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Question about calculating calories in fruit:

Posts: 85 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
If the fruit has a peel, such as a banana or a clementine, do I weigh it before I peel it or after? How is the database figured? Since I don't eat the peel, I'd like not to include it in the weight.

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Replies

  • Posts: 6,666 Member
    If I'm eat just the banana I weigh it with the peel, eat the banana and then re-weigh the peel, subtract it from the first number. Otherwise I slice it up in a bowl and weigh that as I slice it.
  • Posts: 17,562 Member
    SallyinIL wrote: »
    If the fruit has a peel, such as a banana or a clementine, do I weigh it before I peel it or after? How is the database figured? Since I don't eat the peel, I'd like not to include it in the weight.

    So don't. Only weigh the portion you eat.
  • Posts: 16,049 Member
    I only weigh the part I eat.
  • Posts: 131 Member
    No peel on the banana. Can be a pain! (Sticky fingers, haha)
  • Posts: 818 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    If I'm eat just the banana I weigh it with the peel, eat the banana and then re-weigh the peel, subtract it from the first number. Otherwise I slice it up in a bowl and weigh that as I slice it.

    Wow that's complicated. Why not just weigh it once it's peeled far simpler
  • Posts: 17,562 Member
    isulo_kura wrote: »

    Wow that's complicated. Why not just weigh it once it's peeled far simpler

    She could be eating it out of the house and then weigh the peel when she returns
  • Posts: 19 Member
    That's missing the point, she wants to know how the MFP database calculates the calories. I must admit it has me stumped on plenty of foods. Anyone know???
  • Posts: 17 Member
    I don't log the peel :)
    And personally if it's a fruit with a core (apple, pear) then I subtract 5 grams to account for the core ;D
  • Posts: 178 Member
    veevee1950 wrote: »
    That's missing the point, she wants to know how the MFP database calculates the calories. I must admit it has me stumped on plenty of foods. Anyone know???

    Agreed. I've often wondered this and just decided to use the 'with peel' assumption for the database calories. I'd rather overestimate, but it would be nice to know the answer to the question.
  • Posts: 8,171 Member
    veevee1950 wrote: »
    That's missing the point, she wants to know how the MFP database calculates the calories. I must admit it has me stumped on plenty of foods. Anyone know???

    It always calculates the edible part only, so no peels or cores.


    Tea_Lord wrote: »
    I don't log the peel :)
    And personally if it's a fruit with a core (apple, pear) then I subtract 5 grams to account for the core ;D

    Most of the time when I weigh an apple core it is closer to 20 g. Of course, you can't go wrong overestimating the weight of your food.

  • Posts: 258 Member
    edited April 2015
    SallyinIL wrote: »
    If the fruit has a peel, such as a banana or a clementine, do I weigh it before I peel it or after? How is the database figured? Since I don't eat the peel, I'd like not to include it in the weight.

    Various databases utilize values from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (which is also referred to in the abbreviated fashion USDA SR-#, with the # reflecting which release version was used).

    In that database, they explicitly state "Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion." -- but many databases don't explicitly state such, though most (if not all) would tend to involve the assumption of 'edible portion only' (though could/would include, for food items which could be eaten with or without a skin, rind, etc., having separate listings that explicitly state such (an example for a commonly eaten item which is sometimes eaten with the skin, and sometimes not, would be a potato -- and the database entries for such will tend to in some way indicate whether the entry is for "skinless", or "with skin", or "whole", etc.)).


    Edited to Add: when it comes to various fruits that have peels or rinds, and that have somewhat limited variation in size, the databases also tend to have a listing for such foods that involves a kind of small/medium/large/x-large set of options, and which have corresponding length or diameter -based specs (and sometimes 'ranges').

    The MFP database listings for bananas do include length specs corresponding to x-small/small/medium/large/x-large. Obviously, this wouldn't be as accurate as utilizing the weight of the edible portion, but for those who don't specifically weigh the edible part of a banana, it would allow for a ballpark number that is far better than 'pulling a number out of thin air'... ;)
  • Posts: 258 Member
    edited April 2015
    malibu927 wrote: »

    She could be eating it out of the house and then weigh the peel when she returns

    Eeeeeeeexcellent point... ;)

    I also wondered whether there might be a cross-contamination -based rationale, given that banana skins are not exactly 'clean'.
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