural Degree

Image by tim ellis via FlickrUKAgStudents: The Value of an Agricultural Degree: There has been much discussion the past few days about the value and worth of a degree in agriculture. A popular website ran a piece in...

Related articles

• Agriculture - Useless College Degree Part 2 (agricultureproud.com)

Hear me now.: Putting in a supporter post.

Read my friend's blog: Hear me now.: Putting in a supporter post.: While workin' hard on the farm today, I decided to take pictures of the steps for putting in a post and make a "how to" blog about it... jus...

Bell County Food Desert?

Image via Wikipedia

Is Bell County, KY a food desert?  The definition of a food desert is an area or region in which no food is produced locally. So the answer is yes, Bell IS a food desert and the only choices for the residents are Fast-Food and Chain Store Supermarkets. No wonder the residents of Bell County aren’t eating healthy!

Someone has to say it, so here goes: Bell County does not have a locally based food economy. Sure, we have great agrarian zones, and several of our citizens claim that their profession is “farmer,” but why is it that fresh and local Bell County produce is not available? I ask a lot of questions (some of which has no answer) to get you to open your mind, and think about the importance of a local food economy.

“So why don’t the chain stores and supermarkets count as a local food economy?”—You may ask. Well the answer is simple. For starters, these giant food distributors import food from out of the region. Secondly, the money they make from the imported food is sent out of the area to a corporation who runs the chain stores. This is ideal for a capitalist on Wall Street, but not very great for the struggling local economy.

Let’s talk solutions. The only way to combat a cash swallowing monster is simply refuse to feed it. Residents of Bell County need to find ways to spend our money more locally. Food is probably the number one item bought by a household, so it would make more sense to buy your food locally. However, Bell does not sell local food! So it is up to you, me, and the leaders of Bell County to make that change.

My idea is that two Farmer’s Markets should be started in Bell County (one in Middlesboro and one in Pineville) with the hopes that farmers and farm businesses can begin to produce one or more products to sell locally. The business rule is that if there is a market for an item, there will be someone there to provide it. Farmers and Ag Businesses need to be enticed to take advantage of a food market. If anything, they can do it for the money. All the other pros to starting a Farmer’s Market will take care of themselves, such as the increased revenue in the local economy, healthier food choices, and agriculture education for both kids and adults alike.

Talk with your extension agent, local politician, or teacher (if you are in school), and explain the benefits of a locally-based food economy.

Disclaimer: I am not a supporter of Occupy Wall Street, but rather a local citizen who believes that people should educate themselves about who is really taking their best interests at heart.

Feed Africa, Feed the World

            In a video that I watched in one of my agriculture classes, I saw many interesting points about a polyculture in agriculture.  Hugh Grant, the CEO of Monsanto Inc. said that a monoculture would produce the most food.  But Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, said that a polyculture would be a more sustainable practice for African nations trying to establish a food economy.

            In my opinion, a monoculture of food is a step that is too big for Africa.  Africa is a nation that has been based on its old agriculture styles.  Pollan believes that the farmers are already there, so it would make sense to utilize them.  An increase in local food market is the key to a successful community.

The next thing to do would be to support the market for these foods.  While the farmers are in competition with the import commodities, they cannot win the consumer.  Especially in the places of extreme poverty, the people can only get cheap food.  In order to support these farmers we should only import food only while the local farmers are not producing food.  This way, the farmers can make a profit and not starve while waiting for it to grow.  BUT, in a complete model, the truly sustainable model should be able to produce food year round.  There are ways to grow food for the summer months as well as for the winter months.  In addition, one can preserve food for the winter months as well.

In this model however, the farmers must be able to save seeds (to keep expenses down) and to raise livestock.  The African farmers already know how to farm in a sustainable farm but farmers must have access to information and resources.  Secondly, it would be good if they had competition that they could truly compete with (more than one market and more than one buyer).

I feel that Hugh Grant’s method could work, but it would be too hard on the African nations.  Firstly, because the corporate nature of the industrial farming.  Some farmers would industrialize and begin growing more crops thereby becoming “successful”.  However this would create even more hardship on the farmers who do not follow the industrial process as Monsanto Inc.  Local agriculture would die out and the only food source would be in supermarkets at higher prices than before.  You must remember that the people in these areas are poor and were buying commodity food at low prices.

            Michael Pollan’s model, would help the people to slowly fix the food problem in Africa.  By producing local food, Africans can have cheap, quality food.  So it just seems logical to me that when the world begins supporting local agriculture that it simply fixes many problems in one sweeping blow.

