{"id":1296,"date":"2023-12-18T14:51:15","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T14:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=1296"},"modified":"2023-12-18T14:52:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T14:52:59","slug":"food-journaling-are-you-missing-out-on-the-best-tool-for-healthy-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=1296","title":{"rendered":"Food Journaling: Are You Missing Out on The Best Tool for Healthy Eating?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1296\" class=\"elementor elementor-1296\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-41bbfe83 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"41bbfe83\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-566dc748\" data-id=\"566dc748\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ef8577 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5ef8577\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Food Journaling: Are You Missing Out on The Best Tool for Healthy Eating?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f89621c elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f89621c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-1297\" alt=\"Photo of a food journal with a phone on it and a bowl of something ground up next to it.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?w=1640&amp;ssl=1 1640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?resize=1024%2C577&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?resize=768%2C433&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?resize=1536%2C865&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Food-Journal.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3198801b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3198801b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We get asked a lot about food journaling: should you be doing it, how exactly, how long to do it, what\u2019s it for?\u00a0 Time to answer all those questions (and more), so you can decide for yourself if food journaling for you.<\/span><\/p><p><b>What is a food journal?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A food journal, or food diary, is a daily log of what you are eating and drinking throughout the day.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great way for you to reflect back on what you ate and your overall eating patterns over the past few days, weeks, or months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a very simple tool (we love simple!) for you to use.\u00a0 Together with the support of your team (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hey, it\u2019s me, your dietitian!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), the food journal is one of the tools used to help you with healthy eating.\u00a0 We as dietitians like the food journal or diary method to help us grasp an understanding of not only what you are eating, but when, how much, and why (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that\u2019s a big one- the why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p><p><b>Why might you want to keep a food journal?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many good reasons to keep a food journal.\u00a0 Let me mention, there is another tool called a Food Recall, where we just talk through the past several days of eating while the client \u201crecalls\u201d what they had, but that relies on memory, and I don\u2019t know if I could tell you what I had for breakfast this morning, let alone the past few days, so it\u2019s not as reliable as a food journal.\u00a0 The food journal allows you to do it when it\u2019s most convenient for you and is much more detailed and accurate than a food recall. Some examples of those who we have suggested food diaries or journals include clients who want to:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practicing mindful eating<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; This allows the person to journal not only what- but WHY they are eating and identify patterns.\u00a0 For example- someone who always has an afternoon snack might be surprised to find that they\u2019re not hungry- they\u2019re stressed and turning to food for comfort- so we can discuss other options to destress that don\u2019t involve food.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gain or lose weight<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Portion size is key here, sometimes clients say a \u201csmall\u201d handful of nuts when it\u2019s actually closer to \u00bd a cup (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and those calories can add up- in a good way or bad way depending on what you want<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) or perhaps it\u2019s just a matter of memory- some people don\u2019t realize how often they\u2019re grabbing a handful of M&amp;M\u2019s from the pantry each week, or missing a meal.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify food sensitivities or intolerances<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; This is a biggie- and one of the best ways to find what foods bother someone.\u00a0 We\u2019ll ask the client to write down what they ate and how they felt after.\u00a0 The quantities and the feelings afterward are what we\u2019re really looking at.\u00a0 Food sensitivities are a huge thing.\u00a0 They are NOT an allergy, so the reactions, timing, duration can all vary person to person and writing it down is the best way to spot trends.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increase a specific food group<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; It\u2019s really great when someone keeps an honest food journal for a week or 2.\u00a0 If they eat normally (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NOT trying to be \u201cgood\u201d, that doesn\u2019t help us<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) we can identify room for improvement, usually in the fruit and veggie category, but it could be protein or healthy fats\u2026. Depends on the person:)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Navigating migraines or reflux<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Here we\u2019re looking for trigger foods. Similar to food sensitivities, but we already know the symptom we\u2019re looking for- like a migraine or acid reflux.\u00a0 And reflux is even more interesting, because a lot of people think it\u2019s spicy food, but it\u2019s more likely a food like chocolate, mint, or alcohol.\u00a0 OR portion size- but this can all be identified through\u2026.you guessed it\u2026a food journal!<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><b>Where should I keep my food journal?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food journals can be kept on a sheet of loose leaf on your bedside table, a nice notebook or in an app on your phone.\u00a0 There really are no rules and should be used in a way that is most convenient to you.\u00a0 You can write it down after you eat, or wait till the end of the day.\u00a0 Be sure to be consistent, writing the same information each time, and detailed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Is there anything else I should add to my journal besides what I eat and drink?