Food Diary 101

Keeping a log or a food diary is one of the most successful ways to track your eating patterns and help with long-term weight management.

Be as accurate as possible for the best results—this means writing down everything that goes into your mouth. A food diary shouldn’t be tedious though. You can track whatever factors you want. Some common things to include:

•    Calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, etc.
•    Portion sizes
•    Why you’re eating (aside from hunger)
•    Appetite and/or cravings

HINT:
Use a nutrient book or a food database like USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory to help track your intake.

Create a column for the name of the food item and the number of columns for each item you will track. Then, divide the columns into sections for every eating session.

You’ll begin to see your eating habits within days and should have a good snapshot within a month. From there you’ll be able to assess several things:

•    What foods and meals your calories are coming from
•    Whic nutrition areas you are deficient in
•    Portion sizes
•    Reasons for eating (aside from hunger)
•    How you’re feeling after eating

You can use your food diary to help you adjust and re-adjust your eating habits as you work towards your lifestyle goals.

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