What is a food journal?
A food journal is a log of all that you consume on a daily basis. You need to note down the dishes you ate, the number of helpings you took and the time of the meal. In addition to noting down details of the three major meals of the day, you also have to note down all the snacks and small meals that you consumed in between the major meals. You have to make note of all the food consumed on a daily basis in order to have an accurate record.
Benefits of keeping a food journal
Keeping a food journal is one good way to maintain healthy diet and eating habits. They are also helpful for people who are on a weight loss regime. If you have suddenly started having food allergies, then maintaining a food journal will allow you to review your diet and zero in on the foods that are common to the times you had allergies.
Usually, people do not have a count of how much they are eating. They assume that they are less than they actually are. When you maintain a food journal, you can go through the list all the foods that you have consumed and bring alterations in your weight loss regime.
What should a food journal contain?
Some of the important things that a weight loss journal or a food journal will tell you are the amount of sugary and fatty things you unconsciously consume and the time at which you consume these meals. You can also know how much nutrients you are eating so that you can increase the amount of nutrient that you have eaten in lesser amounts. You also get to know if you are following precise meal timings.
Develop the habit on a regular basis
It is important that you make maintaining a food journal a regular habit. It is better that you start the habit early in life so that you can always keep track of your diet. People often forget what they eat and end up repeating the same nutrients. By keeping a food journal, you can decide the menu of the day in a more efficient manner and take care about eating balanced foods. The sooner you start the habit, the better for you. You can also encourage your children to develop the habit from an early age and the best way to do this is to lead by example.