Develop a personalized nutrition plan by setting targets with MyNetDiary
- 4 Minutes Read
Katherine Isacks, MPS, RDN - Registered Dietitian
Sue Heikkinen, MS, RDN, CDCES, BC-ADM, ACE-PT - Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) Did you know you can create a personalized nutrition plan tracking more than 100 nutrients with MyNetDiary Premium? Learn how to get started and meet the nutrient goals that are important to you.
Creating a personalized nutrition plan is easy with MyNetDiary
MyNetDiary gives you the power and flexibility to plan and customize nutrient targets according to your needs–far beyond the basic nutrients alone. It all starts by selecting "Nutrient Targets" under My Plan (screenshot below). Learn valuable information about each nutrient, select the recommended value, or create a custom target. To choose the nutrients you want to track and whether you’d like to view them on your dashboard, tap the “+” icon at the bottom of the screen.
An alternate method of selecting nutrients to track: From your dashboard, tap any meal, tap the three dots on the top right, and select "Nutrients for Food Log.”
Macronutrients: Carbs, protein, and fat
Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are macronutrients, meaning they provide calories and constitute the bulk of what we eat. Of course, weight loss requires consuming fewer calories than burned, creating a calorie deficit. A healthy eating plan includes a balance of nutrients to support your health, nutritional needs, and preferred eating style or diet type.
Since most MyNetDiary members are trying to lose weight and/or manage blood sugar, MyNetDiary uses a default macronutrient distribution to encourage healthy proteins and fats while controlling carb intake. The goals are within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) developed by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
| Macronutrient | DRI: Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges | MyNetDiary Default Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 45-65% of total calories | 45% of total calories |
| Protein | 10-35% of total calories | 20% of total calories |
| Fat | 20-35% of total calories | 35% of total calories |
No ideal macronutrient mix for weight loss exists, not even in a personalized nutrition plan. How you decide to spend your calories is up to you. The foods you consume will affect your diet quality and health risk more than the specific macronutrient goals.
If you follow an eating pattern that requires a different macronutrient distribution range, you can customize your macronutrient goals with a Premium membership (screenshot below).
Consider selecting a Low-Carb, Keto, Low-Fat, or High-Protein Premium Diet Plan if you want further support for your diet-specific goals.
Tip: Your macronutrient goals automatically update when your calorie budget changes. To learn more about your calorie budget and what affects it, please read "Planning Weight and Calories.".
Vitamins and minerals
In addition to the macronutrients, you may track many other nutrients in a personalized nutrition plan. To learn more about each nutrient, explore Nutrient Targets under the My Plan section, and tap each nutrient to find more information, view the recommended goal, or set your personalized goal.
If the nutrient has a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), MyNetDiary uses that as the goal. If there is no RDA, then the Adequate Intake (AI) level is suggested.
A few of the many additional items you can track
Alcohol
Alcohol has calories, but it is not considered a nutrient. Although you can track alcohol in your food log and view it in your reports and Dashboard, it is not included in macronutrient planning to avoid inaccurate carbohydrate, protein, and fat reporting. Missing alcohol data is common because many manufacturers don’t include it on containers. To help avoid missing data, log generic alcoholic beverages instead of brand-name products. Detailed data for these beverages come from the USDA.
You can set a “goal” as an upper limit for alcohol grams to monitor your intake. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than two drinks per day for men (equivalent to 28g pure alcohol) and no more than one drink per day for women (14g pure alcohol). A one-drink equivalent is 12 fl. oz. of beer (5% ABV), 5 fl. oz. of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5 fl. oz. of distilled spirits (40% ABV or 80 proof).
Caffeine
Caffeine is not an essential dietary nutrient, but you may choose to monitor your daily intake if you are sensitive to its effects. Under 400mg of caffeine is considered safe for most people. Limit caffeine during pregnancy.
Sodium
MyNetDiary uses a default goal of 2300mg of sodium, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you have a different sodium goal recommended by your healthcare provider, customize your goal to that value. For example, your goal may be lower if you are older or have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes. If you train vigorously in high heat or sweat profusely, your sodium loss will increase. Therefore, you will need to consume more sodium to cover your loss.
Water
Water tracking is simple—just tap the water glass icons on Dashboard. The standard “glass” is 8 fluid ounces (one cup), but you can customize the volume you prefer.
Tap the water glasses for all water and non-alcoholic beverages consumed to get an accurate total. If you log water with Google Fit or the Apple Health app, MyNetDiary calculates the total water consumed, including any water tracked on those platforms.
