The Health Benefits of Food Journaling

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I know a food journal is a powerful tool which can be used to log all the foods and beverages one eats in a day.

One may take note of when or where you ate particular foods.

But most importantly…you log how eating certain foods makes you feel. Food journaling can be a very beneficial tool in mindful eating. Engaging in mindful eating is about bringing particular awareness to your sensations and feelings while you eat. It is about minimizing distractions so you can better focus on your eating; meaning no phone, no tv, just your food and your feelings.

When you are food journaling, ask yourself, “Am I eating because I am hungry, or am I eating for some other reason (such as boredom or feeling sad)?” Take notes of what particular foods you are eating- are you eating a lot of fresh fruits or vegetables? How do you feel when you eat finish eating? Are you full? How soon after you finish this meal or snack do you eat again? And what do you eat after? All of these things are questions you should answer with food journaling.

It is helpful to log in your food journal shortly after eating rather than at the end of the day so you don’t forget what/how much you may have consumed.

Using a food journal or food log may be a helpful weight-loss tool also as it can be used to keep track of portion sizes as well as calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate consumed in a day.

Keeping a food journal can help provide insights into your eating patterns- do you perhaps eat differently when you are at home versus: at a friend’s house, or out at a restaurant? Do your moods affect your eating habits? Are you eating the way that you wish to- or are there habits you may wish to change? Using a food journal can also be a tool to direct your future goals; perhaps you want to add more vegetables to your intake based on what you have journaled. Set a timeframe. For example, “I will add one additional vegetable to each lunch and dinner this week.”