Food diary

Introduction:

People always aim to lose weight and maintain healthy eating habits. One way to keep your diet on track is to have a food diary when you write down all the food you consume both good and bad, moreover you writer down snack eaten between meals even small nibbling’s and drinks should be written.

What should you include in a food diary?

For successful diet plan, writing your food diary is an effective way as consistency and accuracy really matters

· What are you eating? Write every single food you eat including toppings, sauces and dressings

· How much are you eating? List portion size of your food in cups or ounces. Use a food scale to weigh exactly your food, if you are out of home, you can estimate your portion.

· When are you eating? Time matters to track specific problem like late night eating or skipping breakfast.

· Where are you eating? Record the specific area when you consume your food, is it kitchen table or living room.

· What else are you doing while eating? Are you watching T.V, having a call or talking with your friend. This can record mindless eating

· Who are you eating with? Are you eating with your spouse, children, friend, or a colleague, or are you alone?

· How are you feeling as you’re eating? Are you happy, sad, stressed, anxious, lonely, bored, tired?

Tips for successful food journaling

Here are more tips for keeping a successful food diary:

· Write down what you eat immediately after consumption, as under or over estimating food may result at the end of day when you re-collect the food consumed

· Be as specific as you can with the food or beverage. For example, if you are drinking a latte, note the type and size.

· Be sure to include any alcoholic beverages you consume.

· Try to download mobile apps that can track your daily consumption

You’ve kept a food diary. Now what?

After completing a week’s worth of food journaling, step back and look at what you’ve recorded. Search for any trends, patterns, or habits. For example, you might consider:

· How healthy is my diet?

· Am I eating vegetables and fruit every day? If so, how many servings?

· Am I eating whole grains each day?

· Am I eating foods or beverages with added sugar? If so, how frequently?

· Do my moods affect my eating habits? Do I reach for unhealthy snacks when I’m tired or stressed?

· How often do I eat on the run?

Set SMART healthy eating goals

After you evaluate your dietary pattern and habits, you can now start identifying areas for improvement and setting new goals that are SMART in another word goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. Here are a few examples of SMART goals.

Food diary observation: You average two servings of vegetables per day. Goal: Eat more vegetables. SMART goal: Eat three servings of vegetables per day.

Food diary observation: You order takeout three or four nights per week.

Goal: Cook more at home. SMART goal: Order take out no more than one or two nights per week.

Food diary observation: You eat healthy meals and snacks until about 3 pm, when you hit the office vending machine. Goal: Eat healthier snacks. SMART goal: Bring a healthy snack (a piece of fruit and a small handful of nuts) to work every day.

Sources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-keep-a-food-diary-2019013115855?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BF20190211-WeighLess&utm_id=1224520&dlv-ga-memberid=62978860&mid=62978860&ml=1224520

https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/best-food-diary-app-150448