Assignment: Fast Food Dietary Analysis

The goal of this assignment is to examine food available at fast food establishments and examine dietary practices of the everyday consumer while reviewing key nutritional components.

Fast Food Menu Creation Overview

For this assignment, you have been asked to explore the nutritional value of menu items at a local fast-food restaurant. Using the available menu items, plan two meals: the healthiest meal possible and the unhealthiest healthy meal possible. Both meals should include an entrée, side, beverage and dessert. In a word document, please answer/discuss the following questions:

Deliverables

1. Describe the healthy meal that you have created from the fast food restaurant using the nutritional value of menu items.

a. Name the restaurant and then, write a nutritional analysis of the meal you have created (explain all of the nutrients found in the meal like carbs, protein, fat, and some essential vitamins and minerals)

b. Discuss your reaction to the analysis-Make sure to explain why you feel the way you do about this meal. For example, if your meal is composed primarily of fat, discuss that point; if you meal supplies a lot of sugar per serving, discuss that as well. Please also remember to link excess or limited amounts of nutrients with diseases or the potential for disease (too much fat may put you at risk for heart disease, not enough calcium may not support bone health, etc. Please make sure this section is as detailed as possible.

c. How will this information affect your future food choices? Make sure to explain why/why not you will eat this meal again and support your answer with the information found in the above sections.

2. Describe the unhealthiest meal that you have created from the fast food restaurant using the nutritional value of menu items.

a. Name the restaurant and then, write a nutritional analysis of the meal you have created (explain all of the nutrients found in the meal like carbs, protein, fat, and some essential vitamins and minerals)

b. Discuss your reaction to the analysis Make sure to explain why you feel the way you do about this meal. For example, if your meal is composed primarily of fat, discuss that point; if you meal supplies a lot of sugar per serving, discuss that as well. Please also remember to link excess or limited amounts of nutrients with diseases or the potential for disease (too much fat may put you at risk for heart disease, not enough calcium may not support bone health, etc. Please make sure this section is as detailed as possible.

c. How will this information affect your future food choices? Make sure to explain why/why not you will eat this meal again and support your answer with the information found in the above sections.

Create a healthy and unhealthy meal from a specific fast food restaurant; make sure to include an entrée, side, drink and dessert.

Write a nutritional analysis of the meal you have created (include macronutrients, key vitamins, minerals and any other nutrient worth mentioning); make sure to touch on the major macronutrients like carbs, protein and fat but also include sugar, fiber, sodium, cholesterol and any vitamin and minerals your meals may have.

Discuss your reaction to the analysis for each meal; what did you think about each meal? What surprised you with regard to the nutrient levels/amounts? In this section, it is imperative that you compare the nutrient levels to the standard RDA's and make comments such as "in the unhealthy meal, 40% of the total calories come from fat and considering the diet is only supposed to contain between 20-30% fat for the entire day, this meal is quite unhealthy". Make sure to do this for both meals.

How will the above information (the details from the analysis) affect your future food choices? Will you still go to the restaurant; will you change what you will eat; what steps will you take with regard to your health in light of the details you examined from the analysis?

Mechanics (includes name, citations within body of essay, proper spelling, grammar, and separate bibliography).