How to Keep a Food Journal

Keeping a food journal allows you to accurately track everything you eat on a daily basis. It can be an effective method for gaining better control over your diet and helps you gain a deeper understanding of the foods you consume and their impact on your health and lifestyle. For example, if you have digestive issues or a specific health condition, maintaining a food journal can help you manage or even lose weight while eating healthier. Start journaling your diet and you'll be amazed at what you learn.

Write it Down. The simplest way to track your diet is to write it down in a notebook or use a food diary app on your phone. You need to record the date, time, place, type of food consumed, quantity, and any additional notes.

• If you prefer to write by hand, use a blank notebook or purchase a food journal with enough space on each page to note down the amount of food you consume daily. You can find printable food diary templates online to use or copy into your notebook.
• You may also use an app or an online tracker if you prefer. Food journals are very popular today, so there are many great apps available for you to choose from.

Record everything you consume. A detailed food journal can be very helpful. Try to write down or log everything you put in your mouth, including meals, drinks, snacks, and even the food you taste while cooking.

• Be as specific as possible, breaking down complex foods into their components. For example, instead of writing 'turkey sandwich', note the weight of the bread, turkey, and condiments separately. Do the same for mixed foods like stews and smoothies. This will help you track the ingredients and total calorie count.
• Don't forget to log any snacks or small bites, like cookies you were offered at work.
• Record all beverages as well. Be sure to track your water intake too. Recording your water consumption will help you determine whether you need to drink more to stay hydrated.

Record accurate amounts. If you're concerned about calorie intake, noting the quantities of food you consume is essential. You may need to buy a food scale or measuring cups to ensure accuracy.

• Start by measuring the typical portions you eat at each meal. If portions are too large or too small, make adjustments accordingly.
• Use measuring tools like cups, bowls, or containers with clear measurements. This will ensure your journal is accurate. Estimating or 'eyeballing' portion sizes is often imprecise and can lead to underestimating or overestimating your food intake.
• Sometimes, you'll have to estimate portions when dining out or when buying food that's difficult to measure. If you're at a chain restaurant, check online for portion size information. You can also compare typical portion sizes with household items—for example, a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards weighs 85–110 grams or half a cup, and an egg weighs 55 grams or one-quarter cup.
• Track your calorie intake. If you're trying to lose or gain weight, monitoring your daily calorie intake can be very useful. Some food journal apps provide nutritional and calorie data for you. If you're using a notebook or printed journal, you'll need to look up calorie information online. Choosemyplate.gov is a reliable resource.
• Start by tracking your usual calorie intake each day and adjust as needed.
• Cutting or adding 500 calories per day can help you lose or gain 0.5 to 1 kg per week.

Record the date, time, and location of your meals. This is crucial for understanding your eating patterns. If you're working to change your diet or lifestyle, this information can help you identify why you're eating certain foods at specific times.

• Try to record the exact time, rather than just writing 'snacking at lunch' or 'snacking at night.'
• If you're feeling particularly detailed, you can even note the specific location where you ate. Are you sitting in front of the TV or at the dining table? Sometimes, specific places or activities may trigger eating habits. For example, you might snack out of boredom while watching TV.

Record your emotions after eating a particular food. Whether you're journaling for weight loss or trying to pinpoint food allergies, how you feel after eating is important. Take note of your feelings about the meal or food.

• Wait 10–20 minutes after eating to assess your feelings. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to recognize you're full. Write down how satisfied you feel with the food you consumed.
• It’s also useful to track your emotions before eating. This can help you identify emotional eating patterns. For instance, you might realize that you're stressed and tend to eat larger portions or more fatty foods.
• Note your hunger levels before and after the meal. If you were extremely hungry before eating, you may find that you ate more than usual.
• Don’t forget to include any physical symptoms or side effects after eating. For example, you may feel nauseous or have a stomachache after consuming dairy-based foods.

Identify your eating patterns. After a few weeks of tracking your food intake, you'll begin to notice some patterns. Some are quite obvious, like eating the same thing every morning, while others may be more subtle. Review your journal and reflect on these questions:

• Do these food patterns correlate with changes in your mood?
• Which meals leave you still feeling hungry, and which ones make you feel more satisfied?
• When do you tend to overeat?

