Can you add Caloric Density as a category for tracking and categorizing foods in the diary?

kmed1302

This might be a shot in the dark... It's nice that we have so many options to categorize our food tracking (macros, straight calories, heart healthy, or low carb) but I'm wondering if there is anything in the works to add caloric density to that list.

Although calorie density may be less well known than other weight management concepts like calorie counting, choosing foods based on this measure may be simpler and more effective by choosing foods with a low calorie density over a high caloric density. It makes you automatically eat fewer calories while still eating large and filling portion, but not necessarily cutting out or reducing carb intake.

I find that the low carb/macro categories don't account for eating whole grains, legumes, or whole grain pastas which are still healthy and keep you fuller longer. This method still leads you away from over indulging in high caloric density or processed foods, but doesn't cut them out. I find it to be more intuitive than macros and less restrictive than low carb.

I think MFP has the easiest UI and food tracking out there and always come back to it - However I just don't find my tracking categories matching my needs, so am tracking them in another app which has me double entering info and is a pain to jump back and forth.

My vision for this caloric density option would be very similar to the macro category UI set up... but categorize by low, med, high caloric density foods. You would be able to adjust the percentages based off your calorie goal (just like macros), but they would also have a generic setting (just like the macros). So overall I think it should be a pretty easy integration as long as you could build a caloric density tag onto your food library and categorize foods as low, med, or high.

Alatariel75

I guess the first question is - where would MFP get that information to include it as a metric?

COGypsy

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I guess the first question is - where would MFP get that information to include it as a metric?

That was my thought. Who is in charge of deciding what is high density and what is low? Where is that data sourced from? Never mind how do you even get people to enter it in the food entry

kmed1302

Actually MFP already has the info within the food tracking library. Caloric density is calculated by calories per serving / grams per serving. All of that info is readily available with most tracked food options to choose from. I add my food by weight, serving size, or by quantity and it tells me how many calories it will track for my daily total.

MFP would need to determine how logging foods by caloric density funnels into low, medium, and high CD food categories. There are already many charts depicting how solids, soups, and liquids categorize according to their CD.

donna5000

Hi New to this program could you tell me what MFP stands for .
Thanks

Lietchi

MFP = My Fitness Pal

DanEGurl

I would love this too! Noom is big on using caloric density to make it easier to make better choices.