Nutritional analysis of carne guisada and physical fitness components

Nutrition

Components of Physical Fitness

Description

How to Incorporate in Your Life

Benefit(s)

Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Being able to exercise at a moderate to high intensity for a long period of time

Walk 2 miles at a brisk pace every day.

Reduced the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Muscular Strength

The ability to exert force using muscles, such as lifting objects or moving the body. Strength refers to the amount of force one can exert.

Lifting weights; doing resistance exercises including yoga

Improved performance; improved appearance; improved overall health

Muscular Endurance

The ability to sustain physical exertion.

Cardiovascular training on a stationary bicycle or treadmill every day, plus alternating days of weight lifting

Improved performance in sports; specific muscle endurance corresponds to specific sports or activities

Flexibility

Being able to move and stretch muscles to their full range of motion.

Do yoga exercises every day.

Improves athletic performance; prevents injury

Body Composition

Percentages of fat, muscle, and bone in the body

Measured using various tools and technologies

Keep track of progress in a diet and exercise program; determine overall health based on body volume indexes

Part Two: Critique a Meal

1. What is the name of the recipe you are evaluating?

The recipe is for Carne Guisada, a south Texan dish that is like a spicy beef stew. The ingredients are as follows, for a six-serving meal.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

4 large tomatoes, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried, crushed Mexican oregano

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/3 cup water

2. Which essential nutrients -- carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals -- are included in the recipe?

Carbohydrates: Total Carbohydrate 13.7 g; Dietary Fiber 2.7 g; Sugars 0.4 g

Fats: 15.4g total; 5.1 saturated fat; .9 polyunsaturated fat; 7.2 monounsaturated fat

Proteins: 48.5g

Vitamins and Minerals with percentages of daily requirements:

Vitamin A

17.2%

Vitamin B-12

71.8%

Vitamin B-6

48.8%

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Calcium

Copper

20.6%

Folate

11.9%

Iron

42.2%

Magnesium

19.7%

Manganese

22.7%

Niacin

38.5%

Pantothenic Acid

10.0%

Phosphorus

43.8%

Riboflavin

30.9%

Selenium

74.1%

Thiamin

21.2%

Zinc

68.8%

3. Which ingredients are providing each nutrient?

The beef provides the bulk of the protein and fat in this recipe, as there are no other meat products and only a small bit of oil for the initial saute. The few vegetables included in the recipe including bell pepper and onion do provide some vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, and E. However, in this case the beef provides most including the B. vitamins and more minerals including iron, copper, and zinc. Of course, the salt is providing the sodium content.

4. Does this recipe include a good balance of essential nutrients? Explain your answer.

This meal is heavy in saturated fat and protein, due to its containing mostly beer. At the same time, the recipe does provide a reasonably good balance of essential nutrients. Beef, for all its saturated fat and cholesterol heaviness, is also a concentrated source of the minerals and vitamins the body needs. The levels of vitamins and minerals in this meal are good also because there are some vegetables. Because of the high fat and protein, Carne Guisada should be eaten in moderation.

Part Three: Nutrition Questions

1. Do you find it easy or difficult to determine the nutritional value of food? What are some methods to help you more easily determine the nutritional values of food?

I find it relatively easy to loosely determine the nutritional value of food without the use of a reference guide or technological tool because I am familiar already with what each food has to offer in terms of their general proportions of protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and vitamins. For example, I know that beef has a lot of protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, and B-vitamins as well as iron and other minerals. I also know that orange vegetables have a lot of vitamin A and that dairy milk contains calcium. However, the online tools help determine the exact quantities of these nutritional elements. There are also iPhone and iPad apps that can be helpful shopping aids when looking for foods or substitutes for foods in menu planning. For foods that I am not familiar with, these tools can be very helpful when trying to find substitutes for items that are unhealthy.

2. What environmental, economic, and psychosocial factors influenced your food and drink choices today?

My food and drink choices are usually made with a number of factors in mind including expediency, price/value, concern for ethics and environment, and concern for nutrition. Making something fast should not necessarily mean relying on pre-packed foods, so I am trying to make quick snacks and meals that are not fast food or processed. I am trying to cut down on my intake of animal products, but do not want to become a vegetarian. Therefore, I am looking into ways to eat more vegetables and vegetarian protein. I have been making more recipes that include beans and whole grains as well as dark leafy greens. Because of my concern for reducing reliance on factory farming, I am investing more in organic foods and meats.