Failing to adequately prepare for dietary data collection can often lead to data that is of insufficient quality or that does not provide enough detail for further processing and analysis. This can be avoided by completing certain tasks prior to conducting 24-hour recall surveys. This guidance document provides an overview of the main pre-survey tasks that are necessary for the preparation of various data collection tools, job aids, and auxiliary databases required for calculating food and nutrient intakes in a low- or middle-income country context.