Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Keep track of what you eat and drink
• Part 2 of 3: Analyzing the collected data
• Part 3 of 3: Keep track of other practical details
• Tips

Keeping a food diary will give you a realistic picture of what you eat every day. This is a good way to get better control over your diet. After all, without writing down what you eat, you do not know how many calories you are taking in. If you have a digestive problem or other medical condition, keeping a food diary can help you identify which ingredient is causing the problem. Read on quickly at Step 1 to learn how to write down what you eat and to learn to analyze the collected data.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Keep track of what you eat and drink

1. Start a journal. The easiest way to keep track of what you eat and drink every day is to start a paper or digital journal. Make sure you can take this journal with you wherever you go so that you can write down every detail. You will need space for the date, time, location, food item, quantity and additional notes. It is therefore easiest to make a clear list in which you can easily keep track of this information.
   • If you like to write things down by hand, purchase a notebook without lines or a daily diary.
   • You can also use an app or online food diary. Keeping track of what you eat has become very popular lately, so there are all kinds of options to choose from.
2. Write down what you eat and drink. Be very precise and note down all the ingredients of complicated dishes. For example, do not write down that you have eaten a healthy sandwich, but write down the amount of bread and the number of grams of the other ingredients. Also do this with dishes such as casseroles and smoothies.
   • Don't forget to write down snacks as well. Every cookie and every piece of fruit counts.
   • Also write down what you drink and measure the amount of water you drink daily.
3. Write down the correct amounts. If you want to know exactly how many calories you are taking in daily, it is important to write down the correct amounts of each product. It is best to purchase a kitchen scale for this. This way you can weigh each ingredient and keep track of exactly what you eat.
   • When you eat out, you will have to guess what quantities and products are in dishes. For some chains you can find the number of calories per product online.
   • In addition to the amounts of food, consider also keeping track of the calories per product. You can find these on food packaging, but also on all kinds of websites.
4. Write down the date, time and place where you ate. This is especially important to learn to recognize certain patterns in your eating habits. Don't settle for "afternoon snack", instead, write down the exact time. If you want, you can also be location specific. For example, were you in the kitchen or in front of the television?
5. Write down how you feel after eating products. Whether you're keeping a food diary to help you lose weight or spot a potential food allergy, what you feel when you eat produce matters. To keep track of this, use the "notes" column of your food diary or add a new column that revolves around how you feel when you eat something.
   • Wait 10 to 20 minutes before writing down how you feel. It takes a while for food to actually affect your system.
   • Try to use the same word over and over for certain feelings. For example, after an afternoon snack or cup of coffee, write, "Nervous: I felt a bit rushed after dinner for about 15 minutes." By choosing the same wording over and over, you can recognize patterns more quickly.

Part 2 of 3: Analyzing the collected data

1. Try to find certain patterns in the meals you eat. Once you keep track of what you eat and drink for a few weeks, you will likely see some patterns emerge. Some patterns are obvious, but others are less likely to be noticed. View your food diary and ask yourself the following questions:
   • Do you see mood patterns when eating certain food items?
   • Which meals do you experience as filling and which are not?
   • When do you tend to overeat?
2. Watch your snacking habits. Many people are amazed to see how many snacks they eat in a day. A handful of almonds here, a biscuit there and a bag of chips in front of the TV in the evening can make all the difference. Use your diary to see if you are snacking too enthusiastically or not.
   • Do you opt for healthy snacks or do you grab the first thing you see? If you don't always have time to prepare fresh snacks, get used to thinking ahead and always have healthy snacks with you. So you will be less likely to go for something unhealthy if you get hungry in between.
   • Do you feel full after eating certain snacks or are you more hungry? Check your notes to find out if that afternoon coffee and chocolate actually do you good or not.
3. Check whether you eat differently on days off than on working days. For most people, work and school have a major impact on their eating habits. On workdays you may have less time to cook for yourself, while on days off you are more likely to eat unhealthy things. Try to discover patterns in this. # * Do you eat out more often on certain days? If you find yourself picking up food faster on class days, that's valuable information.
   • Use your acquired knowledge to plan your meals. If you know that you probably won't feel like cooking on a particular night, you can try to plan ahead and put a healthy meal in the fridge for example.
4. Pay close attention to the relationship between what you eat and how you feel. Find out which situations are affected by your eating habits. You may discover a certain pattern in your food choices when you are stressed. Perhaps you sleep worse when you eat unhealthy snacks in the evening or you eat certain foods to comfort yourself. Only when you know this about yourself can you try to change it.
   • See if you tend to overeat when you are emotional. If so, try replacing the food with something else. For example, take a long bath when you're tense and don't grab a bar of chocolate right away.
   • A number of foods can have a negative impact on your emotions, so you should try to avoid them. Think, for example, of a stressed or angry feeling if you have drunk too much coffee.
5. Try to find out if certain ingredients have a negative effect on your body. Pay attention to patterns that influence your system in a certain way. For example, you may notice that popcorn gives you a stomach ache.
   • See which food products cause bloating, headaches or nausea.
   • Try to avoid an ingredient for a few days to see if symptoms go away.
   • Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome and many other illnesses can be cured by changing your eating habits and avoiding certain ingredients. If you have certain symptoms, take your food diary to the doctor to see which food items could be responsible for this.

Part 3 of 3: Keep track of other practical details

1. Consider tracking your physical activity. If you keep a food diary to count calories and lose weight, it can be helpful to keep track of your physical activity as well. This way you can easily compare your calorie intake with your calorie burn.
   • Write down how long you did which activity.
   • See if your amount of activity is affecting your hunger and eating habits.
2. Record nutritional information about products. If you keep a food diary to learn to eat more healthily, it can be helpful to also note the nutritional value of products. This information is easy to find online for most products. Write down how many vitamins and minerals, as well as how many carbohydrates, proteins and fats each product contains.
3. Set yourself a goal. A food diary can be motivating if you want to achieve a specific goal related to your eating habits. Whether you're looking to lose weight or try to eat more fruits and vegetables, keeping track of your eating habits can inspire you to keep going and keep improving. A few ways you can go about this are:
   • By tracking your weight. Weigh yourself once a week to see if changes occur.
   • Record important milestones. If you have eaten two pieces of fruit daily for a month, you can make a note of this.
4. Use your food diary to keep track of the cost of food items. Now that you are already writing down what you eat, you might also be able to write down how much money you actually spend on your food. This is a great way to stay within your daily, weekly and monthly budget.
   • Write down how much money you spend on each meal. Keep this track of both home cooked meals and restaurant food.
   • Try to find patterns in how much you spend on food on a weekly or monthly basis and see where you can save.
5. Keep track of your medical information. If you're trying to avoid foods that make you sick, it's a good idea to write down your symptoms. In your journal, write after each food item how you felt after eating it. Take your diary to the doctor to discuss any allergies or other concerns.

Tips

• If you keep a food diary because you want to lose weight or because you have an eating disorder, it can help to write off your feelings as well. In this way you will slowly but surely find out why you eat certain things.