| Course | NS105 Fundamentals of Nutrition |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 7 |
| Paper type | Three-day food record |
| Length | About 1,030 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Nutrition Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NS105 Unit 7
Breakfast at Eight in the Evening: A Unit 7 Three-Day Food Record for an Overnight Hotel Clerk
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NS105: Fundamentals of Nutrition
Unit 7 Three-Day Food Record
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The clerk, her meals and every value are composite; values are rounded estimates for illustration, and the methods sources cited are real.
The Person and the Days
Gloria, a composite 36-year-old, staffs the night desk at a highway hotel, starting at eleven and handing over at seven in the morning on five of every seven nights. She sleeps from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on work days. She kept this record on two work days, Tuesday and Wednesday, and one day off, Saturday, because days off often differ from working days and a record that leaves them out misrepresents usual intake (Shim et al., 2014).
Columns and Conventions
Each entry records clock time, the meal as Gloria names it, the food as eaten with brand or preparation, the portion in the measure she used, the portion converted to grams, energy in kilocalories and grams of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Values come from USDA FoodData Central or from package labels (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2019). Household measures were converted to grams using the database's standard portions: one cup of cooked rice is about 158 grams, one large egg about 50 grams and one slice of sandwich bread about 28 grams.
Because Gloria's day does not begin in the morning, the record starts each day when she wakes, not at midnight. A day runs from her waking time to her waking time the next day.
Day 1: Tuesday, Work Night
1. 3:30 p.m., "breakfast." Two eggs scrambled with 1 teaspoon butter, 100 g eggs; two slices white toast, 56 g; coffee with 2 tablespoons flavored creamer. 430 kcal; carbohydrate 37 g; protein 16 g; fat 24 g.
2. 7:45 p.m., "lunch." Chicken burrito bowl from a fast casual restaurant: rice, chicken, beans, cheese, salsa, about 500 g. 860 kcal; carbohydrate 95 g; protein 48 g; fat 30 g.
3. 11:30 p.m., at work. Vending machine cheese crackers, one package, 39 g. 190 kcal; carbohydrate 22 g; protein 4 g; fat 10 g.
4. 2:00 a.m., at work, "dinner." Leftover pasta with meat sauce from home, about 1.5 cups, 280 g. 470 kcal; carbohydrate 60 g; protein 22 g; fat 15 g.
5. 4:30 a.m., at work. 20-ounce regular cola. 240 kcal; carbohydrate 65 g; protein 0 g; fat 0 g.
6. 7:30 a.m., before sleep. Small bowl of sweetened cereal with 1/2 cup 2 percent milk, 60 g cereal. 280 kcal; carbohydrate 52 g; protein 7 g; fat 4 g.
Day 1 totals: 2,470 kcal; carbohydrate 331 g; protein 97 g; fat 83 g.
Day 2: Wednesday, Work Night
1. 3:00 p.m., "breakfast." Toasted bagel with 2 tablespoons cream cheese, 105 g bagel; coffee with flavored creamer. 430 kcal; carbohydrate 62 g; protein 12 g; fat 14 g.
2. 8:00 p.m., "lunch." Frozen cheese pizza, half of a 12-inch pizza, about 280 g. 720 kcal; carbohydrate 80 g; protein 30 g; fat 30 g.
3. 12:30 a.m., at work. Banana, one medium, 118 g. 105 kcal; carbohydrate 27 g; protein 1 g; fat 0 g.
4. 3:00 a.m., at work, "dinner." Turkey sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise and a bag of potato chips, 28 g chips. 560 kcal; carbohydrate 50 g; protein 24 g; fat 28 g.
5. 5:00 a.m., at work. Two chocolate chip cookies from the hotel breakfast setup, 60 g. 280 kcal; carbohydrate 38 g; protein 3 g; fat 13 g.
Day 2 totals: 2,095 kcal; carbohydrate 257 g; protein 70 g; fat 85 g.
Day 3: Saturday, Day Off
1. 10:00 a.m., breakfast. Oatmeal made with water, 1 cup cooked, 234 g, with 1 tablespoon brown sugar; coffee with creamer. 260 kcal; carbohydrate 45 g; protein 6 g; fat 6 g.
2. 1:30 p.m., lunch. Grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing at a family restaurant, about 350 g. 520 kcal; carbohydrate 18 g; protein 35 g; fat 34 g.
3. 4:00 p.m., snack. Apple, one medium. 95 kcal; carbohydrate 25 g; protein 0 g; fat 0 g.
4. 7:30 p.m., dinner at her sister's. Baked chicken thigh, 1 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup green beans. 560 kcal; carbohydrate 50 g; protein 34 g; fat 22 g.
5. 9:30 p.m., dessert. Slice of chocolate cake, 95 g. 360 kcal; carbohydrate 50 g; protein 4 g; fat 17 g.
Day 3 totals: 1,795 kcal; carbohydrate 188 g; protein 79 g; fat 79 g.
Three-Day Average
Energy: about 2,120 kcal. Carbohydrate: 259 g. Protein: 82 g. Fat: 82 g.
Recording each day from waking to waking, rather than midnight to midnight, keeps Gloria's overnight meals with the day they belong to, and without that choice her 2 a.m. dinner would have been counted as part of the next day's intake.
Notes on Accuracy
Restaurant portions were estimated from the restaurant's posted nutrition information where available; the burrito bowl and the family restaurant salad were matched to posted values, while the dinner at her sister's was estimated from standard recipes. The cookies from the hotel breakfast setup had no label and were matched to a similar commercial cookie. Gloria logged work-night entries on her phone at the time; Saturday's dessert and dinner were recorded the next morning. Food records tend to underestimate intake, partly because people forget items and partly because recording itself changes what they eat (Shim et al., 2014). Gloria said she ate the cookies on Wednesday only because they were there, which suggests the record captured an ordinary night.
