Tracking your meal is very crucial especially if you have restrictions on eating specific foods. This may be due to reasons such as undergoing medical treatments, going through a rigid exercise regimen, or trying to achieve successful weight loss or muscle building. If you are not careful with what you eat, you may not only jeopardize your health, but you would also lose the self-discipline that you want to impose on yourself. In this article, we will help you understand the importance of keeping a meal tracker and guide you in making your own which you can incorporate into your daily schedules and routines. 

10+ Meal Tracker Samples

1. 30-Day Diary Meal Tracker

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Size: 5 MB

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2. Integrative Meal Tracker

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Size: 3 MB

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3. Family Meal Tracker

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Size: 265 KB

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4. Flex Meal Tracker

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Size: 30 KB

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5. Monday Meal Tracker

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Size: 276 KB

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6. September Meal Tracker

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Size: 389 KB

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7. Pregnancy Meal Tracker

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Size: 17 KB

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8. Weekly Meal Tracker

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Size: 14 KB

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9. Meal Tracker Example

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10. 21 Day Fix Meal Tracker

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Size: 695 KB

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11. Basic Meal Tracker

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What Is a Meal Tracker?

A meal tracker is a type of document or personal journal where you can write your daily or weekly meals and drinks to help you monitor your calorie intake. A meal tracker can be very useful when trying to gain or lose weight as it helps you maintain your health and embrace healthy eating habits. Like any personal food journal, you can also utilize the meal tracker to assess the nutrients you are getting from every meal and see whether you are successfully following your meal plans as advised by your doctor or dietitian. 

How to Create a Meal Tracker?

Creating a meal tracker is easy if you have digital software that you can use to design your tracker or a template so you won’t have to write from scratch again. However, if you want to try your hands at drafting your personal meal tracker, you can follow the steps given below so you can start your task easily.

1. Make Separate Columns for Meal Categories

The first step you need to undertake upon making your meal tracker is to create separate columns where you can write down meal categories. These categories include the three main meals of the day which are breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks. If you are snacking two or three times a day, then you can write down numbers such as 1, 2, or 3 beside the snack category in closed parentheses to indicate the sequence of your snacking schedule. 

2. Indicate the Days and Weeks

If your tracker is used to monitor your meals on a weekly schedule, then you should indicate the week number on the top of the tracker. Depending on the design of your tracker, you can either have it written on the side of the paper or make other rows and columns just below the meal categories. In addition, also include the writing the time so that you can have a reference when comparing your consistency to eating on time for your succeeding trackers. 

3. Make Space for Drinks Consumption

Your meal tracker is not complete if you do not have a space for water consumption monitoring. For example, if your meal tracker is going to be used as part of your personal training, then you should know that fitness instructors are very particular about how much water you consume every day. Including how much glass of water or beverages you have drunk on that day makes it convenient for your instructors to assess whether you are following the meal plan they have prepared for you. 

4. Incorporate Notes

Last but not least, always make a space where you can write important notes in regards to monitoring your meals. These notes might be the changes you are experiencing after following your meal plans, any possible side effects from eating a certain type of food, or maybe personal suggestions when trying to mix and match the components of your meals for the day.

What type of meal tracker should I make?

It is important to create and use a meal tracker that can help you look out for the possible, harmful effects of food on your body in regards to calorie value, nutrients, ingredients, and its impact on your weight.

Why should I track my meals?

If you want to maintain your excellent body shape, weight, and form, it is important to track what you eat every day. Tracking is also useful when you are fulfilling your doctor’s recommendations when you are getting treatments for illness or other outward medical conditions.

What is the best and most effective way to use the meal tracker?

If you want to make a meal tracker effectively, it would be extremely helpful if you could refer to your diet plans, eating schedules, and personal daily schedules so that you can write down the details that are relatable to your food habits. If you do not have the aforementioned items, then it would be best to do an assessment by writing down your food preferences and eating time as your alternative reference.

It’s okay to eat whatever you like and whenever you want. However, it is very crucial that you keep tabs on what goes into your mouth for the sake of your health. Meal trackers are the best way to help you start a healthy lifestyle. Get your free meal tracker templates today by checking out our gallery. 

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