The Social Justice and Nutrition in a Family

Purpose of the Paper

This paper provides a wider understanding of the practical application of social justice and how the social determinants of health (SDOH) can be used in the description of the family. It is designed to help students design a nutritious menu for a week for a family of four with a fixed budget of only $35.00 for food. Evidence has been drawn from authentic resources and the appropriate tables have been included in the Appendix section.

Description of Family

A family is a basic unit in every society. There are several characteristics that identify one with a certain culture, race, and a specific language. For this study, I will consider a family made up of four persons. The family is purely White English-speaking American that identifies with the white privileges making it a taboo and exalting our culture more than any other. It is identified with Christian paganism, science, and building civilizations. The four family members include Jeff, who is 37 years old, Ana 37 years old; Gwen 2 years old and Rita, who is 8 weeks old. I have 35 dollars remaining to budget for food and I believe I will be able to feed my family well with no deficits.

Food insecurity has been witnessed within the past decades due to inconsistent access to enough food. Low-earning families have been affected by a number of issues, including social isolation, chronic health problems, low wages, and huge medical costs (Boliko, 2019). These factors have contributed a lot to food insecurity and they are all social determinants of the health of an individual and they should therefore be well addressed.

There are various physical characteristics of the family members. These include Jeff, who is 37-years-old and needs nutritional considerations due to his diabetes and hypertension situation (Bazzano et al., 2016). With regard to Ana, I have made some modifications to her meal to fit her breastfeeding status. Gwen and Rita don’t have many complications, I have scheduled for them a meal that easily favors them and ensure they grow well. More information regarding nutritional considerations, energy and nutrition requirements and the recommended daily servings are clearly indicated in Appendix A.

The health conditions of the family members are of great importance. Jeff has hypertension and diabetes that require proper nutrition requirements. In order to cater to his situation, have ensured that his food has fewer calories from processed sugars, limiting sodium and cholesterol consumption (Nwankwo and Funnell, 2017). Ana, who is breastfeeding, requires more energy to sustain the proper and continued supply of milk for her child. For her case, I have ensured that she feeds more calories but limits excess calories. For Gwen and Rita, who is the youngest in the family, they don’t require many modifications but I have indicated what they need to feed on in Appendix A Figure 1.

The social health determinants and inequities that lead to a great barrier to sustaining proper feeding are of major concern in my family. As a result, the health determinants, including unemployment, low income, food insecurity, early childhood development, and failure to access quality health services, have highly affected my family negatively. These matters have frequently contributed to difficulties in frequently facilitating nutritious foods due to inadequate money. Due to this, there is a need to design a proper meal plan for the family.

Design of Meal Plan

Meal planning is one of the important aspects of a family when it comes to cooking. It, therefore, entails writing down and planning the meals to consume within a week or a month (Ackerberg, 2021). Having a meal plan enables a family to eat wholesome meals and saves time by having meals prepared in accordance with the schedule provided.

To design the meal plan, a simple procedure was followed. This involved identifying how many meals to be prepared per day, and that accounted for three times that is breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also considered the calories surplus and deficits that ought to be included, this involved setting the right calories more so for Jeff and Rita, who are in specific conditions. I then distributed the calories within the three meals per day in accordance with their macronutrient distribution. After that, I chose the right foods that fit the calories required; these food items included boiled eggs, Greek yogurt with berries, bananas, spinach, and tomatoes. More information on the selected foods is indicated in Appendix B. I thereafter scheduled the meals within the three-time meal structure a day, distributing each food item in consideration of the needs of the family members.

In order to fulfill my targeted daily meal plan, I made a grocery list that includes all the food items required by my family. The grocery list is indicated in Appendix C which also indicates where the food items were obtained from and the cost of each item is also included. I have also made a number of recipes as shown in Appendix D to aid in preparing the meals as per the grocery list and the meal plan. The recipe incorporates a procedural meal preparation until its ready to be taken by the family members. After designing a meal plan, a simple nutritional analysis has to be conducted to evaluate the appropriate nutrients to be included.

Simple Nutritional Analysis

To ensure that sufficient nutrition is maintained among the family members, a simple nutrition analysis is conducted. This analysis entails the various food items recommended for the individual family members to ascertain their relevance and efficiency in maintaining a chronic health situation. For instance, according to CDC lactating mothers should take more calories, iodine, eggs, vegetables, peas, and beans (Çavdar et al., 2019). This needs this calorie more so during their first year of postpartum. they also require additional calories from 330- 400 kilocalories within a day. In regard to the daily nutrition requirements Appendix A, Ana has a sufficient diet that can fit the standard requirements of lactating mothers as per the CDC since she is set to have an increase of 500 calories and the meals to be consumed are of great importance.

