Monday

Breakfast: Bread w/ PB spread + Latte

Amount Carbohydrate Protein Fat Calories Fiber
Bread 2 slices 13g 3g 1g 70 1g
Peanut 2 tbsp 6g 7g 16g 200 2g
Butter
Coffee 8 fl.oz 5
Milk 4 fl.oz 3g 7g 4g 75
Lunch: Thai Chicken + Rice + Bok Choy
Peanut 3 Tbsp 9g 11g 24g 300 3g
Butter
Chicken 10 oz 53g 10g 330
Thigh
White rice 2 oz 56g 5g 1g 260 1g
uncooked
yields 1 cup
cooked
Milk 3 fl. oz 2g 5g 3g 56
Bok Choy 1 cup 4g 3g 26 1g
Water 1 Cup
Dinner: Instant Noodles w/ egg + Bok Choy
Instant 1 CUP 35g 6g 13g 260 2g
Noodles
Egg 1 Large 6g 5g 72
Bok Choy 1/2 cup 2g 2g N/A 13 1g
Water 1 cup
Snack
Orange 1 large 15g 1g N/A 62 3g
Thai Chicken: Chicken thigh, peanut butter, soy sauce, milk, dried basil.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Bread w/ PB spread + Latte
Amount
Bread 2 slices
Peanut 2 tbsp
Butter
Coffee 8 fl.oz
Milk 4 fl.oz
Lunch: Creamy Potatoes Salmon Stew + Rice + Green Beans
Potato 1 large
Salmon 3 oz
White rice 2 oz
 uncooked
Milk 3 fl.oz
Butter ½ Tbsp
Onion ½ each
Green bean ¼ lb
Water 1 Cup
Dinner: Thai Chicken + Bok Choy Left-over
Peanut 3 Tbsp
Butter
Chicken 10 oz
Thigh
White rice 2 oz
uncooked
Onion ½ each
Milk 3 oz
Bok Choy 4 oz
Water 1 Cup
Snack
Orange 1 large
Japanese Creamy Salmon + Rice + Bok Choy Recipe: Salmon, butter, milk, onion, potato, mirin (a
Japanese cooking wine), dashi stock (a Japanese fish stock).

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal + Latte
Amount
Oats ½ cup
uncooked
milk 8 fl. oz + 4
fl. oz
Coffee 8 fl. oz
Lunch: Tomatoes & Egg Stir-fry + Rice
Tomato 2 larges
Egg 3 larges
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Canola oil 2 tbsp
Water 1 Cup
Dinner: Creamy Potatoes Salmon Stew + Rice + Green Beans Left-over
Potato 1 large
Salmon 3 oz
White rice 2 oz
uncooked
Milk 3 fl. oz
 Butter ½ Tbsp
Green bean ¼ lb
Garlic 1 clove
Canola oil ½ tbsp
Water 1 Cup
Snacks
Yogurt 1 container
Apple 1 medium
Tomatoes & Egg Stir-fry: tomatoes, eggs, salt, granulated sugar, canola oil.
Green bean stir-fry: Green bean, garlic, canola oil, salt, pepper.
1.

Thursday
Breakfast: Bread w/ Nutella + Black Tea Latte
Amount Carbohydrate Protein Fat Calories
Bread 2 slices
Milk 6 fl.oz
Black tea 8 fl.oz
Sugar 1 tbsp
Nutella 1 tbsp
Spread
Lunch: Japanese Curry Potatoes and Chicken + Rice + Bok Choy
Potatoes 1 large
Chicken thigh 20 oz (2
pieces)
Baby carrot 6 oz
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Japanese 1 block
curry block
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Black tea 8 fl. oz
Water 1 Cup
Dinner: Tomatoes & Egg Stir-fry + Rice Left-over
Tomato 1 large
Egg 2 larges
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Canola oil 2 tbsp
Water 1 Cup
Snack
Orange 1 Large
 Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ PB + Latte
Amount
Oats ½ cup
uncooked
milk 8 fl. oz + 4
fl. oz
Coffee 8 fl. oz
Peanut 1 tbsp
Butter
Lunch: Spinach & Egg Stir-fry + Rice
Baby Half Bag
Spinach (__oz)
Egg 2 Larges
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Water 1 Cup
Dinner: Japanese Curry Potatoes and Chicken + Rice + Bok Choy Left-over
Potatoes 1 large
Chicken 20 oz (2
thigh pieces)
Baby carrot 6 oz
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Japanese 1 block
curry block
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Water 1 Cup
Snacks
Orange 1 Large
Black tea 8 oz

