How to log food you don't cook, and don't know how it was prepared.

Pheboh

Hey guys. I don't know how to log some of my meals. I work in a rehab facility where the residents prepare all the food, and I'm expected to go to meal times and eat with them.

The problem is, I don't know how to log certain stuff. I don't know half of the ingredients, so even if I log what I can see, I may be missing oil, butter, etc. Some of the guys don't take too kindly to "what's in this?" even when it's presented as, "Oh my god, this is so good, I want to make it, what's in it?" I can try it with some of the chefs, but not all.

So, what are your suggestions for logging what's outside of my control?

libbydoodle11

I tend to guess on the higher side. I will google a specific dish and pick the more caloric version. Or I will deconstruct the recipe as best as I can and add each ingredient. Again, leaning toward the higher side calorie wise.

Blueseraphchaos

I also try to deconstruct, but i don't worry much about the vegetables unless they're starchy. Since i cook a lot, I'm pretty familiar with how things have to be prepared and cooked (i.e., with oil or some kind of fat, fried, just baked), so i take my best guess. You could do something like that and then maybe add 100 calories if you think you're missing something.

I figure if I'm in the ballpark, a few calories here or there won't matter so much, but it also depends on how close to goal weight you are, lol

GreenIceFloes

I have this problem too. All my meals are from my college canteen. No idea what kind of crap goes into my system nowadays.

jaykal001

I had the same problem yesterday. I went out for a special occasion. I picked some options that were better than others, but we chose to have desert. It was a Spanish pastry that was stuffed with some sort of cheesecake. It was so good, and so awful. At the end of the night, i told myself what a friend tells me. "That one meal isn't the problem". I jotted a note that i had a dessert that i couldn't account for, and it might very well be 1,000 calories. I hopped on the scale this morning, decided i could live with my choice since it's not a daily thing, and moved forward.

I think unfortunately, unless you are going to eat 100% your own food, there will always be a little grey area. The key is what works for you. Some people love cheat days, some people have snacks when they fit. I choose to be as good as I can be, and if we go out for a special meal, I try to be better than I was previously.

JoRocka

Guess.

runner475

libbydoodle11 wrote: »

I tend to guess on the higher side. I will google a specific dish and pick the more caloric version. Or I will deconstruct the recipe as best as I can and add each ingredient. Again, leaning toward the higher side calorie wise.

^^^ This.

Absolutely best approach. It doesn't hurt to go on higher end than underestimate food calories.

HeySwoleSister

I just search the database and pick something that sounds close. For example, there is a fab restaurant in my town that makes deep fried brussels sprouts that I LOVE. Obviously, there is no entry for them, because it's a mom-and-pop pizza place. But, there is some place/brand called KC Prime that makes flash-fried brussels sprouts that sound close enough. So I go with that.

But, then, I'm an MFP rule breaker. I only measure about half my food (the ones I'm particularly aware that I might over- or under- estimate) and often randomly pick a "close enough." I'm getting the results I want, so I'm OK with being general on logging. However, I KNOW I'm being general, so I won't be showing up in the forums telling people "I'm doing everything right and still can't lose!" If I stall, step one is getting hardcore on my logging.