Do you trust the MFP food database
1mumrevolution
Posts: 269 Member
Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
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no0
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Verified entries can still be wrong. Compare the one you come across to the nutrition label or USDA's information. For homemade items, the recipe builder is going to be a much better option.0
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let me clarify
I don't trust the verified entries any more than the non-verified entries - because it's an automatic verification and some of them are totally screwy
I trust my own favourites / frequents as I have double checked against other sources
I will never use other's recipes / meals - there is no way they would offer similar counts as my own - always build my own
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1mumrevolution wrote: »Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
Not sure why anybody would let end users create global data, never works well.
Knowing that; h*ll no, I don't trust the data. I tend to use USDA data as it's easy to modify servings. I'll exclusively use it now.0 -
No, I crosscheck with labels (if I have it), USDA, or the food manufacturer or restaurant website. Many entries are also out of date where the product has been reformulated or whatever. Also a Big Mac, for example, in America has different nutrition than Big Macs elsewhere (even other English-speaking countries).0
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Global data created by users means that a company didn't have to pay anyone to input that data. Free trumps accuracy, especially when many users aren't mathy enough to realize when data doesn't seem accurate.markrgeary1 wrote: »
Not sure why anybody would let end users create global data, never works well.1mumrevolution wrote: »Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
Knowing that; h*ll no, I don't trust the data. I tend to use USDA data as it's easy to modify servings. I'll exclusively use it now.0 -
Trust, but verify.0
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when i logged, i compared the database entries to the nutritional labels of whatever it was i was selecting...i used the recipe builder to build my own recipes rather than using generic "chicken noodle soup" recipes (those are never going to be accurate because you have no idea what the individual who created it put in it) and I tag bulk items like veg, meat, poultry, etc with "USDA"
i trust the database in as much as i know how to verify what i'm selecting and understand that there are also a lot of erroneous entries in there as well.0 -
When in doubt, crowdsource the data. Go to Google and type "[name of food] calories." This will return the manufacturer info (if relevant), MFP, and four or five other calorie counting site's database entries.0
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »I go to the USDA website and get the exact wording for most of the items I eat. Their search function is better. MFP has all these items in it, you just have to know how to find them. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov In MFP, I can't just type in grilled chicken breast and expect to find a correct answer. If I type in Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, cooked, grilled...I will find the correct entry. Obviously I have no possible way to know how to find that entry unless I use the USDA database first. Once I have the right one, it's easy because it stays in my recent list. I do this with pretty much everything...peanut butter, milk, meats, vegetables.....
For packaged food items, I generally have the label to double check. For restaurants, I look online first. Once I know what calories I'm looking for, I can find an entry that matches pretty easily.
So...I guess the answer is yes and no. The proper entries are there 99% of the time. Finding them gets easier, but it's always a two step process for me when I'm looking for items I've never used before.
Yes, I trust the system entries, which stand out like the "Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, cooked, grilled" example. Or "onions, raw" with a plethora of measurement options.
I am able to find system entries for the vast amounts of foods I eat and can verify most user entries against the label. Since I so seldom rely on user entries that I can't verify, I'm ok with that level of possible inaccuracy.0 -
Global data created by users means that a company didn't have to pay anyone to input that data. Free trumps accuracy, especially when many users aren't mathy enough to realize when data doesn't seem accurate.markrgeary1 wrote: »
Not sure why anybody would let end users create global data, never works well.1mumrevolution wrote: »Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
Knowing that; h*ll no, I don't trust the data. I tend to use USDA data as it's easy to modify servings. I'll exclusively use it now.
Well each to their own. As a data cop in financial services, I can't say I agree with free > accurate.0 -
Free isn't better than accurate, free is cheaper than paying employees. That's why companies do it.markrgeary1 wrote: »
Well each to their own. As a data cop in financial services, I can't say I agree with free > accurate.
Global data created by users means that a company didn't have to pay anyone to input that data. Free trumps accuracy, especially when many users aren't mathy enough to realize when data doesn't seem accurate.markrgeary1 wrote: »
Not sure why anybody would let end users create global data, never works well.1mumrevolution wrote: »Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
Knowing that; h*ll no, I don't trust the data. I tend to use USDA data as it's easy to modify servings. I'll exclusively use it now.0 -
I generally trust it, but verify if something seems off. Besides, as good as you can be with measurements, nothing is 100% accurate.0
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I always check against the label, so no I don't really trust it, even verified ones as the product can change (or the entry was just wrong in the first place). After a while it isn't so annoying though, as you end up with a bank of products in your 'recent' list that you've checked.0
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Sure I trust the food database. What's not to trust about a "verified" entry for "Chinese Buffet - 1 Plate?"0
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Some are accurate and some aren't. Some are probably accurate for what they are (someone's homemade thing they shouldn't have made public), but aren't going to be applicable to me at all.
