The Importance of Verifying Database Entries

goal06082021

stv1520 wrote: »

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

You will often hear us say to check the accuracy of your database selections when logging your food. Being a mostly user generated database ... inaccuracies are more common than not. Whether by user entry error or simply old entries that are simply no longer accurate due to manufacturing recipe changes.

A perfect example of a HORRIBLY inaccurate (almost comical, really) entry happened to me just now. Blueberries. Pretty simple, right? You would think. I eat them all the time. Have entered them for years without issue. I recently renamed all my diary food 'sections' and added sections and now things are all out of whack and I find myself having to 're-find' things in the database all the time. not a big deal.

Until I came to blueberries.

I filled my little bowl with 88 grams of little berries. went to sit down and eat them and log them.




305 calories! The DUCK they are!

ohhhhh MFP....

Find another entry that looks more accurate, compare it against the USDA database, all is good. okay.

Now, if I was new to logging, or simply didn't eat blueberries often, I might never eat them again, thinking that was correct. OR, even worse, continue to eat them (or if it was another item that is eaten regularly and perhaps a key part of your regular diet) and create a larger deficit which could eventually cause health issues. Under eating is bad, y'all....

This is why it is so important to learn how to log accurately, learn how to find accurate database entries, learn how to spot entries that dont look quite 'right', and learn how to VERIFY those entries.

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html


There used to be a crazy ridiculous entry for garlic, too, if I remember right. Haven't seen any mention of that one in some time. Wonder if it finally got removed from the database LOL

I think I may be an imbecile, BUT- Where are the calories listed under the USDA link you posted?? I see everything except that!

Search a food, click the SR Legacy tab on the search results page, pick from the list that appears. Left side of the page, second and third lines in the table. The label is "Energy," it's listed in kcal (second line) and kJ (third line).

callsitlikeiseeit

goal06082021 wrote: »

stv1520 wrote: »

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

You will often hear us say to check the accuracy of your database selections when logging your food. Being a mostly user generated database ... inaccuracies are more common than not. Whether by user entry error or simply old entries that are simply no longer accurate due to manufacturing recipe changes.

A perfect example of a HORRIBLY inaccurate (almost comical, really) entry happened to me just now. Blueberries. Pretty simple, right? You would think. I eat them all the time. Have entered them for years without issue. I recently renamed all my diary food 'sections' and added sections and now things are all out of whack and I find myself having to 're-find' things in the database all the time. not a big deal.

Until I came to blueberries.

I filled my little bowl with 88 grams of little berries. went to sit down and eat them and log them.




305 calories! The DUCK they are!

ohhhhh MFP....

Find another entry that looks more accurate, compare it against the USDA database, all is good. okay.

Now, if I was new to logging, or simply didn't eat blueberries often, I might never eat them again, thinking that was correct. OR, even worse, continue to eat them (or if it was another item that is eaten regularly and perhaps a key part of your regular diet) and create a larger deficit which could eventually cause health issues. Under eating is bad, y'all....

This is why it is so important to learn how to log accurately, learn how to find accurate database entries, learn how to spot entries that dont look quite 'right', and learn how to VERIFY those entries.

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html


There used to be a crazy ridiculous entry for garlic, too, if I remember right. Haven't seen any mention of that one in some time. Wonder if it finally got removed from the database LOL

I think I may be an imbecile, BUT- Where are the calories listed under the USDA link you posted?? I see everything except that!

Search a food, click the SR Legacy tab on the search results page, pick from the list that appears. Left side of the page, second and third lines in the table. The label is "Energy," it's listed in kcal (second line) and kJ (third line).

maybe I misunderstood the question LMAO I thought he meant how to search for the foods (insert a headpalm emoji ) lol

goal06082021

It took me a minute the first time I used it, too - you're looking for the word "calories" and that's not how the database lists that information.

LeeH31

@lkpducky 1 ml is equal to 1 g

ccrdragon

LeeH31 wrote: »

@lkpducky 1 ml is equal to 1 g

Only for water and liquids that have the same specific gravity as water. 1 ml of lots of liquids weighs more than 1 gram.

PAV8888

Or 1ml could weigh less than 1g for items high in fat. This gets particularly interesting in Canada where ice cream is listed in ml and 1ml of ice cream definitely weighs way less than 1g.

And by the way the scales that list milliliters.... are lying! They have no way to measure volume. They are just assuming that 1 ml is 1 g and displaying it as such.

LeeH31

I stand corrected! Thank you for reminding me that 1 ml of water definitely weighs more than 1 ml of say Oatmeal!