• Indication
• Pros and cons
• Practical considerations
• Resources required
• References
• Examples and links

• Dietary assessment
• Methods
• Weighed food diary
• Pros and cons

Pros and cons

Pros

• The method is still considered the gold-standard method for dietary assessment
• It does not rely on individual memory and recall as the food/drink are recorded at the point of consumption
• Provides exact portion sizes and therefore does not rely on portion size estimation
• Detailed descriptions of the foods consumed and all eating occasions are provided
• Suitable to capture foods eaten on a regular basis
• Excellent estimates for energy, nutrients, foods and food groups

Cons

• The method is time consuming and labour intensive for both study/survey participants and researchers and is therefore very costly in staff time and equipment
• Dietary data input and translation into nutrient data is complex
• The weighed food diary imposes the biggest respondent burden of all methods and individuals must be motivated and compliant
• The individual must be numerate and literate
• The individual may alter his/her diet to make it easier to record
• Weighing food eaten away from home can be difficult for the individual
• Several days of recording are necessary because of daily variations in most people’s diet (minimum 3 days). Seven days are commonly recorded but recording can become less accurate towards the end of the period because of study fatigue.  The intake recorded may not be ‘typical’ diet.
• Foods eaten less than once or twice a week may not be captured

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