2.5. Diet Records
The participants were required to complete a 3-day diet record before the diet interventions and once during each intervention to establish nutrient intakes and encourage compliance. Daily intake of major nutrients and dietary exchanges were analyzed by a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) using ESHA’s Food Processor Nutrition Analysis software (ESHA, Salem, OR, USA). The participants were trained in the use of myfitnesspal (myfitnesspal.com) to record daily intakes, which were forwarded to the RDN. All participants received instructions from the RDN for the preparation of the ground beef, including recipes, but the participants were not restricted to specific cooking methods for the test ground beef. The RDN also contacted the participants at regular intervals to encourage compliance and provide information about completing diet records.