| Course | INHE 2320 Nutritional Science |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 7 |
| Paper type | Diet quality rating |
| Length | About 640 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Integrative Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for INHE 2320 Week 7
A Score of About 89 and What Earned It: A Healthy Eating Index Rating of a Three-Day Record, Component by Component
Student Name
Walden University
INHE 2320: Nutritional Science
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
A Score of About 89 and What Earned It: A Healthy Eating Index Rating of a Three-Day Record, Component by Component
Method and Its Limits
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) measures how closely a diet matches the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, using thirteen components scored on density, that is, amounts per 1,000 kcal or as a share of energy, and summed to a maximum of 100 (Shams-White et al., 2023). The standards used here are those of HEI-2020, which kept the component structure and scoring standards of HEI-2015 for adults (Krebs-Smith et al., 2018). Researchers compute the HEI from food pattern equivalents produced by federal databases. This rating was done by hand: each item in Dana's three-day record was converted to cup or ounce equivalents using standard household measures, and nutrient-based components came from the same database matches used in earlier weeks. The total, about 89, should be read as an estimate with an error of several points.
Component Scores
Table 1
HEI-2020 components for the three-day record (4,498 kcal in total)
| Component | Maximum | Dana's density | Standard for maximum | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fruits | 5 | 0.62 cup per 1,000 kcal | 0.8 cup | 3.9 | |
| Whole fruits | 5 | 0.40 cup | 0.4 cup | 5.0 | |
| Total vegetables | 5 | 0.93 cup | 1.1 cups | 4.2 | |
| Greens and beans | 5 | 0.35 cup | 0.2 cup | 5.0 | |
| Whole grains | 10 | 1.49 oz | 1.5 oz | 9.9 | |
| Dairy | 10 | 0.66 cup | 1.3 cups | 5.0 | |
| Total protein foods | 5 | 4.1 oz | 2.5 oz | 5.0 | |
| Seafood and plant proteins | 5 | 1.56 oz | 0.8 oz | 5.0 | |
| Fatty acids ratio | 10 | 2.37 | 2.5 or more | 9.0 | |
| Refined grains | 10 | 2.11 oz | 1.8 oz or less | 8.8 | |
| Sodium | 10 | 1.01 g | 1.1 g or less | 10.0 | |
| Added sugars | 10 | About 3.6% of energy | 6.5% or less | 10.0 | |
| Saturated fats | 10 | 9.2% of energy | 8% or less | 8.5 | |
| Total | 100 | Not applicable | Not applicable | 89.3 | |
Densities are three-day totals divided by total energy; partial scores are scaled linearly between the zero and maximum standards.
What Earned Points
Five components reached their maximum. Whole fruits did so through Tuesday's banana and apple alone, while Saturday's orange juice counted only toward total fruits. Greens and beans reached full credit from broccoli, romaine and spinach. Both protein components were full, with Saturday's salmon and almonds and the week's peanut butter lifting seafood and plant proteins. Whole grains came within a tenth of a point of the maximum, thanks to oatmeal and whole-wheat bread. Sodium and added sugars scored full marks, partly because most of Dana's foods were cooked at home without salt.
What Was Penalized
Dairy scored half its maximum. Milk in coffee, one slice of cheddar, a Greek yogurt and the cheese on Saturday's pizza added up to about two-thirds of a cup per 1,000 kcal, roughly half the standard. Total fruits fell short because Thursday had none. Refined grains and saturated fats lost a point or two each, driven by the white rice, pasta, hamburger bun, pizza crust and cookies, and by cheese, beef and the burger.
Why the Total Is Easy to Misread
A score of 89 is high; national average scores for adults are far lower. But it does not mean Dana's diet is adequate. Last week's memo found calcium and vitamin D below their average requirements, and the HEI does not measure either directly; the low dairy score is the only hint. Because the HEI scores density, it is also unaffected by total energy, so a record that understates intake can still score well. And researchers caution that HEI scores from a few days of one person's intake are far less reliable than scores for groups or for usual intake estimated over many days (Kirkpatrick et al., 2018). The component scores, not the total, are the useful result here.
