A daily food record, or food diary, often used in outpatient clinic settings, keeps track of food eaten for meals and snacks over a given period of time. With the assistance of a dietitian, a diabetic's nutrient intake is then calculated, averaged and compared to a record of blood glucose readings and the diabetes diet prescription. Surprising and helpful insights often result from this type of food journaling according to Kathleen Mahan and Sylvia Escott-Stump in the text "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy."
Identification
A food diary in written form records the amounts of all foods and liquids consumed during a set period of time. The diabetic records food intake for each meal and snack as it occurs or at the end of the day. It often includes information on time, place and eating situation, in addition to food item, amount and how the food was prepared.
Function
Keep a food diary for one week or on a regular basis. The dietitian totals the individual's nutrient intake, including carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories for the desired period, usually 3 to 7 days, then compares it to the USDA Recommended Daily Allowance, federal Food Pyramid guidelines or diabetes meal plan.
Components
The entries in the food diary include time and place of meals and snacks, the type and amount of each food eaten, and may include a description of the person's feelings when eating. The diary may also include physical activities, describing the activity, intensity, duration and feelings about the activity. Some diaries include vitamin and mineral supplements taken.
The American Diabetes Association suggests that the person with diabetes record everything he eats and the amount eaten in detail. For example, "a cup of whole wheat pasta, 3 tbsp. marinara sauce, 2 cups broccoli, 1 can diet soda." Calories consumed may be recorded and tracked meal to meal or day to day.
Advantages
A food diary can serve as a tool for managing diabetes. Keeping a record helps identify eating and exercise behaviors that may need changing or tracks changed behavior. It also establishes a baseline with which future progress can be compared.
Besides providing a daily record of foods consumed, the diary can provide information on quantity of food, how it was prepared and timing of meals. These records can be compared with blood glucose readings throughout the day, timing of any medications or insulin injections and how the person felt. This can help establish patterns of cause and effect.
Disadvantages
The literacy skills of individuals vary, and commitment to faithfully log the required information may waver. Keeping a food diary requires the ability to measure or judge portion sizes, and the recording process may influence the actual food intake because focusing attention on what and how much people eat tends to modify their choices, at least during the recording period. So the reliability of the diary to reflect a person's normal eating patterns may be questionable.
References
- "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy (10th Edition)"; Mahan and Escott-Stump; 2000
- American Diabetes Association: What I Ate This Week
- Diabetes Daily Food Diary
- "Understanding Nutrition (Ninth Edition)"; Eleanor Noss Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes; 2002
