Logging Spices

Rosylee1976

I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?

benol1

I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?

I use spices all the time. In fact it's a rare meal that doesn't have spices in theme. I don't bother logging spices because there are so few calories in them. I suggest you do the same.
All the best.
Ben

Hishtagat

I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.

Oh_Allie

I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?

I use spices all the time. In fact it's a rare meal that doesn't have spices in theme. I don't bother logging spices because there are so few calories in them. I suggest you do the same.
All the best.
Ben

^^ I disagree with this. If you're counting calories, spices don't seem like they amount to much, but they DO add up.

On the off chance that my scale doesn't register spices, I measure them with a teaspoon or tablespoon and just search the nutrition information for the spice online.

I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.

Although this sounds much easier than my method and I have no idea why I never thought of that!

Rosylee1976

I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.

Fantastic idea, thanks!!!!

SbetaK

The biggest reason to log spices would be for those who are tracking sodium. Many of my favorite spice blends contain salt, so I have started to experiment with nonsalt spice blends, single pure spices, and alternate ingredients like dried peppers and fruits to flavor my meals. The challenge is rewarding!

texerus

This is just my opinion, but spices are more on the very micro side of things. I add cayenne, habanero, and many other spices to everything from green beans to eggs, and if I had to take in account that few calories if would go crazy. In fact, when trying to figure out daily calorie account I just add about 10 percent overage to these types of things which is about 200-250 calories just to make sure.

Just as a matter of reason and fact, taking an exact calorie count off labels just for food alone and making an exact count on portions is very difficult for many.

astronomicals

logging spices is OCD.... hell, i dont even log a lot of vegetables (like lettuce and onion on my burger)....


food labels themselves are often up to 20% off higher or lower.... thats means that even if you log everything perfectly you could still be off by hundreds of calories... for example, a perfectly logged day of 2000 calories could be as little as 1600 and as much as 2400.

paying attention to such small things is pointless.... minutia doesn't get you sexypants yo

Hishtagat

If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.

MeanderingMammal

It strikes me that this is well into spurious accuracy territory to be honest. The only way this becomes meaningful is if energy expenditure throughout the day is very accurately understood.

melaniecheeks

I'm with the spurious accuracy camp. There's no way you can weigh every single thing you eat to that level of precision, and it's madness to try.

PunkyRachel

I cook with spices all the time, instead of using salt, to flavor my meals. I log everything, no calories or not, I do have to get on the computer and Google conversions all the time. Its a pain in the booty, but I still do it. Also if you are having that much problems finding what you use, you can just create a new entry for the spice.

agdyl

I only log spices if I use a significant amount, but the nice thing is that things like cinnamon have a good amount of fiber if you're adding a lot to your squash, etc. It can be several grams of fiber.

Of course, if you don't track fiber, who cares, but it's useful to me.

Skrib69

Calorie stats are just an estimation at best since the food is a natural product and will vary! You have all seen the warnings on tiles, wallpapers and paint to make sure you buy enough to get the same shade from the same batch - food is no different. THe OCD in me wants to log it as accurately as possible, but the reality is that a teaspoon of turmeric in 500g of beef isn't going to make much difference!

astronomicals

If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.

No.

jayrudq

Do not, can't imagine, would not, ever. I always round up and generously. Life is too short to log spices.

Alatariel75

I'm in the not logging camp. Very simply, there is such a level of variable in what we log and what the labels of food say it contains that the few cals either way in spices aren't going to make a difference, and I'm a "pinch of this, shake of that" spice user so I just cant be bothered.

I can honestly say - it hasn't been not logging my curry powder than's made me fat!

lynn_glenmont

I don't log spices (other than salt) for tracking calories or nutrients, but I do log them if I'm adding a recipe, so I'll know what I put in it if I want to make it again.

quiltlovinlisa

When I'm creating a new recipe, I add the spices to the recipe but a sprinkle or pinch in something quick for myself, I don't log.

Cyclingbonnie

I only log spices in recipes ... might be wrong, but it has worked for me so far.