References
Kirkpatrick, S. I., Reedy, J., Krebs-Smith, S. M., Pannucci, T. E., Subar, A. F., Wilson, M. M., Lerman, J. L., & Tooze, J. A. (2018). Applications of the Healthy Eating Index for surveillance, epidemiology, and intervention research: Considerations and caveats. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(9), 1603-1621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.05.020
Krebs-Smith, S. M., Pannucci, T. E., Subar, A. F., Kirkpatrick, S. I., Lerman, J. L., Tooze, J. A., Wilson, M. M., & Reedy, J. (2018). Update of the Healthy Eating Index: HEI-2015. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(9), 1591-1602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.05.021
Shams-White, M. M., Pannucci, T. E., Lerman, J. L., Herrick, K. A., Zimmer, M., Meyers Mathieu, K., Stoody, E. E., & Reedy, J. (2023). Healthy Eating Index-2020: Review and update process to reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 123(9), 1280-1288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.015
What the INHE 2320 Week 7 instructions ask for
Diet quality assignments ask students to score a food record with an index such as the Healthy Eating Index. Prompts usually ask for component scores as well as the total, an explanation of what earned or lost points, and a comparison with earlier analyses. Some provide software; others expect hand scoring with food group equivalents. Instructors look for component-level interpretation and awareness of the index's limits. Papers that report only the total, or that treat a high score as proof of an adequate diet, generally earn less credit than those that explain components and connect them to nutrient findings. Some prompts ask students to compare the score with national averages.
How this INHE 2320 Week 7 example is built
The rating opens by explaining the index's thirteen density-based components and stating that the score was estimated by hand, with an error of several points. A table gives each component's maximum, the subject's density, the standard for full credit and the score, summing to about 89. A section explains what earned full marks, naming foods. Another explains what lost points, again by food. A final section explains why the total is easy to misread, connecting the low dairy score to last week's calcium finding and citing guidance on using the index for individuals. Each component's density is shown beside the standard for full credit, so a reader can see how far the score fell short. The total of 89.3 is the sum of the thirteen rounded component scores. Partial scores are scaled linearly between the zero and maximum standards.
Where the marks sit in the INHE 2320 Week 7 rubric
Instructors generally reward component-level reporting, and the full table secures that share. Stating the hand-estimation method and its error earns credit for honesty. Explaining each score by naming the foods behind it is often what distinguishes the strongest ratings, because it turns numbers into actionable findings. Connecting the index to earlier nutrient analysis shows the student sees what the total misses. Citing guidance on the limits of individual, short-term scores shows methodological awareness. Accurate arithmetic and correct citations for the index's development and application papers complete the rating. Showing the density beside each standard lets a reader verify partial scores, which instructors value.
INHE 2320 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost marks
List the index's components and their standards before scoring. Convert your foods to cup and ounce equivalents carefully, and keep a worksheet. Score each component and check your sum. For every component below maximum, name the foods responsible. Compare the total with your earlier nutrient findings. State how you scored it and how much error that adds. If hand scoring is overwhelming, we can complete a sample rating for your record. Report the component scores before the total, since they carry the useful information. Keep your equivalents worksheet in case your instructor asks for it.
Get a INHE 2320 Week 7 example written to your instructions
Name the index your classroom assigned, since some sections use a different published measure, and send it with the Week 7 prompt and its rubric. Every component comes back scored on the correct basis, with losses ranked and traced to foods and the short-record limit stated. First sample free; expect it in 24-48 hours.
More INHE 2320 papers and BS in Integrative Health samples
- INHE 2320 Week 1: Three-Day Intake Record
- INHE 2320 Week 2: Nutrient Density Comparison
- INHE 2320 Week 3: Food Label Breakdown
- INHE 2320 Week 4: Energy Needs Estimate
- INHE 2320 Week 5: Macronutrient Distribution
- INHE 2320 Week 6: Micronutrient Gap Memo
- INHE 2320 Week 8: Special diet appraisal
- INHE 2320 Week 9: Claim check post
- INHE 2320 Week 10: Meal plan revision
- INHE 2320 Week 11: Final nutrition case
- INHE 2002 Week 7: Client Scenario
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- INHE 1005 Week 7: Source Evaluation
INHE 2320 Week 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free INHE 2320 Week 7 sample paper?
The Healthy Eating Index rating of Dana's three days appears in full on this page.
What was the total score?
About 89 out of 100, estimated by hand.
Which component scored lowest relative to its maximum?
Dairy, at half its maximum.
Does a high score mean the diet is adequate?
No. The index does not measure calcium or vitamin D directly, and both were short.
Why is the score called an estimate?
It was calculated by hand from household measures rather than federal food pattern data.