Adherence
Weighed food records are the most accurate method for assessing habitual dietary intake, significantly outperforming 24-hour recalls, food-frequency questionnaires, and estimated food records, although underreporting occurs in approximately 20% of overweight individuals.
If you need to know exactly what you are eating for health or performance reasons, use weighed food records. While other methods like food frequency questionnaires are easier, they are significantly less accurate. Be aware that overweight individuals tend to underreport their intake, so double-check your records against biological markers if possible.
Despite problems of underreporting in overweight individuals in 20% of this sample, weighed records remained the most accurate method of dietary assessment, and only an estimated 7 d diary was able to approach this accuracy.
Why this rating
Large sample (n=160), long duration (1 year), use of objective biological markers (24h urine nitrogen) for validation.
Source
Validation of weighed records and other methods of dietary assessment using the 24 h urine nitrogen technique and other biological markers
Sheila Bingham et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 1995
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →