Nourish Your Body and Mind Through Journaling
Watching what you eat is a great way to improve your overall health. After all, focusing on consuming fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can help reduce your risk of developing many chronic health conditions.
You may wonder how to keep track of everything you’re eating or even how to get started keeping a food journal. Beth Hils, MEd, RD, LD, dietitian at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shares helpful tips on getting started with a food journal.
Benefits of Keeping a Food Journal
“Tracking food intake is a tool that helps reduce mindless eating and promotes accountability to reach your health goals,” says Beth. “When you measure and track each bite of food and sip of beverage you’re taking in, you’re more likely to be more mindful of your daily intake and make those bites and sips count.”
If you struggle with emotional eating or binging late at night, tracking each food item or drink you eat may help you identify the patterns that trigger these behaviors so you can work to overcome them.
How a Food Journal Can Help with Emotional Eating
If you struggle with emotional eating, logging every item you eat may help. Beth offers these tips:
- Record how you ate when you ate something or if anything emotional happened before you ate, so you can learn how to spot emotional eating triggers.
- Track how you felt after eating something – especially if it made your body feel bad.
How to Keep a Food Journal
Many types of food journals may work for you, including:
- Mobile phone app.
- Notes app on your phone.
- Pen and paper.
- Website.
“Do what works best for you,” says Beth. “There are many methods that can work if it’s right for you.”
If you’re unsure which method may be best for you, pick one to try and see how it works for you. If, after two weeks, you want to try another food journal method, make the switch.
In your food journal, you should track the following:
- Exact item you consumed.
- Exact quantity of item consumed.
- Time you consumed the item.
Keep in mind that it can take a while to be consistent with remembering to food journal. Try and set reminders on your phone or have a buddy to help remind you while you’re getting used to food journaling.
Avoid Common Food Journaling Pitfalls
Some of the top mistakes that people make while food journaling are:
- Not tracking the correct portion sizes. Check the Nutrition Facts label and use measuring cups and a food scale to ensure you know how much you’re eating, then record it immediately and accurately. Learn how to read food nutrition labels.
- Forgetting to include condiments, sauces and gravies. These can be high in fats, calories and sugars – and add up quickly in your daily intake. Use measuring spoons to track and manage how much you’re eating.
- Tracking later in the day. It’s important that you track your food in real time; don’t wait until the end of the day and try to recall everything that you ate that day. If you prefer to use a pen and paper to track, use something small enough to fit in your pocket or purse.
Get on Track Today with Healthy Eating
If you’re unsure about how much or what types of foods you should be eating each day, start by speaking with your St. Elizabeth Primary Care Provider. They may be able to provide you with guidance, or they may refer you to a dietitian who can create a customized food plan based on your personal needs.