What the Record Will Be Used For
Later units will compare this record with energy needs, macronutrient ranges and food group recommendations. One question they will need to address is timing: a meta-analysis found that shift workers' total daily energy intake was similar to that of day workers (Bonham et al., 2016), which suggests that for Gloria the more important differences may lie in when and what she eats rather than in how much. The record's purpose here is to be complete and honest, not to judge what Gloria ate.
References
Bonham, M. P., Bonnell, E. K., & Huggins, C. E. (2016). Energy intake of shift workers compared to fixed day workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Chronobiology International, 33(8), 1086-1100. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2016.1192188
Shim, J.-S., Oh, K., & Kim, H. C. (2014). Dietary assessment methods in epidemiologic studies. Epidemiology and Health, 36, Article e2014009. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih/e2014009
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2019). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
What the NS105 Unit 7 assignment asks for
The food record unit asks students to record everything a person eats and drinks over three days in a standard format. Prompts usually specify the days, often including a weekend or day off, and expect time, food, portion, conversions to grams, energy and macronutrients, with daily totals. Record food as eaten, including brand and preparation. Convert household measures to grams using a database's standard portions. Include drinks, condiments and snacks. Adapt the record's structure if the person's schedule is unusual, and explain the adaptation. Note how each uncertain item was estimated. Eat as usual while recording, since an improved week tells later units nothing useful. Describe what later units will do with it. Three to four pages is common.
How this NS105 Unit 7 example is built
The record introduces Gloria, her shift and her sleep times, and explains the choice of two work nights and a day off. A columns section names each field and gives three gram conversions. Day one lists six entries from a 3:30 p.m. breakfast to cereal before sleep; day two lists five, including cookies from the hotel's breakfast setup; day three lists five from a day off. Each day has totals, followed by a three-day average. The highlighted sentence explains the waking-to-waking convention. A section on accuracy notes which entries were estimated and why, and a closing section previews comparisons with energy needs and guidelines, citing a review of shift workers' intake. The conversions section shows how three household measures were turned into grams.
Where the points sit in the NS105 Unit 7 rubric
NS105 food record rubrics put completeness and accuracy first, meaning nothing eaten is missing, each item has a portion and gram weight, and every daily total adds up. Format matters because later units depend on the record. Points go to sensible conversions and to honest notes about estimates and memory. Adapting the structure to the person's schedule, with an explanation, earns credit for judgment. Correct use of a recognized database is scored under method. Clear layout and citations complete the rubric. A record that omits drinks or condiments, totals that do not add up or portions given only as servings usually lose points on accuracy. Notes explaining how restaurant and unlabeled foods were estimated are often credited under honesty.
NS105 Unit 7 help: mistakes that cost points
Food records often leave out the items people forget: creamer, cooking oil, sauces, a soda at work. Another weakness is listing portions as one serving with no grams, which prevents later checking. Students sometimes record ideal days rather than ordinary ones. Totals are frequently miscalculated. Unusual schedules, such as night shifts, are forced into a midnight-to-midnight day that splits meals awkwardly. Notes on how uncertain items were estimated are rarely included. If you have kept your record but are unsure how to convert portions or handle restaurant meals, send the entries, and a writer can help you finish the conversions and totals.
Get an NS105 Unit 7 example written to your instructions
The entries in your record have to be yours, so the sample works from structure instead: send the Unit 7 instructions, the rubric and the name of the database your section uses. A complete layout with composite rows, conversions and totals comes back within 24-48h, and a first request is not charged. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More NS105 papers and BS in Nutrition Science samples
- NS105 Unit 1: Nutrient Definition Post
- NS105 Unit 2: Digestion Summary
- NS105 Unit 3: Energy Calculation Set
- NS105 Unit 4: Carbohydrate Profile
- NS105 Unit 5: Fat and Protein Comparison
- NS105 Unit 6: Seminar Reflection
- NS105 Unit 8: Nutrient Density Comparison
- NS105 Unit 9: Dietary Guidance Analysis
- NS105 Unit 10: Nutrition Case Summary
NS105 Unit 7 questions, answered
Can I record days that are not consecutive?
Follow your prompt; many sections ask for three consecutive days including one weekend day, and some allow any three. Whatever you choose, label each day with its date and weekday so the pattern is visible. A record that quietly skips an unusual day tends to raise questions the methods note should have answered.
What if I cannot find a food in the database?
Choose the closest match, note the substitution in the methods note, and keep the original description in the entry. Homemade dishes can be broken into their main ingredients and entered separately. A store-brand item can usually stand in for a national brand with similar values. Graders accept reasonable substitutions that are disclosed; what costs points is a mismatch nobody mentions.
Should I change what I eat while recording?
No. A record changed to look better is less useful to you and harder to analyze later, because later units usually compare it with guidance. Eat as you normally would, record all of it, and let the typicality note explain anything unusual. The findings worth writing about come from the real pattern, not an improved one.
Where can I find a free NS105 Unit 7 sample paper?
This page holds a complete Unit 7 three-day food record for an overnight hotel clerk, with conversions, daily totals, accuracy notes and APA references.
How should a night-shift worker's day be recorded?
Starting each day at waking rather than midnight keeps overnight meals with the day they belong to. The record should explain the convention so later analysis reads the totals correctly.