calorie management when you cook your food.

Options
Ellaskat
Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was curious what others do who cook most/all of their own meals? I do not eat packaged foods with a very few exceptions. It seems to me that calorie counting is really geared towards folks who either eat packaged foods (where cal counts are easily knowable) or to folks who eat 1 ingredient foods - like an apple, or an egg.

What do others do? I personally have tried weighing all my ingredients, and then dividing dishes to approximate cal counts - but have decided for my life, that is an insane thing to do.

So, I eat as healthfully as I can, but I have no idea how many calories i'm eating.

Would love your thoughts.
«13

Replies

  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Options
    I use the recipe builder in MFP. Enter all the ingredients, weigh the final batch and divide into portions.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Options
    I use the recipe builder when I can. But my mother cooks most of my meals, so I just estimate. Has worked out ok. I agree re: weighing (but I am in the minority on here).
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
    Options
    Or people who like spreadsheets. Before the recipe builder was added (or I discovered it), I'd take a recipe and enter each ingredient and its nutritional info into a spreadsheet and make totals per serving. Then I'd enter the totals into MFP as one of 'my foods'. I just recently discovered the recipe builder, it's pretty easy to use.
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    sigh - i just refuse to do that - i did it on here about 4 years ago and that just doesn't work for me. I don't measure when I'm cooking - and I'm not interested in starting. I'll add wine, or olive oil, or chicken broth (that I made) at the 'right' level based on sight.... When I was counting calories on her about 4 years ago I was very unhappy and crazy about it - which made my husband ccrazy too! So it's just not for me. Curious what people do who cook, that are unwilling to weigh and measure each ingredient.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Options
    Either you are trying to count calories or you aren't. Clearly you aren't.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
    Options
    I'm unsure what your question is. You're wondering what people who don't weight their ingredients/calorie count do for what?
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    correct - i do not plan to count each and every calorie - that's why my post says calorie management. I want to manage my calories. you can have an awareness without counting each and every one.
  • MomFLYer
    MomFLYer Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    I estimate... I too try to stay as far away from processed foods as I can - but I'm a sucker for lunchmeat & sodas.....
    I also try to limit my portions - very hard for me at times....
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    i'm wondering how people keep an awareness/manage what they eat if they do not count calories. There are ways to be healthful without counting each one - so i'm curious what others do.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Options
    Sounds like you have it figured out, so why the question? Stay generally aware of your calories. Manage your portions. So long as you are realistic/reasonable, I think it can work out fine. Personally, I think that should be everyone's goal. Really, who wants to count for the rest of their lives?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    Then it is possible this site, which is built off of calorie counting databases, is not for you...
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    that's my point SuggaD. I've 'been there done that' with counting calories and for me, it's not a lifestyle choice I want - and I'm all about creating a lifestyle. I try to be mindful of eating reasonable quantities of reasonable foods - thought someone who has been doing that longer than me might have interesting tips of how they keep a healthy diet without watchign the calories.
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    kruggeri, i come here for the community, as well as the tracking of my exercise, which syncs with the fitness app i use. I find it useful and know not everyone counts calories. i was curious what those who don't count caloreis do instead to have a healthy diet. Why is that such a controversial question? I'm surprised by the snarky tone in some of these posts. Just looking for others who know more than me and could offer ideas. Count away, if that works for you - it just isn't what i want for me.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Options
    Ellaskat wrote: »
    sigh - i just refuse to do that - i did it on here about 4 years ago and that just doesn't work for me. I don't measure when I'm cooking - and I'm not interested in starting. I'll add wine, or olive oil, or chicken broth (that I made) at the 'right' level based on sight.... When I was counting calories on her about 4 years ago I was very unhappy and crazy about it - which made my husband ccrazy too! So it's just not for me. Curious what people do who cook, that are unwilling to weigh and measure each ingredient.

    You only really have to do the measuring/weighing of ingredients once though. The next time I sort of throw it in, being mindful of my original measurements. It's worth it to me.

    If it's not worth it to you, I'd don't really have much advice.
  • Th3Ph03n1x
    Th3Ph03n1x Posts: 275 Member
    Options
    Ellaskat wrote: »
    I was curious what others do who cook most/all of their own meals? I do not eat packaged foods with a very few exceptions. It seems to me that calorie counting is really geared towards folks who either eat packaged foods (where cal counts are easily knowable) or to folks who eat 1 ingredient foods - like an apple, or an egg.