Saturday
Brunch: Omelet + Baked Potatoes + Coffee latte
Amount
Egg 2 Large
Milk 4 fl.oz
Coffee 8 fl.oz
Potato 1 large
Canola oil 4 tbsp
 Dinner: Japanese Style “Family Don” + Rice + Bok Choy
Onion ½ large
Chicken 10 oz
thigh
Egg 2 larges
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Bok Choy 1 cup
Water 1 Cup
Snacks
Orange 1 Large
Milk 8 oz

Sunday
Brunch: Cheese Omelet + Black Tea
Amount
Egg 2 Large
Black tea 8 fl.oz
Potato 1 large
Canola oil 4 tbsp
Dinner: Japanese Curry Potatoes and Chicken + Rice + Bok Choy Left-over
Potatoes 1 large
Chicken 20 oz (2
thigh pieces)
Baby carrot 6 oz
White rice 4 oz
uncooked
Japanese 1 block
curry block
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Black tea 8 fl. oz
Water 1 Cup
Snacks
Apple 1 medium
Yogurt 1 Container
Baby 6 oz
carrots
 Items have at home
Food item Amount Cost Store Total cost Receipt
Russet Potatoes 5 LB $ 2.99 Wegmans
Enriched long grain white rice 16 OZ $ 0.99 Wegmans
Quaker 1 minute Quick Oats 42 OZ $ 3.79 Wegmans
Twnings Black Tea 20 ct $ 3.69 Wegmans $ 16.89 N/A
12 Large Eggs 24 OZ $ 1.39 wegmans
Wegmans Breakfast blend coffee 12 ct $ 3.49 Wegmans
MAMA instant noodles 1 Bag $ 0.55 Ithaca Tofu Shop

Items from Wegmans or Tops - with receipts

Canned whole tomatoes 1 container $ 2.39 Tops Yes
Chobani Yogurt, low-fat, Mixed Berry, Yes
Greek 5.3 OZ 2 each $ 2.00 Wegmans
Wegmans Pane Italian Half Loaf 20 OZ $ 1.75 wegmans Yes
Salmon trim 6 OZ $ 2.11 Wegmans Yes
$ 21.04
Wegmans Bone-in Chicken Thigh 4.7 LB (72 Yes
Family Pack OZ) $ 3.82 wegmans
Wegmans Apples, Gala 3 LB $ 1.99 wegmans Yes
Wegmans Bagged Petite Baby Bok Yes
Choy 16 OZ $ 2.99 Wegmans
Clementines 2 LB $ 3.99 Tops

Items from Wegmans - receipt lost

Fairlife Milk, Lactose free, Whole 52 fl.oz $ 3.69 Wegmans Lost
Baby Cut Carrots 16 OZ $ 0.99 wegmans Lost
Wegmans Baby Spinach 12 OZ $ 1.50 wegmans Lost
$ 8.87
Mustard Greens 1 LB $ 2.69 Ithaca Tofu Shop Lost
Lost

