Chapter 5 Nutrition Guidelines 121 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Using Food Recommendations and Guidelines You now know about a variety of tools for healthy eating. The next step is to learn how to use them to improve your eating pattern. Keep a Food Journal Before you can determine whether you are getting enough nutrients, you need to know which foods you are eating. One way to be aware of what you eat is to keep a food journal. A food journal is a record of the kinds and amounts of foods and beverages consumed for a given time. Food journals are sometimes called food logs or food diaries. The record includes all snacks and foods eaten through- out the day. It also includes condiments, such as catsup, pickles, salad dressings, syrups, and jellies. You need a complete journal if you want a true analysis of your diet. You will find it easy to forget what you ate if you wait too long to record information. Keeping a notepad and pencil handy will help you remember to record each food item you eat. Alternatively, you may choose to use a food journal app on your smartphone or computer. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Modified Food Labels You will find modified nutrition labels on some foods. For example, the Nutrition Label- ing and Education Act (NLEA) includes the use of dual column labels. These labels list the “per serving” and “per package” calorie and nutrition information. For instance, you may notice two columns of nutrient amounts on boxed mixes for products like muffins and pud- ding. Manufacturers must list nutrient amounts per serving of the products as packaged. However, manufacturers may also list nutrition information for the products as prepared. You may find a simplified label on prod- ucts like candy, which do not provide signifi- cant amounts of some nutrients. In addition, smaller food items, such as canned tuna, may include simpler labels that fit more eas- ily on their packages. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, and fish may not have labels. However, most stores have posters, note- books, or pamphlets with nutrition information about these foods. The produce department should offer information about the most popu- lar raw fruits and vegetables. The fish depart- ment should provide nutrition details about the fish most commonly sold raw. The meat department should have nutrient data on the best-selling cuts of raw meat and poultry. USDA