For Jeff who has hypertension and diabetes, a special diet must be considered. According to ADA, individuals with diabetes and hypertension should consume carbohydrates that have a high degree of nutrients (Passarella et al., 2018). The nutrients should be rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. One should also avoid sugary foods as well as unhealthy fats and sodium. The daily nutritional requirements recommended help fulfill this criterion and thus it is worth using it for Jeff. Gwen is a young girl who can feed on a wholesome meal, this makes her have no deficiencies in consuming the meals provided. However, for Rita the small baby, the breastfeeding program feeds her well. Therefore, the meal provided is healthy and it meets the criteria for adoption. The menu is provided in accordance with the individual needs thus making it fit for the right chronic health conditions.

Reflection

Social Justice and the Social Determinants of Health

This assignment relates to the principle and social justice and the Social Determinants of Health in a number of ways. In assessing the important food items to be included in the menu, this assignment incorporates all social health determinants including income, unemployment, food insecurity, early childhood development as well as the health status of the family members. It also incorporates social justice in those issues of gender, sex race, and ethnicity are well captured so as to understand the levels of understanding of the various aspects of life concerning health and proper health keeping.

Personal Reaction

The assignment is well designed with all the appropriate sections for easy understanding. It clearly shows how one should define a family, the social determinants of health, and also how to plan for a proper budget. It is important to note that the assignment can easily benefit any individual who seeks to know more about how to organize a family well. It can also be used to educate students on further areas of research more so concerning the various chronic health conditions of persons.

Utilization in Clinical Practicum

This assignment is very crucial since it can assist me in completing Focused Learning Activities by applying the population data obtained from the assigned agency. It is also helpful in filling Population-Based Care Activities together with additional care within that area. Population health will help me address the varying needs of the population in a clinical setting whereby the people with specific diseases are taken care

Significance of Food after the Assignment

Having researched much on the nutritional requirements of various needs of people, this assignment has opened me to some reality. My approach towards food has changed and have realized that there is a need to do a proper review of the foods one takes. An individual should value his or her health by taking appropriate foods that match their health conditions.

References

Ackerberg, B. (2021). Okinawa Diet: A Beginner’s 3-Week Step-by-Step Guide with Curated Recipes and a 7-Day Meal Plan. No Fluff Publishing.

Bazzano, L. A., Green, T., Harrison, T. N., & Reynolds, K. (2016). Dietary approaches to prevent hypertension. U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 15(6). 694-702. doi: 10.1007/s11906-013-0390-z

Boliko, M. C. (2019). FAO and the situation of food security and nutrition in the world. Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology, 65(Supplement), S4-S8.

Çavdar, G., Papich, T., & Ryan, E. P. (2019). Microbiome, Breastfeeding and Public Health Policy in the United States: The Case for Dietary Fiber. Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, 12, 1178638819869597.

Nwankwo, R., & Funnell, M. (2017). What’s new in nutrition for adults with diabetes? Home Healthcare Now, 35(7), 386–390. doi: 10.1097/NHH.0000000000000576

Passarella, P., Kiseleva, T. A., Valeeva, F. V., & Gosmanov, A. R. (2018). Hypertension management in diabetes: 2018 update. Diabetes Spectrum, 31(3), 218-224.

Appendix A

Figure 1: Daily Nutrition Requirements

Jeff, 37yo Ana, 37yo Gwen, 2yo Rita, 8wk
Nutritional Considerations Diabetes and hypertension, BMI 27.2 7 weeks postpartum, breastfeeding, unemployed, low active lifestyle, BMI 25.8 Toddler girl who eats healthy 8-week-old newborn, in 97th growth percentile
Energy and Nutrition Requirements 3,140 kcal/day, limit excess calories from processed sugars and fats, limit sodium, limit cholesterol 2,550 kcal/day (2,050 calories plus 500 additional calories for breastfeeding), limit excess calories from processed sugar, fats, limit sodium 1,010 kcal/day, focus on whole foods 470-575 calories for first 1-3 months of life
Recommended Daily Servings: Approx. 3-4 oz of breastmilk every 3-4 hours, about 6-8 times per day, with about 22 calories per oz of milk. Total will be about 520-550 calories per day
Fruit 2 cups 2 cups 1 cup
Vegetables 3.5 cups 3.5 cups 1 cup
Grains 9 oz 8.5 oz 2-3 oz
Protein 6.5 oz 6.5 oz 2 oz
Dairy 3 cups 3 cups 2 cups