    What do others do? I personally have tried weighing all my ingredients, and then dividing dishes to approximate cal counts - but have decided for my life, that is an insane thing to do.

    So, I eat as healthfully as I can, but I have no idea how many calories i'm eating.

    Would love your thoughts.

    I cook a lot from recipes found online and many of them give the nutrition information. If I'm cooking from a book or something I just whipped up I do as the first poster suggested use the MFP builder.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    Ellaskat wrote: »
    that's my point SuggaD. I've 'been there done that' with counting calories and for me, it's not a lifestyle choice I want - and I'm all about creating a lifestyle. I try to be mindful of eating reasonable quantities of reasonable foods - thought someone who has been doing that longer than me might have interesting tips of how they keep a healthy diet without watchign the calories.

    I'm able to do this now, but I counted calories and weighed and measured most things for months to learn how to do this....

    Over the course of 9 months I lost about 40 Lbs counting calories and weighing and measuring most things...I've maintained for going on 2 years without counting calories save for a spot check here and there. I still weigh and/or measure calorie dense things when I'm cooking though. Weighing and measuring helped me to learn portions...I can eyeball most things now, but it was a learned thing.

    Logging and counting calories and whatnot isn't the lifestyle...but it is good "training wheels" to help you along until you can ride without them. This seems to be lost on a great many...
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Options
    I do the same as MomFLYer - guesstimate and keep my portions small. Say I make a soup. I try to count how many servings there are in total as I dole them out and hope for the best. For portions, try using smaller plates and bowls and avoid going back for seconds.
  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
    Options
    I use the old recipe builder and only count things with significant calories. I don't add in herbs or things that have few calories. And I estimate as well as I could. For example, I made marinara yesterday. I calculated my tomatoes, onions and oil. Then I guessed (and because I'm neurotic at the moment, I measured) as I jarred. If I'm off a few calories, I don't freak. I tend to overestimate normally anyway, don't log exercise calories, and always eat at a deficit. And when I freestyle cook, I estimate the ingredients in the calculator and divide by how many servings I plan to have.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Options
    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    Ellaskat wrote: »
    sigh - i just refuse to do that - i did it on here about 4 years ago and that just doesn't work for me. I don't measure when I'm cooking - and I'm not interested in starting. I'll add wine, or olive oil, or chicken broth (that I made) at the 'right' level based on sight.... When I was counting calories on her about 4 years ago I was very unhappy and crazy about it - which made my husband ccrazy too! So it's just not for me. Curious what people do who cook, that are unwilling to weigh and measure each ingredient.

    You only really have to do the measuring/weighing of ingredients once though. The next time I sort of throw it in, being mindful of my original measurements. It's worth it to me.

    If it's not worth it to you, I'd don't really have much advice.

    I do this. I find it really hard to follow recipes anyways, so I log the main ingredients (I never bother logging spices) once and then use that as an estimate each time I make the same dish. If I do something drastically different, I relog it to see what it's like. For example, I make a kind of Italian stew (essentially pasta sauce that has a ton of veggies and I don't put it over pasta), and I normally make it with ground venison. I didn't have any so I tried Italian sausage and shredded chicken. I relogged it because it was pretty different.
  • Th3Ph03n1x
    Th3Ph03n1x Posts: 275 Member
    Options
    Ellaskat wrote: »
    kruggeri, i come here for the community, as well as the tracking of my exercise, which syncs with the fitness app i use. I find it useful and know not everyone counts calories. i was curious what those who don't count caloreis do instead to have a healthy diet. Why is that such a controversial question? I'm surprised by the snarky tone in some of these posts. Just looking for others who know more than me and could offer ideas. Count away, if that works for you - it just isn't what i want for me.

    I actually tried to do it without counting calories. Just to make more healthy choices and eat less. Apparently I am not aware enough because I was gaining weight so for me... at least until I become more aware the counting is necessary. I also try to stay close to MFP's calorie recommendation for calories even though other calculators recommend more calories for me. I do that mainly in case I under calculate my calorie intake.

Categories