Database
cathy_nichols
Posts: 1 Member
Is the database correct? Does 1 tsp of chia seeds really have 32 mg of calcium? Six whole almonds have 19 g of calcium and 1/4 cup of celery has 19 g of calcium? Those numbers seem very high.
0
Replies
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The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.3 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.
Best bet for finding USDA entries created by initial staff database load:
* Crazy bureaucratic-jargon name (like "Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average" or "Beans, black, mature seeds, boiled, with salt")
* Default quatity in cups, even for foods for which cups is crazy, plus quantities in the drop-down that are a mix of volume, weight and sometimes size measures. Use the drop down to get grams or something sensible.)
* Green check, *in addition* to the above (usually).
Things with "USDA" in the title are not intial load items from USDA, but may (MAY) indicate a user entry by someone who cared enough to go to USDA to check.
Almost all the initial load entries have some individual quantity selections whose calorie level is F-ed up. You'll know them when you see the 1000 calorie garlic. 🙄 Just use some other quantity on that database item, most of the other quantities are fine. The bad ones are *immediately* obvious.2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.
Best bet for finding USDA entries created by initial staff database load:
* Crazy bureaucratic-jargon name (like "Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average" or "Beans, black, mature seeds, boiled, with salt")
* Default quatity in cups, even for foods for which cups is crazy, plus quantities in the drop-down that are a mix of volume, weight and sometimes size measures. Use the drop down to get grams or something sensible.)
* Green check, *in addition* to the above (usually).
Things with "USDA" in the title are not intial load items from USDA, but may (MAY) indicate a user entry by someone who cared enough to go to USDA to check.
Almost all the initial load entries have some individual quantity selections whose calorie level is F-ed up. You'll know them when you see the 1000 calorie garlic. 🙄 Just use some other quantity on that database item, most of the other quantities are fine. The bad ones are *immediately* obvious.
Huh, did not know this!
It's really a shame that there's no check box or something to select only initial load entries. Or, y'know, that handy asterisk they used to have beside user-created entries...Maybe the new owners will care enough to do something about it.1 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.
Best bet for finding USDA entries created by initial staff database load:
* Crazy bureaucratic-jargon name (like "Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average" or "Beans, black, mature seeds, boiled, with salt")
* Default quatity in cups, even for foods for which cups is crazy, plus quantities in the drop-down that are a mix of volume, weight and sometimes size measures. Use the drop down to get grams or something sensible.)
* Green check, *in addition* to the above (usually).
Things with "USDA" in the title are not intial load items from USDA, but may (MAY) indicate a user entry by someone who cared enough to go to USDA to check.
Almost all the initial load entries have some individual quantity selections whose calorie level is F-ed up. You'll know them when you see the 1000 calorie garlic. 🙄 Just use some other quantity on that database item, most of the other quantities are fine. The bad ones are *immediately* obvious.
Huh, did not know this!
It's really a shame that there's no check box or something to select only initial load entries. Or, y'know, that handy asterisk they used to have beside user-created entries...Maybe the new owners will care enough to do something about it.
Listing stuff on search in most to least important is usually a good start, like (improvising, spur of moment, but how I'd really do it) "beans green raw fresh". Then click the selection for green-checked (on phone app), look for stupid initial quantity in cups, even for stuff like green beans and eggs!
MFP stupid human tricks!1 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.
Best bet for finding USDA entries created by initial staff database load:
* Crazy bureaucratic-jargon name (like "Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average" or "Beans, black, mature seeds, boiled, with salt")
* Default quatity in cups, even for foods for which cups is crazy, plus quantities in the drop-down that are a mix of volume, weight and sometimes size measures. Use the drop down to get grams or something sensible.)
* Green check, *in addition* to the above (usually).
Things with "USDA" in the title are not intial load items from USDA, but may (MAY) indicate a user entry by someone who cared enough to go to USDA to check.
Almost all the initial load entries have some individual quantity selections whose calorie level is F-ed up. You'll know them when you see the 1000 calorie garlic. 🙄 Just use some other quantity on that database item, most of the other quantities are fine. The bad ones are *immediately* obvious.
Huh, did not know this!
It's really a shame that there's no check box or something to select only initial load entries. Or, y'know, that handy asterisk they used to have beside user-created entries...Maybe the new owners will care enough to do something about it.
Listing stuff on search in most to least important is usually a good start, like (improvising, spur of moment, but how I'd really do it) "beans green raw fresh". Then click the selection for green-checked (on phone app), look for stupid initial quantity in cups, even for stuff like green beans and eggs!
MFP stupid human tricks!
Or if you plan to compare the MFP entry to the USDA database entry anyway to make sure it's correct, do the USDA search first and copy the text string into the MFP search field.2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »The database is mostly user entered, so no, a lot of entries aren't correct. When you searched for those things, you were no doubt given multiple options. The 'safe' options for whole foods are the USDA numbers input by staff, unfortunately there's no longer an easy way to recognise these.
However, calcium is listed as a percentage of RDA, not as mg. That 19 for celery, for example, is way too high though (looking at the entry I created myself from the New Zealand Food Tables). It's too high even for someone to have entered mg instead of % (1/4 cup has around 10mg of calcium).
Generally, using a search term like 'celery, raw' and looking for entries that give the amount in grams will yield more reliable results, but it's still best to check against another source such as the USDA website (which has unfortunately become more cumbersome to use). And for packaged foods, always check your package against the database entry.
Basically, the database is a mess, and the onus is on the user to check that the entries they are using are valid.
Oh, chia seeds really do have 32mg of calcium per 5g (1 tsp) though. But that's only ~3% of RDA.
Best bet for finding USDA entries created by initial staff database load:
* Crazy bureaucratic-jargon name (like "Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average" or "Beans, black, mature seeds, boiled, with salt")
* Default quatity in cups, even for foods for which cups is crazy, plus quantities in the drop-down that are a mix of volume, weight and sometimes size measures. Use the drop down to get grams or something sensible.)
* Green check, *in addition* to the above (usually).
Things with "USDA" in the title are not intial load items from USDA, but may (MAY) indicate a user entry by someone who cared enough to go to USDA to check.
Almost all the initial load entries have some individual quantity selections whose calorie level is F-ed up. You'll know them when you see the 1000 calorie garlic. 🙄 Just use some other quantity on that database item, most of the other quantities are fine. The bad ones are *immediately* obvious.
Huh, did not know this!
It's really a shame that there's no check box or something to select only initial load entries. Or, y'know, that handy asterisk they used to have beside user-created entries...Maybe the new owners will care enough to do something about it.
Listing stuff on search in most to least important is usually a good start, like (improvising, spur of moment, but how I'd really do it) "beans green raw fresh". Then click the selection for green-checked (on phone app), look for stupid initial quantity in cups, even for stuff like green beans and eggs!
MFP stupid human tricks!
Yeah, I do the 'beans green raw fresh' thing. Though I've taken to just making my own entries using NZ Food Tables info now.1
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