MickeyCastello

Nope. It's just not worth it.

eylia

I tend to use teaspoon/tablespoon measurements, although to weigh the spice container before and after is a great idea. When cooking for one, I use my own judgement on logging; a sprinkle of cayenne is almost nothing, but spice mixes that include salt and other more complicated ingredients, I will pay more attention in accuracy. Otherwise, if I sprinkle one or two different things in, I might be lazy and account a quick add calorie buffer of '20' or so to cover it. In the end it's up to you how accurate you want to be, it isn't a make or break sort of thing, but there's nothing wrong with being strict if it makes you more comfortable.

benol1

These are the main spices I use and when divided into six or eight servings, they amount to diddly squat.


Ingredients Calories Carbs Fat Sat Fat Protein Sugar
Spices - Cumin, 3 tsp 24 3 1 0 1 0
Mccormick - Coriander, Ground, 3 tsp. 15 3 0 0 0 0
Spices - Paprika, 1 tbsp 20 4 1 0 1 1
Spices - Pepper, black, 1 tsp 5 1 0 0 0 0
Spices - Pepper, red or cayenne, 0.25 tsp 1 0 0 0 0 0

Ithina1

I almost never log spices. The effort involved in logging an 1/8 of a teaspoon of cinnamon probably burns more calories than the half a calorie the cinnamon contained. Same with salt. It has no calories. I may log garlic if I use a bunch of cloves because I can eat over 50 calories of garlic in a sitting, but that's it for spice logging.

I eyeball everything in the kitchen unless I'm baking. OCD weighing would drive me nuts. The only time I could conceive measuring things is if you really aren't making progress like you should be. Obviously you're tracking something wrong then and you need to figure out what it is so you can correct it.

Hishtagat

If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.

No.

The amount of spices I use while cooking can easily add up to 50-60 kcal out of my 200~ daily deficit. I'd say that very much warrants logging.

astronomicals

If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.

No.

The amount of spices I use while cooking can easily add up to 50-60 kcal out of my 200~ daily deficit. I'd say that very much warrants logging.

Id rather just consider it a constant variable and adjust my calorie goal down when necessary... do as you wish.... if you're really cutting "the last few" you'd probably benefit from looking into more advanced dieting methods like cycling, refeeds, diet breaks, IF, carb loads, etc....

ETA: You're also still ignoring that counting calories is not in any way exact. Food labels are inaccurate. I get the feeling you never read my first response in its entirety.

samammay

Unless you have a way to me pinpoint accurate with your daily expenditure, the 10-15 calories a day you get from spices is irrelevant.

lknjohnson

I don't think its that serious. If you put down you ate 4oz of chicken but only ate 3.75oz leave it at 4oz to add up for the spices. Thats what i do. Or if i eat 15 chips and and serving size is 20chips.(for example) I just leave it at 20chips. Because I'am sure those calories can go to something else I wasn't so tedious about logging such as spices or lettuce on a sandwich. I rather over estimate myself then to under. At the end of the day.... no one is ever 100% accurate on calories no matter how much you weight or count your food. Do what you can and don't stress the rest. Why would you want to make this feel like a chore. Thats just my opinion.

Hishtagat

Id rather just consider it a constant variable and adjust my calorie goal down when necessary... do as you wish.... if you're really cutting "the last few" you'd probably benefit from looking into more advanced dieting methods like cycling, refeeds, diet breaks, IF, carb loads, etc....

ETA: You're also still ignoring that counting calories is not in any way exact. Food labels are inaccurate. I get the feeling you never read my first response in its entirety.

I do employ some of those methods, to be sure, but I still find keeping an accurate log to be more than helpful.

I'm also fully aware that all the labels are estimates, but I don't see why that should prevent me from being accurate on my end. If anything, eliminating as many random factors as possible can only be a net positive in the long term.

All in all, I prefer to err on the side of precision, especially since I don't find it taxing in the slightest to do so. If someone finds it to be too much work, then by all means it's not going to make or break it for them if they are less precise. At least if the lack of tedious accuracy is kept to spices alone.

astronomicals

Well put Hishtagat... I couldn't have worded it better than that

melaniecheeks

Hishtagat, the OP said that it WAS tedious. Which is why we're all recommending that it can be ignored.

If you want to go for as accuate as you can, and you DON'T find it a chore, that's great. But it doesn't really help the OP. And it's not compulsory.