One of the best ways to help your child make changes in her diet is to have her keep a food diary so that she is more aware of what she's presently eating. This may sound silly, but how many times have you grabbed a handful of pretzels while passing the kitchen, or nibbled on cheese while cooking? It's easy to consume a lot of extra calories before you realize it.

A diet diary can also be a useful tool for figuring out personal triggers for unhealthy eating, such as snacking while watching TV, or eating when feeling stressed.

The diet diary should be kept for 3-7 days without changing normal habits. Everything that is consumed should be recorded, including snacks, drinks, and extras such as dressing and condiments. Some of the things to include in a diet diary are:

Time of day
Type of food
Amount of food (approximately 1 cup, a handful)
Where you are when eating
Who you are with
Mood or feelings at the time of eating (happy, stressed out, angry, neutral)

It's important for the food diary to reflect normal eating patterns rather than an attempt at eating correctly. This way you and your child can look at the diary and see what kinds of changes can be made to improve the diet. For example, if she tends to munch on snacks when feeling stressed, you can discuss other options, such as taking a walk with the dog, calling a friend, or taking a bath.

Labels: diet, fast food, food diary, nutrition