Select any fast food (FF) restaurant or a sit-down (SD) restaurant. Select a complete dinner meal that you like and might eat there (you do not have…

1. Select any fast food (FF) restaurant or a sit-down (SD) restaurant.
2. Select a complete dinner meal that you like and might eat there (you do not have to go there and eat it – just evaluate it.) You will be comparing it to a healthier version, make this first one a big meal – indulge, whatever you most like to eat, etc. Most restaurants that are nation-wide will have a website that should be easy to find.
3. Calculate the total calories, grams of fiber, total fat grams, saturated fat grams, and milligrams of sodium for the complete meal. Make sure you include sides, drinks, and dressings for salads and dessert if desired.
4. Show each food individually and then added together for a total at the bottom. Some websites may not have all of this information – so be resourceful and look for the information elsewhere. A table to use is below (Table 1).

You will be comparing your meal to the DRIs (Dietary Recommended Intakes). You can get these off of your“Intake Compared to DRI Report” that you used for MyPlate assignment. On the Report find the “MyDRI” amounts for: Kilocalories; Fat, Total; Saturated fat; Dietary fiber; Total, Sodium

Now select a healthier version of the dinner meal paying attention to the quantities and types of food eaten. The calorie level of this meal needs to stay close to about 1/3 of your total Kilocalories for the day. (Take your MyDRI Kilocalories and divide by 3 to represent 1/3 of your calories for the day) (for general estimates, the range of 600 – 700 or kcal/meal will be close for most of you) Calculate the total calories, total fat grams, saturated fat grams, grams of fiber and milligrams of sodium for the complete healthier meal. Make sure you include sides, drinks, and dressings for salads if used. Desserts are optional. Show each food individually and then added together for a total. In a separate set of tables show your results. There is a table at the bottom that you can use (Table 2).

In a table compare the MEALS Total Kilocalories, total fat grams, saturated fat grams, grams of fiber and milligrams of sodium for both of your meals and compare it to the numbers from your MyDRI. Look at your MyDRI report — Divide your MyDRI numbers by three to get an estimate of the values for one meal (Your MyDRI represents the calories, fat, saturated fat etc… for one day — by dividing it by three you estimate the limits for one meal. Place these numbers in the center column of Table 3. There is a table at the bottom that you can use (Table 3).

You will now compare the two meals. Discuss each of the topics listed below separately with details. SO… You will have a short paragraph on Kilocalories, then a short paragraph on total fat, ……and so on…. in which you mention the contrast in numbers, the foods that caused it, and then what you think about it — It needs to be more than ‘Wow, what a difference!” Instead it should be something like… “I noticed a big difference between the saturated fat levels – 34 grams to 16 grams – and the amount is so much lower because I cut out……  and instead ate…..” Notice that you are including/comparing Less Healthy (LH) and the Healthy (H) meals all together. You do not need to write a set of paragraphs about each meal, just comment on both comparing/contrasting in one paragraph for each topic listed.

1. Total Calories –
2. Total Fat –
3. Saturated Fat –
4. Fiber –
5. Sodium –
6. Your overall comments/impression –