Food database question: Scrambled eggs

jmpurser
jmpurser Posts: 22 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new at this so if this is in the wrong forum please direct me to the correct one.

In the Food database "Eggs, Scrambled, Whole" has a whopping 171 mg of sodium PER EGG!!! The USDA database however says there are only 88 mg per eggs. Can anyone tell me where the other 83 mg come from?

Is there a way to correct the food database or do we just set up a similar item of our own?

Thanks,

John

P.S. After looking around just in scrambled eggs I see the numbers themselves appear to be scrambled. Do we have to compare every entry with the USDA figures to see which one is in the ball park? I must be doing something wrong.

Replies

  • phantomjam
    phantomjam Posts: 46 Member
    Traditionally, scrambled eggs are made with 2 Tablespoons of whole milk per egg. This contributes to the calories [edit: and sodium] but I haven't done the maths to see if it accounts for the entire difference.
  • jmpurser
    jmpurser Posts: 22 Member
    Hmmm. I wondered if they were just assuming that I added salt. I account for things like oil and salt separately. I've seen milk added but never considered it a standard.

    Really I think I'm going to have to compare EVERY food entry to the USDA database to see what's might be squirlly about it.

    John
  • JuliRamone
    JuliRamone Posts: 365 Member
    Why don't you just add everything you put in your meal? For example, if you make scrambled eggs and you only use 2 eggs, just log two eggs. If you add milk to your eggs, search the database for milk.
    That's the way I do it :)
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Why don't you just add everything you put in your meal? For example, if you make scrambled eggs and you only use 2 eggs, just log two eggs. If you add milk to your eggs, search the database for milk.
    That's the way I do it :)

    Me too.
  • iwantmydenimback
    iwantmydenimback Posts: 194 Member
    Why don't you just add everything you put in your meal? For example, if you make scrambled eggs and you only use 2 eggs, just log two eggs. If you add milk to your eggs, search the database for milk.
    That's the way I do it :)

    This is absolutely the simplest and most accurate method. I make eggs every morning but all I use are eggs and cheese. So I grab the USDA entry for 2 large raw eggs and I found an accurate entry for the brand of cheese I use and add half a serving of that. I don't personally count dried oregano or black pepper or things of that nature, unless it's a salt of some kind. Searching for "scrambled eggs" is going to give you as many nutrition facts as there are entries. Just add the components of your dish one by one and it'll save you a big headache. Good luck!
  • jmpurser
    jmpurser Posts: 22 Member
    That's just it Juli, I DID just add two eggs. And got 10% more calories and over 100% more sodium than the USDA database says are in the actual egg. I looked at a bunch of "scrambled eggs" entries in the food database and they're all over the place with no notation about adding salt, milk, or anything else. In theory they're all "the same" but in practice they're quite different.

    I assume I'm not the first person to notice this so I was checking to find out what I was doing wrong.

    I think I'll add "USDA" to all my food searches AND compare them to what google tells me the USDA figure is. It just seems like a lot of work to go thourough without fixing the data at the same time.

    John
  • MarisaShickel
    MarisaShickel Posts: 31 Member
    If you eat scrambled eggs a lot you can make a recipe for it. Just put all the ingredients you use into the recipe, title it Scrambled Eggs, and when you want to add it into your food diary you can just add the recipe rather than entering in every component. Just a little time saver! I've done this for oatmeal and smoothies because I eat them all the time. :)
  • jmpurser
    jmpurser Posts: 22 Member
    Marisa,

    If it turns out to be just one item that's fine. But right now I don't trust any food database entries until I check them. Fortunately I eat pretty basic foods or this would get out of hand very quickly.
  • MarisaShickel
    MarisaShickel Posts: 31 Member
    You make your own recipes though. So say you make your scrambled eggs with 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. milk, and 1 oz of cheese (not sure how you make your eggs, but this is an example).

    Click on the food tab, then recipes. This feature allows you to add your own recipes. Do your research on eggs, milk, and cheese and find an entries on MFP that you like for these ingredients. You can add these entries into a recipe. Title it Scrambled Eggs.

    Then each day when you have scrambled eggs you know you're using the entries that you feel are correct without having to search for them or add them in one by one. When you're adding food there's a recipes tab that will show you all your recipes and you can just select Scrambled Eggs.

    These aren't recipes from other users, these are your own recipes.

    Like I said I've done this with smoothies. I know what brand of milk and greek yogurt I use and I always use the same fruits. I've entered them all into a recipe and now I just have to select Smoothie. I don't have to search for each ingredient and enter them individually.

    Even if your scrambled eggs are just eggs, saving the entry you like under recipes can make your life easier. Just a thought!
  • evilpixiegrrr
    evilpixiegrrr Posts: 103
    Just a side note: Beware of the omelettes at IHOP! They put some of their pancake batter in the eggs to make them more fluffy.

    Not cool, IHOP, not cool!
  • changing4life
    changing4life Posts: 193 Member
    Why don't you just add everything you put in your meal? For example, if you make scrambled eggs and you only use 2 eggs, just log two eggs. If you add milk to your eggs, search the database for milk.
    That's the way I do it :)

    ^^^This. That way you are sure of the ingredients and add only the things you actually use.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,468 Member
    An * by a database entry (on the website -I don't see this on the app) is a user created food which may or may not be accurate. The ones without the * are the most accurste because they are posted by MFP.

    The good thing about a user generated database is inaccuracies (like Wikipedia). But the great thing is that the database is HUGE!
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I gave up on some of the database entries. When I make scrambled eggs - I created my own recipe in the recipe tab and added USDA eggs that I weighed after cracking. Then I can add other things like cheese, salt, etc to my meal as needed.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Why don't you just add everything you put in your meal? For example, if you make scrambled eggs and you only use 2 eggs, just log two eggs. If you add milk to your eggs, search the database for milk.
    That's the way I do it :)

    ^^^^This. You can save it as a recipe using the ingredients that YOU choose, then just quick add the recipe when you make scrambled eggs. That way, you know the count is accurate. :happy:

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