5 Ideas to Keep an Eye on What We Eat
Introduction:
Many of us want to eat better. A good start to this nutritious journey might be paying more attention and keeping track of what fills our plates. Oddly enough, while we meticulously track a myriad of things like our monthly spending, daily steps, energy use in our house, and even the number of books we read, we do not pay the same attention to what gives us sustenance - our food. This tale rings true for me as well; despite my endeavors, forming a habit to log my lunch and dinners has always hit a snag. Tracking my habits to build good ones and cutting down on bad ones have been a key part of me improving many aspects of my life - including becoming a runner and quitting smoking. But, I have tried and given up on food tracking many times.
Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash
The Benefits of Food Logging:
But, the benefits of jotting down our jambalaya and jellybeans aren’t just a whimsical pursuit. The benefits extend from understanding our eating habits to managing diet-related conditions. The research underscores the efficacy of food logging in weight management, identifying trigger foods, and fostering a more mindful eating regimen (see some references below). It's not merely a quest of calorie counting but ensuring a palette of variety in our diet, tailored to our health necessities, especially for those with specific medical conditions.
I spoke to over 50 people in the past 2 months about how they keep an eye on what they eat. Among them, many started on the food tracking voyage but gave up because it was too hard and boring. The methods were many: pen and paper, digital diaries, apps, and more, yet the resolve waned with time. Technology has solved many issues, but logging our lasagna from grandma’s is still hard.
Bite-sized Ideas to Begin:
As we wait for a tech solution to ease our food logging, can we try to do some smaller things for benefit? I am a believer in small beginnings leading to grand goals, and I believe even in the realm of food logging, starting small could unfurl a path of mindful munching. Here are a few nibble-sized ideas to nudge us all forward:
Start Small: Begin with logging a lone meal a day, and as the habit builds, do more.
Specific Nutrient Focus: Tailor your tracking to specific nutrients or food groups initially, making the mammoth task a morsel-sized mission (for example, the number of servings of veggies a day).
Join Communities: Participate in digital communities (Facebook, Reddit, etc) where many share their daily logs and motivate each other.
Gamify the Grub: Set simple personal competitions and work towards them (for example, no dessert on weekdays).
Accountable Allies: Find a friend who is keen on this.
Conclusion:
The path to prudent eating often begins with a look back on what we eat. While we await a tech touch to simplify tracking, these simple ideas could sow the seeds of sustainable and good eating habits.
Footnotes:
Harvard Health: Why keep a food diary?
American Society for Nutrition: The Benefits of Food Journaling
National Institute of Health: The Benefits of Food Journaling