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s all in the details!\u00a0 Depending on why you are keeping a food journal, you might not need to write down every single thing mentioned here, these topics are just some of the things you might be asked to include in your food journal, but we customize based on the client:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who you are eating with (Alone? With family?)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are distractions present (Are you watching TV? Are you on your phone while eating? Are you reading a book? Are you working during lunch?)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your meal home cooked vs. take out vs. at a restaurant?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portion sizes (3 blueberries do not count as a serving of fruit, but a cup of pasta is considered 2 servings\u2026)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beverages (Did you drink enough water? What are your sources of liquids? A lot of caffeine? People often forget about beverages\u2026)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forget about condiments (sauce on your chicken, ketchup on your eggs and sugar in your coffee can add up! Not to mention salad dressing\u2026.)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physical activity (Did you walk after dinner or lay down? Were you really active and extra hungry? Did you fuel properly before and or after?)<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mood (Were you happy when eating or emotional eating (If you missed last week\u2019s blog on emotional eating- <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=1290\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">click here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to check it out)<\/span><\/li><\/ul><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hunger level (Before, during, after)<\/span><\/li><\/ul><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms (do you have stomach pain after eating? Does your head hurt? Bloated? Etc.)<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>What does an example of a food journal look like?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example of a day in my shoes if I completed an entry in a food journal:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On my way to work (6:30AM): 12 ounce decaf coffee (splash of half and half and \u00bd tsp of sugar).\u00a0 Not too hungry, woke up at 6am.<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breakfast (8AM): \u00bd cup cottage cheese with 1 cup pineapple chunks at my desk at work.\u00a0 Pretty hungry by then.\u00a0 Ate it all.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Snack (around 11AM): apple with peanut butter.\u00a0 Not super hungry.<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lunch (12:30\/1PM): chicken salad (mayo, almonds and raisins) with lettuce on whole wheat bread- pepperidge farm I think, baggie of Lay\u2019s potato chips, unsweetened iced tea.<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dinner (6:30PM):\u00a0 stew (beef, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots in gravy) with 2 slices of Italian bread with butter, chocolate milk.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*I was pretty hungry \u2013 might have waited a little too long to eat\u2026, ate alone* Felt really full after.<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dessert of a few Hershey Kisses while watching T.V- not hungry, just wanted it, yum!<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drank plenty of water throughout the day- 2 water bottles that are 3 cups each.<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is helpful for a basic nutrition assessment (aka nothing specific like food sensitivities).\u00a0 Definitely could up the veggies and talk about what happened at dinner (likely over ate due to too high of a hunger level going in), possibly switch the morning snack to an afternoon snack?\u00a0 Remember, this is just a snapshot, and it\u2019s a weekday, most people don\u2019t eat the same way on the weekend.\u00a0 So a food journal minimum for us would be 3 days (2 weekday and 1 weekend), but 1-2 weeks is great!<\/span><\/p><p><b>Is there anyone who SHOULDN\u2019T keep a food journal?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absolutely.\u00a0 Anyone with a history of eating disorders or a bad relationship with food.\u00a0 This can be triggering and can do more harm than good.\u00a0 Anyone trying to quit the world of dieting.\u00a0 This is a big tool for dieting (calorie counting).\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019ve noticed, we never mentioned tracking calories, which is something we don\u2019t think is necessary, but someone with a history of dieting who is trying to have a better relationship with food would not benefit from a food journal.\u00a0 Anyone who doesn\u2019t want to.\u00a0 A food diary can be an added stress, and if it\u2019s not something you want to do, it is totally NOT necessary, you never HAVE to do it.\u00a0 And remember, a food journal is temporary.\u00a0 It\u2019s used to gain information and make changes.\u00a0 You shouldn\u2019t be doing it forever.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now what do you think of food journaling? \u00a0 It might be extremely helpful and you might discover ways to improve your diet on your own or with the help of your dietitian!\u00a0 On the other hand, it might stress you out, you might forget, or you might not be completely honest.\u00a0 So, like all things in nutrition, it depends on the client\/situation.\u00a0 Do you think you\u2019d give it a try?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheers,<\/span><\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-697\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=145%2C145&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Amanda's signature\" width=\"145\" height=\"145\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Amanda-.png?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 145px) 100vw, 145px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0c578ef elementor-post-navigation-borders-yes elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-navigation\" data-id=\"0c578ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-navigation.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__prev elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=1290\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__arrow-wrapper post-navigation__arrow-prev\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Prev<\/span><\/span><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--label\">Previous<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--title\">Are You an Emotional Eater? Here Are 20 Ways to Combat Stress Without Food<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__next elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=1305\" rel=\"next\"><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__next\"><span class=\"post-navigation__next--label\">Next<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__next--title\">Making Some New Year\u2019s Resolutions This Year for Your Health? 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