There are many reasons that you might want to keep a food diary,
from dieting to lose weight to determining if foods are causing
gastrointestinal symptoms. A food diary can be done with a pen
and paper, or with any number of online applications and web
sites. You'll want to bring your food diary with you to your
next doctor visit to discuss any problem foods that have come to
light. Here's how! Time Required: 5 minutes/meal - Obtain a
small notebook that you can carry with you and keep handy. -
Organize each page into columns. This can be done by using one
page for each meal/snack, one page per day, or whatever works
best for you (and the size of your notebook!). - The first
column is "How Much". Estimate the size (inches), weight
(ounces), volume (cups) or number (5) of the food you ate. - The
second column is "What Kind". What kind of food did you eat? Be
very specific, and be sure to remember seasonings, toppings, and
condiments such as butter, salad dressings, and mayonnaise. -
The third column is "Time".