Go to https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/ and select "Create a Profile." You will need to set up a new profile (and a free account to go along with it so you can access it again later). Even if you have a login for your own account, please create a new one so that the profile matches that of the person who was interviewed and provided this food recall. Remember, this is not your own personal information, but that of the person interviewed (unless you are using yourself). If your subject is female, and is pregnant or breastfeeding, provide the relevant information as requested. For physical activity, select the level that best meets the activity level of the person you interviewed. If asked, make sure to select "maintain your current weight." This project will not involve weight management.
After creating your profile and your account, you will be taken to your personal homepage. A recommended meal plan and calorie level will be generated. Take note of what is recommended. You will be able to look at it again later. Next, head to "Food Tracker" on the main screen. You will be directed to a new page where you can enter your foods for the day. Select the food you wish to enter, either using the dropdown menu or the search function. If the recall you have includes supplements, please leave those out. We are only analyzing dietary intake.
The best way to enter this information would be to type in the food item name and then click the search button. A list of foods will appear. Select the correct food and then enter the portion size consumed. If you can’t locate the exact food, find the most generic version or select the food that most closely matches. Choose your search term carefully as this can impact which foods are located in the USDA database. Searching is not always the most user friendly, so you may need to try multiple terms. For example, instead of 2%, you may have better luck just searching milk and then locating the exact match within the list. You will also need to select which meal this was or if it was a snack.
Once the foods are added you'll be able to give specific information about the composition of the food in relation to MyPlate food groups and recommendations within those groups.
When you are finished entering all of the foods it is time to analyze the data. Answer the questions or provide the requested data in each of the sections below. It will be submitted as a Word document, so it is a good idea to open a blank document now and work through each of the steps.
This image from Pixabay comprises public domain material.
- Start with the Daily Food Group Targets. Record the target for
each food group, the eaten amounts for each food group, and then the
status. You will want to copy and paste this table into your Word
document. You may not be able to simply copy and paste depending on
your computer. You can also take a screenshot, and then crop the
graphic as needed.
- Next, look at the Graph (next to the word data and below the daily
food group targets). What are the total percentages of the target for
each food group? For grains, what percent is whole and what percent is
refined (hover the arrow over the sections on the chart and it will
show this)? For dairy, what percent is from milk/yogurt and what
percent is from cheese? Do this for any of the other food groups that
have two different designations within the food group. You will be able
to visually spot this because the bar on the graph will have two
different styles within the color.
- Next, look at Daily Limits. This is below the graph you were just
looking over. What are total calories eaten? How many empty calories
were eaten and what was the limit? How much oil, saturated fat, and
sodium were eaten and what were those limits? As with the above graphs,
you will need to insert this as well for your group to see the
results.
These charts also need to be used in the final presentation, so save them now (sometimes right clicking and selecting “save picture as” will work). You may copy and paste into Word, you may use screenshots, or if possible, save the graphic and insert it into your Word document.
- The next step is to open the Nutrient Intake Report (just below
the graph, smaller print, next to “Related Links”). You will need this
chart in addition to the final presentation so make sure to save it! It
can be exported as a PDF, Excel, or Word file. Word will likely be the
easiest for you to use. The table will list the target, average eaten,
and the status. Make note of those that exceed guidelines and those
that do not meet the guidelines. For now, you can assess this as over
or under the guideline just based on the status provided. In the final
presentation you will be converting these to percentages. Remember that
for cholesterol and sodium you want to be below the value, so no need
to comment if you fall below, only if you exceed it.
You now have all the information you need to assess the data and write up your findings. Keep this information, as you will need it for the final presentation of your work.