Keeping
Track
“I eat tonnes of veggies”
“I hardly eat any salt” “We eat lots of fibre”
“I’m not getting enough protein” “I watch my fat
intake”
Are you sure?
As a Dietitian, I hear statements like this all the
time. How do you really know if you’re
getting enough of what your body needs if you don’t keep track from time to
time? For people who are trying to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight,
or watch their intake of certain nutrients, keeping track from time to time can
help.
Gone are the days of scribbling down food choices and
amounts into paper notebooks, or even bothering with tallying up servings,
points, or grams of fat. Food diaries have become sophisticated and will do
most of the work for you. Numerous tools are available to help you keep track
of your food intake, activity level, and let you know how you’re doing. eaTracker
is one such tool created by Dietitians of Canada.
How does it
work?
Create a user profile, which requires that you provide
some details about your health including your age, height and weight. You’ll
have the option of listing some lifestyle goals of your own, or even picking
one if you’re not sure.
Search for the specific foods from your last meal or
snack and add it to the list. Add any
physical activity you’ve done as well. At the end of the day, eaTracker will
give you a very visual and detailed summary of how your intake measured up with
what your body needs and some tips for ways to improve. You might be surprised
by what you see.
What else
can eaTracker do?
Eatracker can also analyze recipes for their nutrient
content and connect you with a dietitian coach to work with you along the way.
How Much
Does it Cost?
It’s free (no kidding).
Is there an
App for that?
Of course.
Written by Lindsay Van der Meer, RD
