Food journal reflection

            I found keeping a food and activity journal to be a great assignment! I have always thought of myself as being a relatively healthy eater and someone who lives an active lifestyle, but it was interesting to actually take the time to note everything I ate as well as the exercise that I participated in.

            Being a vegetarian, I make the choice to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits and dairy products on a daily basis. However, because of my decision to be a vegetarian, I know I tend to be lacking in my iron intake. After examining my food journal, I found that this is definitely something I need to work on. Finding ways to incorporate foods into my diet that are high in iron is very important, especially since I’m not getting iron from key sources like red meat. Another area I found that I could improve in is lowering my intake of sweets. Although I don’t eat a lot of greasy, fatty foods, I definitely have a sweet tooth and tend to eat at least one serving of dessert a day. After realizing the amount of sugar I was eating, I set my goal to cut my sugar/sweets intake in half during my second week of keeping my food journal. It was difficult, but I was able to eat dessert every other day rather than every single day. Even something as small as this can prove to be very beneficial to my health!

            I feel that keeping a food and activity journal has great potential for teaching and learning. While students are learning about topics such as nutrition, making smart dietary decisions and the benefits of an active lifestyle, having students examine their own eating and exercise habits can be a powerful tool. Often times, we don’t even realize everything we consume on a daily basis, but if we take the time to really look at the decisions we are making and their health implications, the result can be very influential. By choosing to drink one less soda a day, trying to eat one more serving of fruit, or going outside to play basketball rather than playing videogames, students can make important, healthy changes in their own lives.