Cool ideas for signs to put around the place

• WORMS ARE WELCOME!

• BEWARE: DOG HAS LICKER LICENCE

·         THE VIEW IS GREAT

ADMISSION’S FREE

WON’T YOU SHARE

MY PORCH WITH ME?

·         DON’T WAKE THE BEAR. HE GETS CRANKY.

·         NO, I CAN’T GO TO HELL; SATAN STILL HAS THAT RESTRAINING ORDER ON ME.

·         GONE FISHIN. BACK AT DARK THIRTY.

·         IF YOU’RE NOT THE LEAD DOG, THE VIEW NEVER CHANGES.

·         AND REMEMBER, THE PLURAL OF GUN IS “ARSENEL.”

·         BOOZE AND WORK DON’T MIX. PREVENT ACCIDENTS—QUIT WORK!!!

·         IF EVERYTHING ISN’T BLACK AND WHITE, I SAY WHY THE HELL NOT?!! –John Wayne

·         INSANITY IS HEREDITARY. YOU GET IT FROM YOUR KIDS!

·         AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.

·         WEEDS

·         MORE WEEDS

·         TALL WEEDS

·         IF I CAN’T BE A GOOD EXAMPLE AT LEAST LET ME BE A WARNING.

·         GOD ANSWERS KNEE-MAILS.

·         NO SOLICITING

WE FOUND JESUS

WE LOVE OUR VACUUM

WE GAVE AT THE OFFICE

AND MY KID IS SELLING THE SAME CRAP YOU ARE!

·         INSTANT HUMAN, JUST ADD COFFEE

·         YOU CAN’T SCARE ME. I’M A TEACHER!

Comment what you think about these. And add more of your own ideas!!!

It it the Farm Bill or Food Bill???

            The next time you hear about the U.S. Farm Bill, pay attention.  Many do not like to listen to anything close to being agricultural related.  It does not surprise me when after a hundred years of agriculture legislation, people do not know where their food comes from because when it comes to farming, agriculture, and the country, people tend to turn a deaf ear.

            I say that everyone should know where their food actually comes from, because agriculture equals food.  Food equals life.  People need to listen to the farm bill.  Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, says that it shouldn’t be called the Farm Bill, it should be called, “The Food Bill.”

            There is a new movement in the United States, it involves people who are tired of eating unhealthy food and want to make a difference in their community by providing farm fresh food to locals.  No more shipping food from other countries to eat, these people want real food.  From Community Supported Agriculture to Farmer’s Markets, the slow food movement is in with almost no help at all from the government.  Up until recently, the organic food movement has had no help at all to get on its feet.

            Let’s talk about the Farm Bill.  It is created by an agricultural committee made up of politicians and agribusiness lobbyists.  Now before you go pointing fingers at the lobbyists, remember that when you point a finger, you have three pointing right back at you.  The leading agribusiness lobbyist in the nation is Farm Bureau Insurance.  I am a member of Kentucky Farm Bureau.  The only problem with this picture is the fact that the entire farm bill is made to support commodity farms in an industrial model.  What is that model? CAFO’s, corn, and soybeans.  Come on people, there is more to farming and growing food than that.

            What do corn and soybeans do for farmers? It is a crisis in the U.S. that dates back to the forties.  Farmers produce so much corn and soybeans that they flooded the market with it.  This drove the prices down so much that farmers couldn’t make a profit anymore.  The government then began to subsidize farmers for their products.  Soon, farmers found that the more they grew, the more subsidies they got.  So now they grow more and more and drove the price of grain lower and lower in the market.

            Of course, for the owner in the CAFO business, this is a dream come true.  Confined Animal Feeding Operations can now buy their animal feed at such a low price they can afford to waste it.  So with that expense out of the way, who’s to say that a CAFO manager is not going to spend his extra money on more animals to increase the profits?

            The end result? A cheap one dollar commodity hamburger made from cheap commodity corn and soybeans.  Where do you get it?  McDonalds and every other fast food chain in the nation. Folks, this isn't food, in fact it's the most unhealthy item ever created by man.

If it were not for the government putting millions of dollars into it every year, industrial agriculture would fall flat on its face. Its time for reform in America. It's time for sustainability. It's time for the government to stop pumping money into an economy and to start helping the economy to sustain itself. It’s time for people to remember what agriculture really is for: food.