During the lockdown, many people have to cook more at home. It makes this a great opportunity to start tracking what you eat.

Small steps toward understanding your eating habits can make grocery shopping more manageable and food prep less of a chore.

Measuring your food can give you an idea of what a serving looks like. Measuring cups are handy, but they're even better when used with the scale. Weighing gives you a better understanding of a serving.

If you don't have a scale or cups, there are some very rough ways ...

An app or a pen and paper can be used to track what you're eating

• MyFitnessPal has become a popular food tracking app. It gives detailed information about different types of food.
• ASA24.com is a self-administered 24-hour dietary assessment tool provided by the National Cance...

Planning your meals in advance can make shopping efficient.

Choose meals that are easy to repeat and ingredients that are used in multiple dishes.

Getting an infrastructure is relatively simple. It is more challenging to include all foods, snacks, and beverages because people think they don't have to track everything.

Accurate tracking will give you a baseline of what you're eating. The more honest you are, ...

Mishaps happen. Track your problem and then get back to the regular program. Don't let the guilt from one bad meal derail your entire effort.

Tracking is great for getting a baseline and moving toward a generally more informed way of eating.