How accurate is the food tracker???

MIKEPORSCHE

Hi all, ive been using this app for a few weeks and found it great for keeping track of my food intake. Does anyone know just how accurate the foods listed are when it comes to the calorie count? Thanks in advance.

ElizabethHanrahan

It is as accurate as most trackers. As long as you use the usda listings and not someone's personal entry, you should be good to go.

kimny72

Most entries are user entered. You need to verify entries before you use them the first time. The good entries are in there, surrounded by bad entries. Pick the right entries, and it's about as accurate as you can get

kami3006

It's correct for some and off for others as it's user-generated. It's best to double check entries against food labels and, for whole foods, against the USDA database: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

Scanning labels pulls up user-entered data so that should also be double checked. Keep in mind that some upc labels do get outdated and recycled, sometimes food producers change their formulas and foods can vary by region/country. So, there will often be multiple entries for various products. Green checkmarks mean that multiple users have confirmed the data, but they can still be off for the reasons mentioned.

In summary, double check the first time you use an entry. Over time, it becomes easier and quicker to find correct entries.

kshama2001

Unfortunately, the "verified" green check marks in the MFP database are used for both user-created entries and system entries. To find system entries for whole foods, I get the syntax from the USDA database and plug that into MFP.

For packaged foods, I verify the label against what I find in MFP.

apullum

Sometimes entries are wrong. It’s worth double checking against the package, if available. Generic entries, like fresh produce, that come from the USDA database are generally accurate.

For prepared foods, there’s no way to know what recipe was used by the person entering it. If possible, use the recipe builder and enter your own recipe.