Date issued: July 2022
Review date: July 2024
Ref: C-256/Dietetics/MM/Food diary v8
PDF: Paediatric food diary final July 2022 v8.pdf [pdf] 197KB
To help us to calculate the nutrients in your child’s diet it is important that we know exactly what he/she eats over 3 days.
Please use this diary to record everything he/she eats and drinks for 3 days including 1 weekend day.
Try to record as you go along while the information is still fresh in your mind. If you leave it until the end of the day it is easy to forget things.
Please do not change what is normally eaten just because you are filling in a diary.
Do not forget snacks, sweets and drinks.
Describing foods and measuring portion sizes
-
Describe meat, fish and cheese as well as you can, e.g.
- 2 large thin slices ham
- 2 small lamb chops (no fat eaten)
- small fillet of cod grilled
- cube of cheddar cheese the size of a matchbox.
-
Vegetables, cereals, puddings etc. can be measured in tablespoons.
-
How was the food prepared? e.g. fried (with fat or oil), boiled, casseroled, roasted or grilled.
-
Remember to look at labels and wrappers. Write down the brand name, weights and proportions eaten, e.g. ½ a 450g tin Del Monte pears in syrup.
-
State whether drinks are in bottles, beakers, glasses, mugs or cups and measure the volume e.g. 240ml mug of tea with semi-skimmed milk (no sugar), or 8 fl.oz. of infant formula.
For dry powdered baby foods, state how many tablespoons or teaspoons were eaten. Write down the brand, the name of the food and whether this is dry or the made up amount. For jars, state how much was eaten, the brand and the name of the food,
e.g. ½ a 125g jar of cow & Gate Tasty Pumpkin & Chicken (from 4-6 months).
GENERAL QUESTIONS (please tick the appropriate box)
Which type of milk does your child normally have?
Full cream Skimmed
Semi-skimmed Other
Please specify …………………………………...…..
How much milk does your child usually consume in one day?
Over 1 pint ¼ pint
½ - 1 pint None
Please specify.…………………………….…………
What type of bread does your child normally eat?
White Granary
Wholemeal/brown Other
Please specify …………………………………….…
What kind of fat is used on bread/toast?
Butter Margarine
Low fat spread None
Which brand do you normally use? ……………………………………………………..…...
Is salt added?
in cooking?
at the table?
Is sugar taken in drinks?
Yes No
____ teaspoons in tea
____ teaspoons in coffee
Does your child take any special dietary products or vitamin supplements?
Yes No
If yes, please specify…………………….………….
EXAMPLE PAGE
DAY: MONDAY DATE: 23rd March
Example page
Time
|
Portion size/quantity
|
Details of foods and drink
|
8am
12pm
|
1/3 glass (100ml)
2 biscuits
1 medium slice from large loaf +
medium spread
1 glass (250ml)
2 small thick slices
thin spread
1 cube, size of matchbox
1 medium
1 x 125g carton
1 medium
1 glass
|
pure orange juice
Weetabix®
wholemeal bread
margarine (Vitalite®)
No added sugar orange squash
wholemeal bread
salted butter
cheddar cheese
tomato
Tesco low fat fruit yoghurt
apple
squash (as above)
|
DAY: MONDAY DATE: 23rd March
Time
|
Portion size/quantity
|
Details of food and drink
|
4pm
6pm
|
200ml
2 finger bar
beef stew recipe:
1lb stewing beef
1 large onion
½lb carrots
1 tablespoon veg oil
¼ recipe
1 large
3 tablespoons
¼ 425g tin
1 cup
1 teaspoon
|
Semi skimmed milk
Kit Kat®
beef stew
baked jacket potato
including skin
frozen peas
Ambrosia® low fat rice pudding
Options Highlights® made with water
sugar
|