Drinks Diary
Use this handy diary to record how much you drink in a week
Staying adequately hydrated and monitoring energy (calorie) intake are important parts of an active, healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible, balanced diet and regular physical activity.
Taking note of what, when and how much we drink over a period of time can help us stay adequately hydrated and in 'energy balance' - that is, making sensible choices to balance the calories consumed with calories burned and adjust fluid intake to suit our needs. Some people may also want to track caffeine intake.
Download this Drinks Diary
Download this handy drinks diary and start monitoring your intake.
Update it throughout the day to identify behaviour patterns. If you are a healthcare professional, you may find this template helpful to use with patients.
When filling in your drinks diary, consider the following:
Hydration
Hydration is vital for every aspect of life. It is critical in helping to maintain normal body temperature and for every physiological function. All beverages hydrate, including those that contain caffeine. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set daily recommendations for water intake from all sources, with women requiring 2 litres of water a day and men 2.5 litres a day. Of course variations may apply depending on temperature, levels of activity and medication effects.
Energy (calories)
When consuming beverages with calories, such as sugar-sweetened drinks, hot drinks with added sugar or alcohol, it is important to consider them within your daily calorie limits, while meeting your nutrition and hydration needs.
Caffeine
There are no recommended daily upper limits in the European Union, or in Ireland, for caffeine, except for pregnant women. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland recommends that pregnant women should not consume more than 200mg of caffeine a day. Pregnant or breast feeding women, or women trying to become pregnant, should follow their healthcare provider's advice regarding caffeine intake.