Everthing Total: $ 46.80

Wegmans Peanut Butter Crunchy 18 OZ $ 1.49 Wegmans

S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix 92g $ 2.99 Ithaca Tofu Shop
Nutella 13 oz $ 3.39 Wegmans
Butter 1 lb $ 2.29 Wegmans
Canola oil 48 fl.oz $ 2.49 Wegmans
N/A
Soy sauce 500 ml $ 2.39 Ithaca Tofu Shop $ 29.59
Table salt 26 OZ $ 0.59 Wegmans
Granulated sugar 4 lb $ 1.89 Wegmans
Mirin (Japanese Cooking wine) 300 ml $ 3.49 Ithaca Tofu Shop
Dashi stock 10 oz $ 4.59 Ithaca Tofu Shop
Dried basil 6 oz $ 3.99 Tops
 1. How did your shopping experience compare to usual shopping experience?
I was surprised that this shopping experience wasn’t as restrictive as I thought. I think it was
quite similar to my usual shopping experience in terms of the choices of foods. I was able to
keep all the usual food I eat such as chicken, salmon, fruits, and Asian vegetables in my
shopping list, and still stay within budget. However, if I have to add on the prices of seasonings
and condiments that I already have at home, the cost will exceed the $50 budget. Without
those that I already have, the dishes I made for the past week will not be flavorful because I use
a lot of sauces and seasonings in my cooking. Normally, I don’t eat chicken 4 times a week. This
is also the downside of this shopping experience because eating the same protein for 4 days a
week made me don’t want to have chicken for the next months. With a limited budget, I have
to sacrifice the variety of food to reduce food costs. For example, choosing to eat salmon and
chicken restricted me to include tilapia and beef, my two other favorite animal proteins, in my
one-week diet plan because I can only spend so much on proteins and have to save the budget
on other food groups. In brief, this shopping experience is better than what I expected. Except
for the limited variety of foods, this shopping experience was similar to my usual shopping
routine and it allowed me to buy foods from all food groups that I needed to maintain a
balanced diet. I spent $46.8 on groceries this week including all foods and drinks. However, the
cost of the seasonings and condiments I used for this week’s cooking was close to $30.
2. How did you diet this week compare to your usual diet?
In terms of intake quantity, my diet this week is better than my usual diet because in
normal weeks I often skip one meal in a day. The meal that I skipped the most was breakfast.
However, to meet nutrition values this week, I planned breakfast into my everyday meals. I
randomly chose Monday for nutrient analysis. The total calories from my Monday breakfast
were 350 kcals. By doing this assignment, I was able to get an extra 2,450 kcals from this week’s
diet because I ate breakfast every day.
The recipes I chose were not the healthiest but they represent my comfort foods which I
cook regularly. All the foods included in the budget are foods that I enjoy and would appear in
my usual diet. However, I don’t usually buy family pack bone-in skin-on chicken thigh. I bought
a family pack chicken thigh with bone and skin just for keeping the budget below the limit. If I
don’t have a budget restriction, I usually buy skinless and boneless chicken thigh or chicken
breast to make the food prep easier. I spent about 15 minutes to remove all skin and bone from
the family-pack chicken thighs, and the process was not enjoyable.
In my usual diet, I usually don’t evenly distribute my fruits and vegetables seven days a
week. On one day I would forget to eat or don’t want to spend time preparing fruit and
vegetables, while on another day, I would eat a large amount of fruit and vegetable, probably 3-
4 cups of each, to “balance out” the fruits and vegetables intake recommendations. With a
planned diet this week, all my intakes were well-planned and I was able to eat at least one fruit
and one cup of vegetables every day. In conclusion, I feel good about this week’s diet when
compared to my usual diet because I ate on a regular schedule with 3 meals a day and I
included fruits and vegetables in my meals every day for the week.
3. How does your intake compare to dietary recommendations?
I chose Monday to do a dietary analysis. Based on the nutrition report generated by
MyFitnessPal, the total calories I had that day exceed my total energy expenditures. My
total energy expenditure was estimated to be 1,290 kcals, in which the sample daily intake
calories were around 1,600 kcals. Most of the excessive calories were from the chicken fat.
