SparkPeople helps me see what I'm really missing nutritionally

Calories jump off the label and are easy to track, but recording several other nutrients at once is very time-consuming. Thank goodness for SparkPeople!

I had heard that American's get enough protein without even trying, so vegetarians would get enough protein naturally without making an effort. Wrong! Once I started tracking my actual protein intake I found that even though I eat beans and soy foods, I was often eating only half the protein I needed! It's not the best way, but often I make up the difference with a protein bar.

I knew calcium could help with weight loss in addition to it's other benefits. I thought if I ate 3-4 dairy or other calcium rich foods, I'd be fine. Wrong! I was frequently eating only 80% of the minimum daily requirement. I prefer to get most of my nutrients through the foods I eat, but at least this one I can easily increase with a supplement.

I know fiber is important, but even when I add in fruits and veggies, eat beans and whole grain snacks, I still come up short on a regular basis. I'm still working on this one.

If it weren't for SparkPeople making it easier for me to track foods, I'd have been missing out on these and other important nutrients.