Track your snack habits. Many people are surprised by how often they snack throughout the day. A handful of almonds here, a couple of cookies there, and maybe some chips while watching TV in the evening. Use your journal to evaluate whether your snacking habits are healthy or if you need to make adjustments.

• Do you tend to snack healthily, or do you grab whatever is closest? If you're prone to eating whatever you can find and don't have time to prepare healthy snacks, consider planning ahead and carrying snacks with you instead of relying on vending machines.
• Do your snacks make you feel full, or do they leave you more hungry? Write down your thoughts after snacking and assess if you should swap out your snacks for something more satisfying.

Compare weekdays and weekends. For most people, work and school have a significant impact on their eating habits. You might find it hard to cook during the workweek but spend more time in the kitchen on weekends. See if you can identify patterns that affect your eating habits based on the day of the week.

• Do you tend to eat more on certain days? If you find yourself dining out four times a week due to late work hours, it might be time to prepare meals ahead of time on weekends for healthier meals during the week.
• Use this information to plan your meals. If you know you don't want to cook on a particular evening, prepare healthy meals in advance and store them in the fridge.

Note the connection between your emotions and food. Identify situations in your life that impact your eating habits on specific days or throughout the week. You may discover the types of foods you choose when you're stressed, lonely, or feeling down. Perhaps you snack at night because you're having trouble sleeping, or you eat fast food after a stressful day at work. Understanding these patterns can be helpful when planning your meals.

• Check if emotional eating occurs when you're bored. If so, try engaging in other relaxing activities instead of eating when stressed.
• On the flip side, if certain foods cause negative emotions, you should stop eating them and observe what happens. For example, you may feel anxious or jittery after drinking too much coffee.

Circle foods that don't agree with you. Pay attention to how foods affect your body. You might discover you're lactose intolerant if your food log frequently shows symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, and bloating after consuming dairy products.

• Notice which foods cause bloating, headaches, nausea, or make you feel overly full. Share your findings with a doctor or licensed dietitian.
• Conditions like celiac disease (gluten intolerance causing diarrhea and fatigue), irritable bowel syndrome, and others can often be managed by adjusting your diet and eliminating certain ingredients. If you experience symptoms that you believe may be worsened by certain foods, bring your food journal to a doctor to see if changes in your diet could help.

Log your physical activity. If you're keeping a food journal to track calorie intake and maintain a lean physique, don't forget to log your physical activity too.

• Record the type of exercise and the time spent doing it. If possible, also note the number of calories burned during each activity.
• Observe how exercise affects your hunger levels and food choices. Take note of whether you feel hungrier in general or only right after a workout.

Track nutritional information. If you're using a food journal to monitor your intake of specific nutrients, you'll want to log the nutritional details of every food you consume. You can easily find nutritional info for most foods online, and many food journal apps automatically provide this data. Some key nutrients to track include:

• Fiber
• Protein
• Carbohydrates and sugars
• Iron
• Vitamin D

Monitor progress toward your goals. A food journal can serve as a great motivational tool when you're working towards specific dietary goals. Whether you're aiming to lose weight or simply trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, tracking your progress will help keep you motivated and show you where there's room for improvement. Here are some ways to track:

• Record your weight. Weigh yourself at the end of each week to see how your weight fluctuates.
• Log milestones. If you successfully eliminate gluten from your diet for a month, note that achievement in your journal.
• Track your exercise achievements. For example, record your progress toward running a 5k.

Track your food spending. Now that you're logging everything you eat, why not also track the cost? This is an excellent way to keep tabs on your food expenses weekly, monthly, or even daily. You might be surprised to find where most of your money goes.

• Record how much you spend on each meal, both at home and when dining out.
• Look for patterns in your food spending habits and identify areas where you could cut back.
• Summarize your spending on takeout. For instance, you might be spending money on coffee or lunch with colleagues. Over time, these small purchases add up.

• If you're keeping a food journal to lose weight or to manage an eating disorder, it can be helpful to add a column for "How you feel after eating." This will help you track the emotional or physical reasons behind your food choices.
• You don't need to record every single day, but the more often you track, the more useful the information becomes. If daily logging isn't possible, try to document at least a few days during the week and one day on the weekend.