Appendix B

Figure 1: 7-Day Meal Plan

Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner *Rita takes approx. 3-4 oz of breastmilk every 3-4 hours each day through cue-based feeding
Monday Boiled egg, toast with butter, banana Salad with lettuce, carrots, tofu, beans, sesame dressing Spaghetti with marinara and meatballs, and leftover salad from lunch Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Tuesday Greek yogurt with berries, bananas, and granolas, honey Rice bowl with beans, tofu, lettuce, tomatoes Salmon patty and mixed veggies Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Wednesday Apple sandwich with peanut butter, glass of milk Egg salad sandwich, carrots, oranges Rice bowl with beans, tofu, lettuce, tomatoes Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Thursday Rolled oats with apples and bananas, honey Salad with lettuce, carrots, tofu, beans, sesame dressing Spaghetti with chicken alfredo sauce, broccoli Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Friday Scrambled eggs with tomatoes on toast, glass of milk Quesadillas with chicken, cheese, spinach, and tomatoes Baked chicken breast with green beans and potatoes Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Saturday Fruit pizza with peanut butter and bananas on English muffins Bread and lentil soup with carrots, spinach, onions, and celery topped with Greek yogurt, cilantro, and tomatoes Beef and noodles with onions, broccoli, carrots Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day
Sunday Omelet with peppers, sausage, spinach, and cheese over toast, and glass of milk Rice bowl with beef, beans, and spinach Chili with beans, corn, peppers topped with cheese and cilantro Rita: approx. 24 oz of breastmilk throughout the day

Appendix C

Figure 1: Grocery List

Item Price Units
breastmilk (free!) $0.00
vegetable oil (pantry staple) $0.00
brown rice (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00
salt and pepper (pantry staple) $0.00
canned salmon (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00 14.75 oz
onions (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00
garlic (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00
canned black beans (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00
beef broth powder (pantry staple) $0.00
bell peppers (free from community garden) $0.00
carrots (free from community garden) $0.00 1 lb
potatoes (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00
cilantro $0.33 1 bundle
spinach $2.00 30 oz
sesame dressing $2.24 16 oz bottle
broccoli (free from community garden) $0.00 1 lb
tomatoes (free from community garden) $0.00 1 lb
bananas (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00 2 lb
green beans $1.19 1 lb
lettuce (free from community garden) $0.00 1 head
yogurt $1.92 32 oz tub
lemons (free from community garden) $0.00 1lb
oranges (free from community garden) $0.00 2 lbs
salsa (pantry staple) $0.00 16 oz jar
whole wheat flour tortillas $2.49 20 ct
unsalted butter $1.49 8 oz stick (2 ct)
low-fat milk (provided by WIC) $0.00 1 gal
cheese $1.98 8 oz
eggs (provided by WIC) $0.00 2 dozen
wheat bread $1.88 1 loaf
multi grain English muffin $1.24 6 ct
rolled oats (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00 2 lb
tofu, firm $1.49 16 oz package
Beef stew meat $4.99 1 lb
chicken breast $4.29 2 lbs
whole grain pasta $2.94 16 oz box x 2
pasta sauce (marinara and alfredo) $2.56 24 oz jar x 2
peanut butter (provided by Los Angeles Regional) $0.00 16 oz jar
all-purpose flour $1.56 5 lb
TOTAL: $

*Los Angeles Regional=Food bank

Appendix D

Figure 1: Recipes

Salmon Patty (serves 3)
Ingredients Directions
½ medium onion Chop.
3 tbsp oil Sauté onions in oil until cooked through but not brown.
14.75 oz canned salmon (boneless) Drain liquid from the salmon.
2 eggs Beat eggs.
½ all-purpose flour Combine salmon, sauteed onion, flour, oats, eggs, salt, and pepper.
¼ rolled oats
salt and pepper Form mixture into patties
2 tbsp unsalted butter Melt butter and oil in a pan, brown salmon patties 4-5 minutes (per side) on both sides.

Figure 2: Recipes cont.

Chili (serves 3)
Ingredients Directions
¾ cup chopped onion Chop onion, dice tomatoes and red pepper, and mince garlic.
2 cloves garlic Cut broccoli into 1 inch pieces. Rinse black beans.
1 can black beans Place vegetable oil on large skillet over medium-high heat.
1 can corn Add ground beef, onion, and garlic and cook, cutting and stirring, until beef is no longer pink.
3 tomatoes Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, peppers, brown rice, beans, and broccoli.
1 large bell pepper Add beef broth.
water Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.
2 tbsp cooking oil Top with shredded cheese and cook another 2-3 minutes.
salt and pepper
Greek yogurt Add about 1 tsp of Greek yogurt on each bowl, and top it with cilantro, and shredded cheese.
cilantro
0.5 cup shredded cheese

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