Here is a complete list of nutrients you can track with MyNetDiary:
| Nutrient | Membership level | |
|---|---|---|
| Popular Nutrients | Free | Premium |
| Calories | ✔ | ✔ |
| Total Fat | ✔ | ✔ |
| Saturated Fat | ✔ | ✔ |
| Trans Fat | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cholesterol | - | ✔ |
| Sodium/Salt | ✔ | ✔ |
| Total Carbs | ✔ | ✔ |
| Net Carbs | - | ✔ |
| Dietary Fiber | ✔ | ✔ |
| Soluble Fiber | - | ✔ |
| Total Sugars | - | ✔ |
| Added Sugars | - | ✔ |
| Sugar Alcohol | - | ✔ |
| Protein | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vitamin D | - | ✔ |
| Calcium | ✔ | ✔ |
| Iron | - | ✔ |
| Potassium | - | ✔ |
| Alcohol | - | ✔ |
| Caffeine | - | ✔ |
| Carb-related | ||
| Soluble Fiber | - | ✔ |
| Insoluble Fiber | - | ✔ |
| Starch | - | ✔ |
| Sucrose | - | ✔ |
| Glucose (Dextrose) | - | ✔ |
| Fructose | - | ✔ |
| Lactose | - | ✔ |
| Maltose | - | ✔ |
| Allulose | - | ✔ |
| Galactose | - | ✔ |
| Amino Acids | ||
| Alanine | - | ✔ |
| Arginine | - | ✔ |
| Aspartic acid | - | ✔ |
| Cysteine | - | ✔ |
| Cystine | - | ✔ |
| Glutamic acid | - | ✔ |
| Glutamine | - | ✔ |
| Glycine | - | ✔ |
| Histidine | - | ✔ |
| Hydroxyproline | - | ✔ |
| Isoleucine | - | ✔ |
| Leucine | - | ✔ |
| Lysine | - | ✔ |
| Methionine | - | ✔ |
| Phenylalanine | - | ✔ |
| Proline | - | ✔ |
| Serine | - | ✔ |
| Threonine | - | ✔ |
| Tryptophan | - | ✔ |
| Tyrosine | - | ✔ |
| Valine | - | ✔ |
| Taurine | - | ✔ |
| Additional Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin E | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin K | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin B-1 (thiamin) | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin) | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) | - | ✔ |
| Biotin (Vitamin B-7) | - | ✔ |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | - | ✔ |
| Choline (vitamin-like essential nutrient) | - | ✔ |
| Folate (Vitamin B-9) | - | ✔ |
| Niacin (Vitamin B-3) | - | ✔ |
| Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) | - | ✔ |
| Folic Acid | - | ✔ |
| Total Folate | - | ✔ |
| Folate DFE | - | ✔ |
| Carotenoids | ||
| Retinol | - | ✔ |
| Carotene- Alpha | - | ✔ |
| Carotene- Beta | - | ✔ |
| Lutein | - | ✔ |
| Zeaxanthin | - | ✔ |
| Beta-cryptoxanthin | - | ✔ |
| Lutein+Zeaxanthin | - | ✔ |
| Tocopherols | ||
| Delta Tocopherol Lycopene | - | ✔ |
| Beta Tocopherol | - | ✔ |
| Gamma Tocopherol | - | ✔ |
| Additional Minerals | ||
| Boron | - | ✔ |
| Chloride | - | ✔ |
| Chromium | - | ✔ |
| Cobalt | - | ✔ |
| Copper | - | ✔ |
| Flouride | - | ✔ |
| Iodine | - | ✔ |
| Magnesium | - | ✔ |
| Manganese | - | ✔ |
| Molybdenum | - | ✔ |
| Phosphorus | - | ✔ |
| Selenium | - | ✔ |
| Sulfur | - | ✔ |
| Zinc | - | ✔ |
| Additional Fats | ||
| Monounsaturated Fat | - | ✔ |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | - | ✔ |
| Omegas | ||
| Omega-3 (total) | - | ✔ |
| Omega-3 EPA | - | ✔ |
| Omega-3 ALA | - | ✔ |
| Omega-3 DHA | - | ✔ |
| Omega-6 (total) | - | ✔ |
| Omega-6 Linoleic acid | - | ✔ |
| Omega-9 EA | - | ✔ |
| MCTs | ||
| MCT | ||
| Caproic Acid | - | ✔ |
| Caprylic Acid | - | ✔ |
| Capric Acid | - | ✔ |
| Lauric Acid | - | ✔ |
| Other | ||
| CoQ10 | - | ✔ |
| Oxalate | - | ✔ |
| Phytosterols | - | ✔ |
Missing nutrient values
Although MyNetDiary offers more than 100 nutrients to track, manufacturers are only required to list the following nutrients on food labels: total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Some manufacturers voluntarily provide data for additional nutrients. If you wish to track nutrients beyond those required on the food label, you are more likely to encounter missing data for these nutrients.
You can minimize missing data by logging generic foods whenever possible. In general, using generic foods for unprocessed produce, meat, fish, dairy, nuts/seeds, dried beans/peas, and grains will give you more detailed nutrient information.
Good luck with your nutrient goal-setting and formulating your personalized nutrition plan! As you can see, you have excellent tools to track your nutrient intake with MyNetDiary.
Related content
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How-to: Customize Dashboard
How-to: Tracking nutrients
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Feb 6, 2024
