Good nutrition is important to maintain a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules and don't take the time to plan their diet properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life, I have been lucky. I had no major health problems and was able to eat most foods without worrying about gaining weight. However, in the last two years I started to gain weight and became concerned with my diet. Changing my bad eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this mission has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously imagined. Nutrition experts in the United States and Canada have a list of standards with four values. These list values ​​are called Dietary Reference Intakes. The DRI committee sets these values ​​for vitamins, minerals, calories and nutrients. These nutrients include fats, carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and water. These list values ​​measure the nutritional intakes of healthy people and their main purpose is to help prevent chronic diseases. Dietary reference intakes are broken down by sex and age. The daily recommendations for my age, 31-50, are: Calories – 2,403, Carbohydrates – 130 grams, Protein – 46 grams and Fiber – 25 grams. The DRI also recommends that women subtract 7 calories per day for each year above age 19. I am currently 31 years old, so my recommended calorie intake is 2,319. The diet I am currently following is not as nutritious as it should be. Looking at the recommended dietary allowances for my age and comparing them to my current eating habits, I...... middle of paper ......f dairy. Dairy products are a rich source of calcium and vitamin D. Maintaining adequate calcium stores can prevent me from getting osteoporosis as I age. Overall, I'm happy with the changes I've made to my diet and plan to continue working towards my goals. . In order to achieve my goals in the future, I will try to slowly increase my intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Another goal I need to work on will be to gradually limit the amount of meat products I consume. Incorporating these changes will help me achieve my goals of increasing my calories and decreasing my protein intake to the recommended values ​​set by the Dietary Reference Intakes. As long as I can continue to practice these healthier eating patterns, I am sure to live a longer, healthier life and reduce my risk of chronic diseases as I age..