Instruction Manual

Conducting a 24-Hour Recall

Instructions for the Practicing Registered Dietitian

Includes detailed charts for every step!

Questions? Call 1-800-MYDIETS 24 hours a day!

Background Information
A 24-hour recall is one of many ways to measure ones diet in which a trained interviewer asks a subject to recall in detail every food and drink he or she consumed in the last 24 hours. A 24-hour recall can be used for any of the following tasks: Comparing average nutrient intakes of different groups Ranking individuals within a group Estimating an individuals usual intake To conduct a 24-hour recall, you will need an interviewer, a listener, and a subject. The interviewer is the person giving the interview, i.e. asking the questions and recording the subjects responses. The listener is the person listening to the interview while recording the subjects responses, but does not ask any questions! The subject is the person being interviewed. Note: Both the interviewer (you) and the listener should each have a notebook and a pen handy to record the subjects responses.

Before you begin the interview

Prepare a set of 10 to 12 questions to ask the subject. Have these questions in front of you during the interview! Your first two questions should be: 1. What was the last thing you ate or drank upon your last awakening? 2. What did you have to eat or drink after that? Note: Your last question should be asking the subject their height, weight, and age.

Now that you have prepared your set of questions, you can conduct the 24hour recall by following the 5 steps below.

Step 1. Quick List

Ask the subject the questions you have prepared, recording what they ate and drank and without asking for details. Example: Food Items Wheat bread Yogurt Chicken Carrots Ice cream Serving Size Time Consumed Where

Record the Quick List only in the Food Items column.

Step 2. Forgotten Foods

Ask the subject if there is anything he or she forgot to mention. REMEMBER: do not ask for details yet. Your chart should have this information filled in: Food Items Serving Size Time Consumed Wheat bread Greek yogurt Granola Tomato Cucumber Onion Chicken Potato Carrots Broccoli Ice cream Grapefruit Record forgotten foods only in the Food Items column.

Where

Step 3. Time and Occasion

If the subject is having trouble remembering a particular meal or snack, help trigger the their memory by asking what times and where he or she ate the foods you have already recorded. Remember to ask if they took part in any activities throughout the day. Examples: school, sports, watching television, playing/hanging out with friends.

Your chart should have this information filled in: Food Items Serving Size Time Consumed Wheat bread 5:00 AM Greek yogurt 5:15 AM Plum Tomato 11:00 AM Cucumber 11:00 AM Onion yellow 11:00 AM Dressing 11:00 AM Chicken 5:00 PM Potato 5:00 PM Carrots 5:30 PM Broccoli 5:30 PM Apple 7:00 PM Banana 7:10 PM Ice cream 7:30 PM Grapefruit 8:30 PM

Where Home Home Work Work Work Work Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home

Record time and occasion only in the Time Consumed and Where columns.

Step 4. Detail Cycle

Go through your recorded foods list and ask the subject how foods were prepared and serving sizes eaten. Examples: Was bread toasted? Were vegetables cooked in butter or oil? Your chart should have this information filled in: Food Items Serving Size Time Consumed Wheat bread 2 large slices 5:00 AM toasted Butter 1 tbsp 5:00 AM Greek yogurt 6 oz 5:15 AM Granola 2 tbsp 5:15 AM Plum Tomato 1 11:00 AM Cucumber 1 mini 11:00 AM Onion yellow 1 small 11:00 AM Balsamic 3 tbsp 11:00 AM dressing Chicken 5 oz 5:00 PM Olive oil tbsp 5:00 PM Salt tsp 5:00 PM Pepper tsp 5:00 PM Potato 1 medium 5:00 PM Carrots 1 cup 5:30 PM Broccoli cup 5:30 PM Apple 1 medium 7:00 PM Banana 1 medium 7:10 PM Ice cream, vanilla 2 large scoops 7:30 PM Grapefruit 1 large 8:30 PM

Where Home Home Home Home Work Work Work Work Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home

Record the detailed information only in the Food Items and Serving Size columns.

Note: Keep in mind that mixed food items such as sandwiches and salads should be recorded as each food being separate. Example: Cucumber salad should be recorded as 4 different food items shown below: Food Items Plum Tomato Cucumber Onion yellow Balsamic dressing Serving Size 1 1 mini 1 small 3 tbsp Time Consumed 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:00 AM Where Work Work Work Work

Step 5. Final Probe

Go through the list with the subject one last time and ask if he or she forgot to mention any food or drink. Record this information can be added to any column you find appropriate. The final paper should look something like this: * 24-HOUR DIET RECALL Serving Size Time Consumed 2 large slices 5:00 AM 1 tbsp 6 oz 2 tbsp 1 1 mini 1 small 3 tbsp 5 oz tbsp tsp tsp 1 medium 1 cup cup 1 medium 1 medium 5:00 AM 5:15 AM 5:15 AM 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:10 PM

Food Items Wheat bread toasted Butter Greek yogurt Granola Plum Tomato Cucumber Onion yellow Balsamic dressing Chicken Olive oil Salt Pepper Potato Carrots Broccoli Apple Banana

Where Home Home Home Home Work Work Work Work Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home

Ice cream, vanilla 2 large scoops 7:30 PM Home Grapefruit 1 large 8:30 PM Home *Note: Do not be concerned about handwriting or neatness of your notes you will be trying to write quickly and going through the list adding more details multiple times.

A mnemonic device to help remember the steps! Quickly Find The Delicious Food

A template is on page 8.

A blank template for you to use during your interview: 24-HOUR DIET RECALL Serving Size Time Consumed

Food Items

Where

Reference: Lee, R., & Nieman, D. (2010). 24-Hour Recall [Measuring Diet]. In R. Lee & D. Nieman (Authors), Nutritional Assessment (Fifth ed., p. 73). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.