Improving Health with a Food Diary
Starting off the new year with a resolution to enhance health has become a common practice for many individuals. Oftentimes, this improvement begins with a change in eating habits. A valuable tool that can assist in this process is a food diary. By keeping a record of what you consume, you can gain insight into your eating patterns and habits, identify both beneficial and detrimental foods that you consume regularly, and ultimately achieve behavior change. In fact, research indicates that maintaining a food journal can be highly effective for individuals aiming to lose weight. A weight loss study involving nearly 1,700 participants found that those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who did not.
Including Key Details in a Food Diary
For successful food journaling, accuracy and consistency are crucial. So, what specific aspects should you record in your diary? Here are the essential details to include:
1. What are you eating?
Note down the specific foods and beverages consumed, along with their preparation methods such as baking, broiling, or frying. Additionally, record any sauces, condiments, dressings, or toppings that accompany your meals.
2. How much are you eating?
Keep track of the quantity of food you consume, either in household measures (cups, teaspoons, tablespoons) or in ounces. Ideally, it is best to weigh and measure your food. However, if you're away from home, provide your best estimate of the portion size.
3. When are you eating?
Taking note of the time you consume your meals can be extremely helpful in identifying potential problematic eating habits, such as late-night snacking.
Additionally, recording where you eat, your activities during meals, and your emotions while eating can offer further understanding of your habits. Consider incorporating the following details into your food diary:
4. Where are you eating?
Specify the location where you consume your meals, whether it's at the kitchen table, in your bedroom, in the car, while walking, at a restaurant, or at a friend's home.
5. What else are you doing while eating?
Take note of any activities you engage in while eating, such as using the computer, watching TV, or conversing with family members or friends.
6. Who are you eating with?
Record whether you eat alone or with others, such as your spouse, children, friends, or colleagues.
7. How do you feel while eating?
Pay attention to your emotions during meals. Are you feeling happy, sad, stressed, anxious, lonely, bored, or tired?
Tips for Effective Food Journaling
To ensure successful food journaling, follow these tips:
1. Record foods immediately
Write down what you consume as soon as possible after eating. Waiting until the end of the day may result in less accurate recollection.
2. Be specific
Provide detailed descriptions of the food and beverages you consume. For example, if you're drinking a latte, include information about its type and size.
3. Include alcoholic beverages
Don't forget to record any alcoholic beverages you consume in your food diary.
4. Consider smartphone apps
Utilize smartphone applications like Lose It! or MyFitnessPal to support and enhance your food journaling efforts. These apps can provide calorie and nutrient information as well.
Utilizing Your Food Diary
After completing a week's worth of food journaling, take a step back and analyze what you have recorded. Look for trends, patterns, and habits that emerge. Consider the following questions:
1. How healthy is my diet?
Evaluate the overall healthiness of your diet based on the foods you have consumed.
2. Daily vegetable and fruit intake
Identify whether you consume vegetables and fruits on a daily basis, and determine the number of servings you typically consume.
3. Incorporation of whole grains
Assess whether you include whole grains in your daily diet.
4. Consumption of added sugars
Examine the frequency with which you consume foods or beverages containing added sugar.
5. Influence of moods on eating habits
Analyze if your emotions affect your eating habits. Do you tend to reach for unhealthy snacks when you're tired or stressed?
6. Frequency of eating on the run
Reflect on how often you find yourself eating meals on the go.
Setting SMART Healthy Eating Goals
Once you have identified areas for improvement based on your food diary observations, it's time to establish one or two specific healthy eating goals. Use the SMART goal format, ensuring your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. Here are a few examples:
- 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 takeout 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.
Keeping a food journal can be a highly informative practice that propels you towards better health. By using the insights gained from your food diary to make SMART changes and continuously monitoring your progress, you are setting yourself on the path to a healthier and more fulfilling year ahead.