It's important to learn to identify the accurate entries and to double check things. Once you've done that you will have it in your own foods (for example, frequent or recent) or recognize it and it gets to be easy.0 -
I trust that there are accurate entries in the database for the majority of foods I commonly eat.
It falls to me to be responsible for making sure I use the correct entries.0 -
Yeah I usually double check and I swear by the barcode scanner0
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The barcode scanner just pulls user-entered data from the MFP database so it's not a guarantee of accuracy. You still need to check the results against the nutritional info on the container.BeerdedBuddy wrote: »Yeah I usually double check and I swear by the barcode scanner0 -
No. I find entries that match the package or the USDA.0
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Nope, I match entries with a couple sources and keep everything organized for the future so I know exactly what I am entering into my diary.0
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When having accurate entries is life and death for me (I base how much insulin I inject on how many carbs I consume), I can't fully trust the MFP database. I verify everything with the food's nutrition facts label (if it is packaged), the USDA database (if it doesn't have a nutrition label), restaurant's posted nutrition (when eating out), or my CalorieKing book (when all else fails). I also create my own recipes when applicable.0
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well no one is perfect0
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Interesting guys, thanks for the input. I'm in Ireland and no idea what the USDA is though?0
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1mumrevolution wrote: »Interesting guys, thanks for the input. I'm in Ireland and no idea what the USDA is though?
It's the United States Department of Agriculture. Although they have some significant faults, they are a good source for how many calories are in specific foods.0 -
Nope. Already learned my lesson. Was eating 420 calories of a verified entry when I thought it was 205. Made a difference because I was eating it every day. Sometimes twice.
I have been scanning my foods as I put groceries away. I don't think it saves time but makes it easier for me.0 -
susan100df wrote: »Nope. Already learned my lesson. Was eating 420 calories of a verified entry when I thought it was 205. Made a difference because I was eating it every day. Sometimes twice.
I have been scanning my foods as I put groceries away. I don't think it saves time but makes it easier for me.
The barcode scanner just pulls user-entered data from the MFP database so it's not a guarantee of accuracy. You still need to check the results against the nutritional info on the container.BeerdedBuddy wrote: »Yeah I usually double check and I swear by the barcode scanner
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susan100df wrote: »Nope. Already learned my lesson. Was eating 420 calories of a verified entry when I thought it was 205. Made a difference because I was eating it every day. Sometimes twice.
I have been scanning my foods as I put groceries away. I don't think it saves time but makes it easier for me.
The barcode scanner just pulls user-entered data from the MFP database so it's not a guarantee of accuracy. You still need to check the results against the nutritional info on the container.BeerdedBuddy wrote: »Yeah I usually double check and I swear by the barcode scanner
Ugh! !! Didn't know that. Glad the past week was basic for me. Most of my entries I verified a while ago.
Bad bad bad MFP. I am not a programmer but it seems like it wouldn't be too hard to verify entries for us.
Thank you for telling me!!0 -
Just the other day a friend was complaining that they found a verified item that was very far off. It was a teaspoon of maple syrup for over 1,700 calories. I don't trust the scanner either and I have found several items that have been incorrect. I go by the rule of thumb to double check everything the first time I enter it.
It doesn't surprise me when items are incorrect, but it does kind of surprise me when people log items that are way off and don't think twice about questioning it.0 -
markrgeary1 wrote: »1mumrevolution wrote: »Am curious whether people trust it or not. I know a lot of them are user inputs so just wondering what the consensus is on how accurate they are. For me, I look for the verified entries or create my own entries and use labels as a guide. What do you guys think/do?
Not sure why anybody would let end users create global data, never works well.
Knowing that; h*ll no, I don't trust the data. I tend to use USDA data as it's easy to modify servings. I'll exclusively use it now.
Crowd-sourcing! Efficient and cheap, but not necessarily accurate. And my students wonder why Wikipedia is such a sketchy source.
Anyway, even for eating out, I choose USDA options whenever possible to get as close as possible and build meals each component at a time rather than entering "hamburger."0
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