Another one down: week three nutrient analysis

Another week down and only one to go on the $3 diet! Mark has continued to be successful in meeting his financial constraints. I think he has this part down now! Nutritionally, not much is different from week’s one and two as I analyzed week three using Super Tracker https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/. Macronutrient content (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) continues to be adequate, with the majority of Mark’s calories coming from carbohydrate sources. This is not surprising, considering how expensive protein rich foods (meat and dairy) are compared to high carbohydrate foods such as breads, oatmeal, pasta, etc. Because of this, Mark can afford more high carbohydrate foods with his budget limitations in comparison to other foods. During week three, Mark’s carbohydrate intake averaged out to approximately 56% of total calories consumed, while protein intake was roughly 17%, and fat was 27% of total calories.

Similar to week’s two and three, Mark came close to meeting his nutritional targets on most micronutrients, with the exception of calcium and vitamin D, just as we witnessed during week’s one and two. It’s probably safe to say at this point, that Mark would likely have difficulty meeting his needs of these two micronutrients over the long run if he were to maintain this diet for longer than 30 days. We do, however, continue to see improvement in Mark’s calcium and vitamin D intake from week’s one and two. You’re almost there Mark, so don’t quit on dairy now!

During week three, calcium intake climbed by 11%, now meeting 86% of his nutritional needs, while his vitamin D intake jumped up 7% to now meeting 33% of his needs. To me, this is great progress, and ultimately what matters in the end. If nothing else, Mark is now acutely aware of the importance of dairy in a healthy diet. The harsh reality, however, is that while dairy is the one of the best (if not the best) dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D, it is not a cheap commodity.

Also worthy of mention is that vitamin C content this week was a bit lower that the past two weeks. As with calcium and vitamin D, you would expect to find higher levels of vitamin C in more expensive foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Again, these are luxury items on the $3 diet, and not something Mark was able to indulge in on a daily basis.

All in all, I am still impressed by Mark’s dedication and diligence. He’s taken recommendations to heart and has tried to incorporate mostly healthy foods into his daily intake. Not only that, but he continues his careful persistence in ensuring balance in his life, not only with nutrition, but with sleep and activity. Kudos Mark! Only a few days left in your challenge!