IHOP Calories Accuracy: MFP vs IHOP Website

neldabg

Sooo. I'm getting free Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity® Pancakes from IHOP tomorrow! I want to prelog my choice. I looked on the IHOP website, and the pancakes come in at just under 600 calories WITH the choice of fruit included. A great amount for breakfast. However, on the MFP app, out of curiosity, I typed in "Ihop" to see what was listed there, and it has 900 calories listed. I thought maybe it included an estimate of syrup or was an entry for a combo meal with the pancakes, but the entry is just for the pancakes.
I don't want to overestimate or underestimate by 300 calories.... MFP's database is not error-free, so I'm thinking to input Ihop's information from their website and adding a 20% buffer. Is that a solid plan to go by? Also, any additional ideas why the discrepancy exists?

cwolfman13

Most of the entries in MFP's database are user entered...users enter things incorrectly all the time...use the nutritional information from the restaurant. I've never bothered with any kind of buffer either...none of this is exact, it just has to be good enough.

CooCooPuff

I don't see cinnamon apple on IHOP's nutrition info. Honestly, unless something is out of the ordinary, I usually just stick to what the website says. Even different apples have different calorie counts.

neldabg

CooCooPuff wrote: »

I don't see cinnamon apple on IHOP's nutrition info. Honestly, unless something is out of the ordinary, I usually just stick to what the website says. Even different apples have different calorie counts.

My mistake! I took a picture of the wrong item, but it was the exact same title and calorie count for the entry, but with the strawberry topping on the Ihop website.
True. Thanks for your response!

neldabg

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Most of the entries in MFP's database are user entered...users enter things incorrectly all the time...use the nutritional information from the restaurant. I've never bothered with any kind of buffer either...none of this is exact, it just has to be good enough.

Yes. I am indeed aware that the entries are mostly entered by users, which is why I doube check everything, but I was surprised because the link I clicked on from the app seemed "official," like one of the entries with the green check mark that are from the USDA or are confirmed by many users. I know that even THOSE entries need to be cross checked, but in my experience, they're never too terribly far off.
Yeah. I do have mixed feelings about adding a buffer myself, but I read online about Ihop adding pancake mix to their eggs without clearly notifying customers and about how restaurants are quite liberal with butters, sauces, etc., so I was thinking that it's better to be safe than sorry.
Then again, from what I've read of your posts here on MFP, you seem to understand maintenance and balance with CICO quite well, so I won't take your advice with a grain of salt.
Thank you for your response!

macgurlnet

For what it's worth, I always go by what a website says - or what a package says - rather than what's reported in MFP. Companies often tweak recipes, resulting in a different calorie count.

The current info will nearly always be on their website. Whether it's on MFP is a bit hit & miss.

With the numbers being so off, I'd probably create an entry to use for this.

Enjoy your breakfast!! I love iHop.

~Lyssa

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PaulaWallaDingDong

The checkmark system is garbage. Unless you have no other choice, always use info directly from the source.

lemurcat12

Green checkmarks aren't reliable at all.

On the IHOP site vs. the user-entered one, remember that restaurant items can be different country to country (when I log Pret a Manger I have to make sure it is the US site and even then I check against the information at my branch) and that they also change over time. Beats me how international IHOP actually is, but you don't know where the person who entered it is. Also, the website for the restaurant should be more up-to-date than whatever is in MFP. (And whatever is in MFP would have originally come from the restaurant so cannot be more accurate.) You also don't know if the entry includes personal modifications for ingredients substituted or not added or added.

rileysowner

The other thing to remember is that often companies change how they make products that can have significant effects on calories. One company that made a snack I liked to eat changed its recipe and the calories went up by 70. It doesn't sound like much except it was a 120 calorie snack before so that is a 58% increase. Yes, I verified the numbers when I first started eating them. Then one time we purchase some more and I looked at the nutrition information on the package and thought, "That's not right." All because of a change by the manufacturer. IHOP could very well have changed their recipe. I would go with the IHOP website personally.