When I prepared the chicken thighs, I wasn’t able to remove all the fat and skin. Also, the
chicken thigh is a part of a chicken that has more fatty tissue than chicken breast. The
chicken breast would’ve been a better lean protein choice. However, if I were to include
chicken breast in my diet, the cost would go up. 36% of my total calories were from
carbohydrate, 41% was from fat, and 22% was from protein. Obviously, my micronutrition
intake proportion wasn’t fit with the recommended macronutrient intake distribution which
is 45% - 65% of total calories from carbohydrate, 10%-35% from protein, and 20% to 35%
from fat. I had excessive calories from fat. According to MyFitnessPal, my nutritional goals
are having 161 g of carbohydrate, 43 g of fat, and 65 g of protein. On my Monday dietary
analysis, I had 125g of carbohydrate, 77g of fat, and 88g of protein. I needed to have more
carbohydrates in my diet and reduce the intake of protein and fat to meet these goals. For
the protein dietary recommendation, women should eat 5 ½ oz equivalent of protein. I had
about 7 ½ oz equivalent of protein foods from chicken thighs and an egg on Monday. Thus, I
met the protein daily recommendation. By eating only one medium orange, which roughly
counts as 1 cup of fruit, I am not meeting the intake recommendation for fruit. Same for
vegetables, I only had 1 ½ cup of vegetables, where the recommendation for women's daily
vegetable intake is 2 cups. I have met the grain intake recommendation where women at
my age are recommended to eat 6 oz equivalent of grain. The recommendation indicated
that out of the 6-oz of grain, women should consume a minimum of 3 oz of whole grain.
However, all grains I had on Monday were refined grains such as white Italian bread and
white rice. The sodium daily recommendation is below 2,300 mg daily, however, I was
300mg over the recommendation. This was mainly from instant noodles. I believe that my
diet on a normal day doesn’t go over 2,300 mg of sodium. In my normal diet, I don’t drink
milk directly because it causes me stomach problems. I usually consume dairy by adding
milk to coffee and tea or eat cheese or yogurts. A general guideline for dietary fiber
recommends that women should aim for 25 g of fiber daily. However, my diet was only
meeting half of the recommended amount. The dietary guideline for women also called for
consuming less than 25 g of sugar per day. My sugar intake on Monday exceeded the
recommendation by 7 g.
Without looking at the dietary recommendations, I felt good about my diet this
week. However, I barely met any of the dietary recommendations. I thought I had a
balanced meal every day that included foods from all food groups, however, either the
number of foods or quality of foods was not optimal for a recommended diet.
4. How does this change your perspective on providing nutrition education to low
resource populations?
There is one new perspective I have on providing nutrition education to low
resource populations: we should all plan for food portioning of different food groups
before shopping for groceries. For example, in this assignment, I didn’t plan the amount
of foods from individual food groups so I had an excessive intake of protein but didn’t
have enough grains in this week’s diet. To improve this budget planning, I should’ve
thought of how protein ounces the equivalent of chicken, eggs, and salmon I need for 7
days before jump in to buy an excessive amount of protein. I could have saved some
money from buying a smaller amount of chicken thighs to buy whole grain products for
a low-budget friendly but nutrient balanced meal.
In order to eat a balanced diet in a week, low resource population can estimate
their protein, fat, and carbohydrate needs for a time range and plan their budget
accordingly to avoid spending too much on one food group and do not have enough
budget to include a variety of foods from another food group. Buying family-pack
produces and meats could save a lot in a budget. However, buying foods in a large
amount may increase the likelihood of food waste and reduce the diversity of food
intake. Thus, I think the gold standard for keeping a budget low but having a
nutritionally balanced diet requires a well-designed meal plan for individual food
groups, which includes the considerations on food portioning (women at my age need
around 40 oz equivalent of proteins in their diet for one week) and food choices (eg.
lean protein vs. high-fat protein, refine grains vs. whole grain).