Very stupid question

alienws1998

Okay I feel dumb, but I need to know so I can track things more accurately. When it comes to products that you add too (for example ceral, you add milk, canned soup you can add water or milk etc) are the nutritional facts just for the product plain? Or do they assume what I'm putting it? Does that make sense?

JenniferNoll

For the product plain.

patsyacs

most cereal boxes tell you both without the milk and with the milk (usually skim or low fat). For other products it is the plain product, you add the additional items separately. No one but you knows what ingredients you are adding to the can of soup or whatever.

ogtmama

Some products give both but usually plain.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

If it is given with and addition say like cereal and milk, it will usually specify and there are also usually two columns, one for the product as packaged and other for as prepared.

Branwynn

Calories & nutritional info listed are for the product in the container only.

With cereal, the milk calories wouldn't be added because there's no way of telling which kind of milk you'd use, fat free, 1%, 2%, whole... all differing caloric counts. For example, the rare times I eat cereal, it's dry out of the box without any kind of milk as I'm lactose intolerant. With soup, water would be zero calories... if you add milk or cream, then you'd add those calories separately. A can of veggies would list calories for the veggie only... some people add 1/2 stick of butter to it... that's additional calories.

Not a dumb q. It's good to clarify. And, btw, pay attention to servings per container... many assume 1 container of anything is 1 serving. Not true. A can of oil tuna lists xxx calories for 2-oz... but the container is 5.4-oz... slightly more than 2 servings. If you eat soups often, they're rarely 1 serving, but at least 2 depending upon can size. Those calories can sneak up on you, if you don't read the label. You're not the only one to be confused.

Good luck. Have a great weekend!

mnvicke

Some boxed items will show "plain" and "as prepared". The "prepared" values cover the values of anything it calls to add (such as milk, butter / oil, etc.). However, anything above and beyond what the instructions call for would need to be logged separately.

pebble4321

Noel_57 wrote: »

There are no stupid questions. Only stupid drivers. Yes, the milk calories are extra, and not included in the label information.

This depends on where you are and what product you are eating. Some items do include the extras, so you need to pay attention to your particular food item.

If the product information does not include a statement like "2 weetbix with milk" or "prepared as directed" or similar then you need to add the extras into your food diary.