ACE Health Coach Certification Practice Test

Which tool helps a client accurately report their dietary habits and minimizes forgotten foods?

1. Food diary

2. Food record

3. 24-hour recall

4. Food-frequency questionnaire

The correct answer is: Food-frequency questionnaire

The tool that best helps a client accurately report their dietary habits while minimizing the issue of forgotten foods is the food diary. A food diary requires clients to document everything they eat and drink on a daily basis in real-time. This immediate recording minimizes gaps in memory since clients write down their food intake as they consume it, rather than relying on recollection after the fact. This method encourages more thorough and accurate reporting because it captures details that might be overlooked if trying to recall everything at a later time. While food records and 24-hour recalls have their benefits, they either require longer periods of data collection or are limited to a short timeframe, which can lead to inaccuracies. Food-frequency questionnaires provide a general overview of eating habits over a longer period but may omit specific details about daily dietary intake, making them less effective for minimizing forgotten foods. Thus, a food diary is particularly effective for obtaining an accurate and complete picture of a client's dietary habits.