Tracking what you eat may seem like a small thing, but it can have a big impact on your health and well-being. Keeping a record of what you eat every day can help you live a healthier life, no matter your health goals!
So, why should you track your food?
1. Understanding your eating habits
One main reason to track your food is to get a clear understanding of your eating habits. We often reach for snacks without even thinking about it and think our portion sizes are smaller than they actually are. Writing down what you eat helps you become more aware of your choices – and awareness is the first step towards making healthier choices!
2. Finding nutrition gaps
By tracking your food, you can see if you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Once you know what you’re missing in your diet – for example, enough foods with vitamin D (like dairy, egg products and mushrooms) or iron (like spinach, broccoli and pumpkin seeds) – you can adjust your diet to include more of those foods.
Tips for tracking food
- Be honest: Write down what you eat, even if it is a small bite or sip.
- Use tools: There are many free online trackers and apps that make it easy for you to log your food and look at your nutritional intake.
- Review regularly: Look back at your entries to see if you can find patterns in your eating or areas that you can improve on.
- Set goals: Use your food diary to set realistic and achievable goals for your diet.
3. Managing your weight
Keeping a food diary is important if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight. This helps you keep an eye on how many calories you are eating and stay on track with your goals. It’s important that you check with your medical provider before you start your weight loss journey. They can help you create a plan, figure out a healthy weight for you and give you tips and encouragement.
4. Recognizing triggers
Sometimes, we eat because we feel sad, happy, or bored, which is called emotional eating. By tracking what you eat, you can find patterns in when you’re eating and why. Taking note of how you are feeling when reaching for a snack or certain type of food can help you find healthier coping mechanisms, like walking, practicing mindfulness, or talking things out with family, friends, or a trained behavioral health professional.
Tracking what you eat every day can feel like a lot of work at first, but the health benefits are worth the effort! Understanding your habits and emotional triggers can help you make the changes needed to make sure you are staying healthy, and looking back at past entries can help keep you aware and accountable for what you eat in a day. Remember that change doesn’t happen overnight. Starting small with something as simple as tracking your food can lead to improvements in your health and well-being.