Looking for delicious, quick, easy recipes? Look no further. Click here.

Food diary keeps it real


From time to time I go through phases when I need to keep a food diary. It is a "proactive" approach to being realistic about the little things that all add up. You know, that handful of chips, the last brownie on the counter, your kid's french fries. It also helps develop and maintain discipline as going your food intake. But keeping a food journal is not only for people trying to lose weight or who are on a doctor's regimen. Like dream diaries, you would be surprised what turns up and in the case of a food diary, what you actually eat: not just the variety or lack thereof. You see trends. For me, and most, it tends to reveal a greater intake of heavier foods in winter, lighter foods in summer. No surprise, but it is the food itself that can be curious. I eat a lot pickled herring in heavy cream sauce during December, others, I'm told, eat more chocolates.

The point being: you can learn a lot from your habits when they're written down and not filtered by a biased memory. "Oh, I just had one piece", or "Portage aux cepes is haute so I can eat three bowls".

Try it for a month. Here is one way, you can tailor your own, really, just be honest. Then alternate months. You won't be disappointed but you will probably be surprised.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tip of the Day

Roasted beets are vibrant and flavorful tossed in salads, pastas and more. Learn how to roast them and stock them in your fridge as tasty additions to your dishes.

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Slashfood Features


Seasons
Spring (74)
Summer (300)
Fall (285)
Winter (78)
What is it?
Beef (635)
Bread (83)
Candy (520)
Cheese (586)
Chocolate (839)
Comfort Food (808)
Condiments (265)
Dairy (567)
Eggs (321)
Fish (379)
Fruit (1065)
Grains (623)
Herbs (11)
Meat (359)
Nuts/seeds (318)
Organic (5)
Pork (405)
Poultry (466)
Rice (57)
Sandwiches (34)
Shellfish (192)
Soups/Salads (123)
Spices (322)
Sugar (434)
Tea (7)
Vegetables (1418)
Holidays
Christmas (136)
Easter (37)
Halloween (99)
Hanukkah (57)
Memorial Day (15)
Mother's Day (37)
New Year's (41)
Passover (11)
St. Patrick's Day (14)
Thanksgiving (221)
Valentine's Day (50)
News
Food Politics (4)
Bakeries (151)
Books (810)
Business (1287)
Celebrities (243)
Coffee shops (194)
Edible Gifts (40)
Farming (467)
Fast Food (386)
Food News (591)
Health & Medical (873)
How To (1434)
Lists (836)
Magazines (509)
New Products (1589)
Newspapers (1634)
On the Blogs (2522)
Raves & Reviews (1189)
Recipes (2505)
Restaurants (1474)
Science (742)
Site Announcements (186)
Stores & Shopping (1023)
Television/Film (739)
Trends (1440)
Vegetarian/Vegan (96)
Features
Cheese Course (75)
Diary of a Distiller (30)
Dining at Our Desks (8)
Festive Family Feasts (9)
Guilty Pleasures (83)
Quizzes (22)
Raising the Bar (23)
Taste Test (18)
The Hungry Bride (34)
The Skinny Chef (68)
Tinfoil Swan (26)
Tip of the Day (381)
Wild Edibles (22)
X Marks the Spot (1)
Back to School (14)
Cocktail Hour (133)
Cocktail Revolution (0)
Cookbook Spotlight (574)
Cooking Without a Recipe (5)
Culinary Kids (235)
Did you know? (459)
Fall Flavors (139)
Feast Your Eyes (412)
Food Gadgets (485)
Food Oddities (1044)
Food Porn (892)
Food Quest (176)
Foodie Flicks (65)
Frugal Food (95)
Garden Party (28)
Hacking Food (109)
Happy Hour (212)
Head to Tail (44)
In Sixty Seconds (740)
Ingredient Spotlight (60)
Leftovers (53)
Light Food (189)
Liquor Cabinet (186)
Our Bloggers (34)
Pop Food (146)
Pumpkin Day (12)
Real Kitchens (85)
Retro cookery (154)
Slashfood Ate (206)
Slashfood Talks (4)
Slow cooking (55)
Super Size Me (121)
The History of... (72)
What's On Tap? (44)
Wine of the Week (53)
YumSugar (55)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (757)
Dessert (1374)
Dinner (1389)
Hors D'oeuvres (319)
Lunch (1041)
Snacks (1128)
Where Is It?
America (2664)
Europe (515)
France (178)
Italy (174)
Asia (552)
Australia (158)
British Isles (875)
Caribbean (38)
Central Africa (8)
East Coast (582)
Eastern Europe (45)
Islands (59)
Mediterranean (131)
Mexico (42)
Middle East (63)
Midwest Cities (233)
Midwest Rural (74)
New Zealand (63)
North America (95)
Northern Africa (21)
Northern Europe (66)
South Africa (36)
South America (101)
South Asia (125)
Southern States (308)
West Coast (938)
What are you doing?
Baking (833)
Barbecuing (112)
Boiling (130)
Braising (21)
Broiling (37)
Frying (190)
Grilling (212)
Microwaving (40)
Roasting (105)
Slow cooking (34)
Steaming (45)
Choices
Fairtrade (16)
Artisan Foods (163)
Local Eating (150)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (42)
High-fructose corn syrup (21)
MSG (7)
Trans Fats (58)
Libations
Hot chocolate (27)
Soda (175)
Spirits (425)
Beer (536)
Brandy (13)
Champagne (120)
Cocktails (474)
Coffee (421)
Gin (115)
Juice (126)
Liqueurs (81)
Non-alcoholic (27)
Rum (103)
Teas (185)
Tequila (23)
Vodka (164)
Water (90)
Whisky (119)
Wine (766)
Affairs
Celebrations (108)
Closings (14)
Festivals (89)
Holidays (314)
Openings (51)
Parties (246)
Tastings (163)

RESOURCES

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

 

Most Commented On (60 days)

Twitter Updates

Updates From

Sites We Love

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL