Keeping a Food Record

Posted by Mindy on August 27th, 2009 at 10:07am

Recently, I completed a project in my nutrition course that required me to track and record everything I ate over a 3-day period. I was then asked to analyze the nutrients in what I ate. I had to not only calculate how much of each, but how it related to the recommended daily allowance and how I could improve my nutrient intake. While it was a tedious project, I was surprised to learn a lot about my diet. Even if you remember everything you ate for the last three days, you may be surprised at how much fat, sodium and calories you are consuming when you see it in a spreadsheet.

This is a great experiment for anyone who is just starting a diet, or simply trying to eat healthier. Record everything you eat over a 3-day period (try to include weekdays and weekends if your diet varies) and then analyze it using an online nutrition program. There are a few good free versions, like SparkPeople and NutritionData, that will give you a full report of the nutrition content of everything you ate. From there, you can compare your goals to what you are actually eating, and set new goals for yourself. This is a great way to find areas that you can cut back or make changes. You may be surprised at what you find.

Tags: diet, food record, healthy eating

Under Diet Advice Tags: diet, food record, healthy eating