Your Guide to Keeping a Food Allergy Journal

It may not always be obvious if you have a food allergy or intolerance. Keeping a food journal can be a great first step to determining how your meals are really affecting you.

A food allergy journal can help you identify foods and ingredients that are causing symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, bloating, coughing, itchy skin, and more.

Your food allergy journal can help you pinpoint allergy triggers so that you can remove them from your diet.

Your primary healthcare professional might recommend keeping a food allergy journal if you’ve been experiencing symptoms they suspect are linked to something in your diet.

You can also start journaling on your own if you’ve been noticing symptoms of a possible food allergy.

When to get emergency help

You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any severe, life threatening food allergy symptoms like difficulty breathing, tongue swelling, or a weak pulse. Some people with known food allergies may also keep an Epi-pen handy for emergencies .

Tips for keeping a food allergy journal

Starting a food allergy journal can be a great way to track your meals and any symptoms you experience. It can help you identify potential triggers. You can check out the tips below for ways to start your journal and keep it going.

• Make note of everything you consume: A food journal isn’t just for meals. It’s also important to keep track of small snacks and beverages throughout the day.
• Track as you go: It can help to jot down your meals, snacks, and beverages when you have them and not at the end of the day.
• Be specific: As you look for allergy triggers, it’s best to be specific when you write down your meals and snacks. For instance, writing down the brand and flavor of a beverage can help you identify a particular ingredient that is causing your allergy symptoms.
• Write down your symptoms: Tracking your symptoms is an important part of a food allergy journal. Take note of anything bloating, abdominal pain, itchiness , or other out-of-the-ordinary symptoms that occur in your day — even if they seem unrelated.
• Try different journal formats: Some people find that using an app helps them keep up with their journaling. For others, pen-and-paper journaling is a better option. You can try both to find what works best for you.

It can be a good idea to bring your food journal to your next medical appointment. You and your doctor can go over your listed symptoms and suspected triggers. Having this information can help your doctor determine the best plan for your food allergies .

If you’re experiencing discomfort when eating some foods, it’s also possible these symptoms could come from a food intolerance rather than an allergy; check out this article to learn about the differences .

Creating your own food allergy journal template

The right food allergy journal template for you can depend on factors such as your preferences, goals, and journaling style. If you’ve ever done other types of structured journaling , such as bullet journaling , you might enjoy creating your own food allergy journal template.

A food allergy journal template should be unique to your needs and can include features such as:

• spaces for triggers you’ve noted
• spaces for suspected triggers
• spaces for symptoms
• daily breakdowns with space for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
• a column or square on each day’s page for symptoms
• pages to record alternative or allergy-free versions of triggering foods
• pages to list questions you have for your doctor or other health professionals
• pages to record the results of any health testing

Learn more tips for talking with kids about their food allergies.

Best apps for food journaling

Apps can help you keep a food journal. Some people find that using an app is a convenient way to track meals throughout the day. Available apps for food journaling include:

• mySymptoms Food Diary: The mySymptoms Food Diary app is designed to help people track what they eat and how it makes them feel. You can also track exercise, stress levels, and other health essentials on the app. It’s available for IOS and Android .
• AllergyForce: AllergyForce isn’t a journaling app, but it can help with your food allergy journal. Its resources, such as forums for people with food allergies and lists of ingredients in popular foods, can be used to build your food journal. This app is available for Android and iPhone .
• AlleryEats: AllergyEats uses app data from the AllergyEats website to show users allergy-friendly restaurants. It can help you identify possible allergy triggers in restaurant meals. It’s available on Google Play and Apple Store.

The takeaway

A food allergy journal can help you track your daily meals, snacks, and beverages, along with any symptoms you experience. This can help you identify any allergy triggers and eliminate them from your diet.

You can journal in a notebook, through an app, or using any method that works for you. Bringing your journal to your next doctor’s appointment can help you and your doctor come up with the best plan for your food allergies.