inaccurate food label?

metulchik
metulchik Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just scanned a can of primo lentil soup and it came up as 150 calories per cup, but the label says its only 60 calories per cup. Now that I think about it, 60 calories does seem low, but its very disappointing news as this was a go-to of mine for a filling low cal meal :(

Replies

  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Are you sure they both say per cup? Assuming the serving size if the same on both entries I'd assume the mfp entry is messed up. It happens sometimes. I bought some locally made bread (because sometimes I'm a snobby hippy) and scanned it. Got 60 calories for 2 slices which seems very unlikely to me.
  • metulchik
    metulchik Posts: 59 Member
    yes, they both say per cup. The MFP one (250 calories per cup) seems more accurate to me than the cans label (60 calories per cup) to me, but I don't know for sure which one to go by now. Thats a pretty big difference, so it kinda matters which one I log into my diary.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    yes, they both say per cup. The MFP one (250 calories per cup) seems more accurate to me than the cans label (60 calories per cup) to me, but I don't know for sure which one to go by now. Thats a pretty big difference, so it kinda matters which one I log into my diary.

    I would trust the label. There are laws about being *that* far off when it comes to labeling.
  • just_jess7
    just_jess7 Posts: 271 Member
    The only thing I can think of is maybe look online and see if the brand has their nutritional info available through their website, so that you can cross reference that with the information on the can and see what is accurate? I agree, with an almost 200 calorie difference it's important to know which is accurate!

    I hope you're able to find the information you need :-)
  • eylia
    eylia Posts: 200 Member
    Also check if the tin has instructions for diluting the soup? Some soups only offer 'prepared' nutrition on the label, which might be adding water or even skim milk...
  • brettball
    brettball Posts: 3 Member
    A quick google search led me to the following.

    "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 1-cup serving of lentil soup contains 191 calories. Carbohydrates contribute around 106 calories, while fats deliver 45 calories and proteins provide 40 calories per serving." (livestrong.com http://www.livestrong.com/article/307842-how-many-calories-in-lentil-soup/)

    So I'm guessing the higher amount is more likely. Unless it's a very watery soup then I could see it being around 60.

    I'm finding you've got to be careful when dealing with nutritional info. Sometimes the information is innaccurate or conflicting.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    Here is the USDA nutrient database listing for cooked lentils: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4791?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=lentils . It says 1 cup of lentils has 230 calories.

    That is just lentils...not soup. So, about how much of the soup you are eating is lentils, and how much is liquid? If you want to experiment, you could spoon out most of the lentils or drain it over a bowl to separate the solids, and measure that way. Then look at the rest of the ingredients in the soup...is any kind of fat high on the list? If not, then most of the calories should be coming from the amount of lentils in the can.

    To me, 60 calories seems a bit low for a cup of lentil soup, but 191 also seems very high, unless the soup also has ham or a fair bit of fat for flavoring. But I only am familiar with the kind that I've made myself.

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