A food journal, or food diary, for food allergies is just what it sounds like: a log of what you or your child has eaten. This simple tool usually includes notes about any symptoms or possible symptoms related to food allergies. You can use a notebook, notepad, or smartphone app to record this information. When you’re consistent, keeping a food journal can reveal patterns that may help improve your or your child’s health.

1. Figuring Out What Causes Symptoms

A food journal can help you identify foods that you or your child is allergic or intolerant to. If you notice that you have symptoms whenever you eat a particular food, you can try eliminating it to see if those symptoms improve.

If you know you have a food allergy or intolerance and you’re avoiding your triggers but still experiencing symptoms, a food journal can help pinpoint other potential triggers or food sensitivities.

At MyFoodAllergyTeam, some members love this technique. One said, “Keeping a food diary helped me the most.”

2. Knowing Your Food Allergy Patterns

A food journal can help you discover more than which foods trigger allergic reactions. It can also help you figure out which symptoms are tied to food allergies. For example, symptoms like headaches or mental health issues can have many causes. Tracking them in a food journal can help you determine if they're related to food allergies.

Your journal can help you figure out, in general, which symptoms occur, when they start after a trigger food is consumed, and how long they last. Symptoms may develop immediately or after a couple of hours, depending on the person. Many symptoms go away fast, but others last longer. Your journal can help you understand your body better.

At least one member of MyFoodAllergyTeam has used a journal to find unusual food patterns. “Write a journal if you don’t already do so,” one member advised another. “Allergies can show up to 72 hours later.”

3. Helping Your Allergist Help You

A food journal alone can’t diagnose a food allergy, but it can help point an allergist in the right direction. Based on your recordkeeping, your allergist may decide to do allergy tests for certain foods. This may be especially useful if you have an uncommon food allergy or are allergic to a food additive.

4. Making Sure You Eat Enough

If multiple food allergies seriously limit what you or your child can eat, it can be hard to maintain a balanced diet or get enough calories. A food journal can help a registered dietitian see if you’re eating enough and getting the right nutrients. It can also show them which foods you prefer, so they can offer targeted medical advice and design an eating plan that works for you.

5. Showing You How Much Better You Feel

Keeping a food journal can help you track improvements in your or your child’s health. As you get food allergies diagnosed and start avoiding trigger foods, your symptoms should lessen. If they don’t, then you and your health care provider have more investigating to do. If your symptoms improve, your food journal can be a reminder of how far you’ve come. It can also motivate you to keep avoiding foods — including those you enjoy — that cause reactions.

6. Raising Your Confidence

Using a food journal may help you feel more confident in your ability to keep yourself or your child safe from allergens. One small 2022 study showed that tracking allergies in an app boosted participants’ confidence and significantly reduced accidental exposures. If you sometimes feel unsure about how to manage food allergies and stay healthy, keeping a food journal could give you the support you need.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyFoodAllergyTeam is the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Have you used a food journal to help track food allergies? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.