Keeping a food diary can be invaluable when trying to pinpoint which foods may be causing a reaction.
Something I have found very useful throughout this journey is that I wrote everything down from the moment my son was born (and occasionally still do). I did this before we found out about his allergies and eczema but it has been invaluable to look back on and to be able to offer allergy and eczema friends advice on what worked for us and indeed putting together this site.
It may prove useful when we have baby number 2 if food allergies or eczema strike again (which they did and it did!) It is also lovely to look back on all the wee moments which are so easily forgotten. I have written everything from first tooth and words to appointments with doctors and what he was prescribed.
Here are some tips on keeping a food allergy diary that may be helpful:
- Record everything your child eats and drinks including times, when they have a reaction, the symptoms, and duration of them.
- This should also include medication, vitamins, and snacks, basically everything your child consumes in a day!
- Take note of how you prepared the food. For example, give a breakdown of what was included in the sandwich or on the pizza and how it was cooked.
- Take your food diary out and about with you so you can record in it if your child is eating out throughout the day, remember to include snacks and drinks.
- Include anything else you think may be important in a notes section such as emotions or behaviors that may have been triggered by a particular meal or food. For example, I noticed when we attempted the egg ladder that as well as a sore tummy my son got extremely moody and irritable. At other times he was lethargic, had dark circles under his eyes, and had difficulty with bowel movements.
- Keep any packaging of foods you think may have caused a reaction. These can then be shown to your doctor or dietician at a later date.
- You should continue the diary for at least a few weeks.
You can make your own diary or just use a notebook. A perfect excuse to go out and buy a gorgeous new notebook too. Here are a couple of free downloads you could try:
There are lots available to buy too. Check out Amazon for lots of choices.
If you have any tips to add or have kept a food diary and found it helpful, feel free to comment below. X
Read about our journey with allergies and eczema.
