School of Health Sciences

Kaplan University School of Health Sciences

NS325 Nutrition Across the Life Cycle

Unit 9 Assignment: Diet Analysis and Comparison Across the Life Cycle and Comparison of Food Assistance Programs

Unit outcomes addressed in this Assignment:

• Explain the long-term benefits of positive dietary habits in adolescents. • List the nutrients that are of special concern to adolescent athletes. • List the nutrients that are of special concern to vegetarian adolescents.

Course outcome assessed/addressed in this Assignment:

• NS325-1: Discuss how nutrient needs change throughout the life cycle. • NS325-6: Identify nutrition education and food assistance programs available

to pregnant women, infants, children and the elderly. • GEL-1.1: Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition

of original materials in Standard American English.

Instructions:

This Assignment is divided into two sections. The first section requires you to analyze your own dietary intake and compare your dietary intake to the nutritional needs of various age groups. The second section requires you to compare the varying approaches of food assistance programs designed to assist specific populations.

Part I: Food Analysis and Comparison of Diet Intake

Keep a food record for 3 days. Enter your food record information and body composition (height and weight) into a food analysis program of your choice, and download your results. Include your results as an appendix when submitting this Assignment.

Example food analysis program:

Source: United States Department of Agriculture. (2013). Supertracker. Retrieved from https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx

A. Student’s will complete a 3-day food intake, then compare their total calories, total carbohydrates, protein, total fat, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and folic acid to:

Kaplan University School of Health Sciences

NS325 Nutrition Across the Life Cycle

a. Infants (0-12 months of age) b. Child nutrition (5-year-old male, who runs around at school for about

45 minutes per day) c. Teen (15-year-old male, who works out 6 days per week for 60

minutes by playing basketball) d. Adult (32-year-old male, who works out 4 days per week for 30

minutes by running on the treadmill) e. Elderly (62-year-old male, who walks 1 mile 7 days per week, which is

about 40 minutes total each day) B. Use the below table to provide the information above for each age group:

Nutrients Age Groups and RDAs/DRIs

Your input (age range)

Infants (0- 12 months)

Children (5- year-old male)

Adolescent (15-year-old male)

Adult (32- year-old male)

Elder (62 – year-old male)

Calories Carbohydrates Protein Total Fat Iron Calcium Vitamin D Folic Acid

C. Reviewing the requirements from each life stage, explain how you would

meet the recommendations for each life stage with specific examples of food and portions. For example, “I consumed X less mg of calcium compared to what an elderly male would need. I would need to consume at least another 8 oz. glass of milk or 1 oz. piece of cheese to meet these requirements.”

Part II: Comparing WIC and SNAP

The nutrition status and food choices described in part I are influenced by many factors including socioeconomic status, knowledge, and access to healthy foods. In order to help meet the nutritional needs you described previously, write an essay comparing WIC and SNAP. Include WIC and SNAP’s eligibility requirements (i.e., income level, risk factors, etc.) and at least two advantages and two disadvantages for WIC and SNAP.

Kaplan University School of Health Sciences

NS325 Nutrition Across the Life Cycle

Requirements:

• Comparative essay should be written in paragraph format. • The viewpoint and purpose of the essay should be clearly

established and sustained. • Be sure to write a clear conclusion for your essay that addresses the

key points of your comparative essay. • Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and

mechanics. • Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as

original and insightful. • Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American

English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). • Follow APA style format and citation guidelines, including Times New

Roman 12 point font and double spacing. • Include a title page and reference page. • The minimum page limit is 5 pages or 1500 words. Length

requirements do not include the title page, reference page, or the appendix for part I.

• Include at least two references. The course textbook counts as one reference. All sources must be scholarly. Wikipedia is an example of a resource that is not acceptable. Use APA style for all citations including course materials.

• For additional support utilize the GEL 1.1 Universal Writing Rubric, the Kaplan Writing Center, and review “Writing Center Resources” in Doc Sharing. The Writing Center provides guidelines for writing essays and comparing and contrasting.

Submitting Your Work

For directions on how to submit your work and review your graded Assignments, refer to the Dropbox Guide found on the Academic Tools tab. Make sure that you save a copy of your submitted work.

Unit 9 Assignment Grading Rubric = 190 points

Assignment Requirements Points possible

Points earned by

student

Completes personal food analysis (part 1)

– Does not include this as an appendix (-20 points)

0-20

Kaplan University School of Health Sciences

NS325 Nutrition Across the Life Cycle

Discusses how diet compares / contrasts to 4 stages within the lifecycle and includes specific foods and portions

– Does not address this question (-55 points) – Discusses 1 stage of life (-45 points) – Discusses 2 stages of life (-25 points) – Discusses 3 stages of life (-15 points) – Does not include specific foods or portions to meet

diet needs (-15 points)

0–55

Discusses nutrient needs throughout 4 stages of the lifecycle

– Does not address this question (-55 points) – Includes nutrient needs for 1 stage of life (-45 points) – Includes nutrient needs for 2 stages of life (-25

points) – Includes nutrient needs for 3 stages of life (-15

points) – Does not provide appropriate macronutrients for the

different stages of life (-15 points) – Does not provide appropriate micronutrients for the

different stages of life (-10 points)

0–55

Identifies the eligibility requirements for food assistance programs (Part 2)

– Does not address this question (-20 points) – Discusses eligibility requirements for only 1 food

assistance program (-10 points) – Only includes 1 eligibility requirement (-5 points)

0–20

Discusses two advantages of WIC and SNAP (Part 2)

– Does not address this question (-20 points) – Discusses 1 advantage for each program or 2

advantages for only 1 program (-10 points)

0–20

Discusses two disadvantages of WIC and SNAP (Part 2)

– Does not address this question (-20 points)

0–20

Kaplan University School of Health Sciences

NS325 Nutrition Across the Life Cycle

– Discusses 1 disadvantage for each program or 2 disadvantages for only 1 program (-10 points)

Total (Sum of all points)

Points deducted for spelling, grammar, and/or APA errors.

Adjusted total points

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