The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) details in pie charts the calorie intake of people in six different regions of the world---the US, the EU, sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Africa, Latin America, and developing Asia.  Although these statistics are based on information from 1995-1997, they still provide useful tools for comparing your diets to the average US citizen, as well as people across the world. 
 

1. Indicate the total number of calories you consumed for each of the three days, then average the three together.
    

2. How does the number of calories you consumed compare to people in each of the six groups throughout the world? 
    

3. Compare the diets of Americans and Europeans.  What is the main difference?
    

4. Compare the US pie chart to that of sub-Saharan African.  What is the main difference?  What is the reason for this difference?
    

5. Most people's diets in LDCs are still plant-based diets, with about 2/3 of their calories coming in the form of cereal grains including rice, wheat or maize and starchy vegetables and legumes like potatoes, beans and cassava (a root vegetable).  Approximately how many of your calories came from cereal grains and starchy vegetables and legumes?