User food entries

liwo81

Is there a way to filter out entries in the food database entered by other users? I’m finding so very many entries that have nutritional info that varies so widely and it’s time consuming to have to go figure out what’s correct. Almost ready to look at other apps. Suggestions welcome and thanks.

AnnPT77

The true USDA entries - the ones that were imported from USDA's database at MFP start-up - usually have multiple types of serving sizes in the serving size drop down (volume, weight, sometimes counts or measurements).

One way to find these is to go to the current US FoodData Central database (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/) and look in the "SR Legacy Foods". Use the name from there to search the MFP database. That will often bring up the real USDA entry. Usually there is nothing in the brand name field, and often the default quantity will be in cups (!). But the drop-down will usually have other options. Occasionally, one of the 1g or 100g options doesn't calculate correctly, but usually one of the other metric weight options is fine.

I get that you don't want to have to refer to some other app routinely. I found that I didn't need to do that long term, personally.

After a while, I got pretty good at guessing the USDA naming syntax (it's a thing only a bureaucrat could love!), and could find/recognize the real USDA entries from the names and the default quantity in most cases. Example syntax "Cucumber - with peel, raw", "Beans - black, cooked, boiled, with salt", "Chicken breast, raw, skinless". Most often, these jump out in a search list, or I can guess what search term to use to find them.

YMMV, though.

Best wishes!

zebasschick

i've found many - most, in my case - green check mark entries are wrong. of course, many other entries are also wrong, and some in odd or confusing ways.

i check each new entry against either the manufacturer info or USDA info to make sure the entry i choose is correct. after using once, i can usually find those entries in my food list.

Lietchi

Using the green checkmark filter cuts out many entries. But it isn't a guarantee: green check marks indicate a certain number of MFP user have validated the entry, but still could be wrong potentially (and some entries without a check-mark can be correct)

yirara

Almost everything in the database is user-entered. Some ideas: don't search for meals but for the separate cooking ingredients. Often, the addition of USDA to the search gives somewhat better results even though those are not direct imports from the USDA database. If you're no in the US and don't search in English, or look for British results then likely all results will be user-entered. It doesn't mean they're wrong, but a bit more vetting might be needed. The advantage of searching in another language is that you're more likely to get units in grams instead of servings, fluid oz or cups.

mtaratoot

In addition to what @AnnPT77 suggested, if you spend some time looking through the database the first time you log a food it will show up as a "recent" food next time you log it. It's an investment of time that can be a bit of a pain, but it will reward you later.

If you really can't find the right one, but you find one that's close and don't mind spending a tiny bit more time, you can tell the database that the entry is wrong. You'll then get to put in all the correct values, and it should then be available to you in your "My Foods." I had to do that with Dungeness Crab one time. I just couldn't find a good entry for a whole crab. It's about 50% meat when all is said and done. I got nutrition information from the Oregon Crab Commission and just made my own entry. It's crab season by the way. Good thing. I'm feeling crabby.