Anyone else shunning homemade food due to calorie confusion?

venus_blue

I know how you feel. Even though the recipe builder is available, it's extremely time-consuming to enter in a new recipe AND figure out how many servings it makes, the latter being even more difficult when it's some kind of one-pot dish or similar. It really constrains cooking and I find myself eating more prepackaged foods and making simpler recipes. But such is eating healthy.

For one-pot meals, weigh out what you "think" a serving should be, and eat it. Then portion out the remainder into other containers. You suddenly have your number of servings counted out easily...

I used to do this, then I hit on the idea to weigh all of my cooking pans and dishes, mixing bowls and so on and write down the weights for future reference. To save even more time and frustration, I recently I wrote the weights on the bottom of everything with a marker that is made for metal and glass. Weigh the pan/dish with the food in, subtract the weight of the dish and divide by the number of servings.

ShannonMpls

Opposite. Healthy eating to me means home-prepared meals whenever possible; in 1000+ days of MFP, I've never once logged a Lean Cuisine or frozen burrito. I have literally hundreds of recipes saved in my MFP recipe builder. I create new ones when I make something new, edit old ones when it's a repeat. It's slightly more time-consuming but it's not bad at all.

jacques57

Not to be redundant and say the same thing, but homemade is the way to go. Sure packaged foods are more convenient, but the cons of prefabricated foods outweigh the concenience. Homemade is the way to go, as most posters here have said. I would only add that as a busy dad with a full-time career and 4 children, I always had time to grow some vegetables in small raised beds. Eating your own produce (beet greens, snap peas, lettuce, pole beans, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, asparagus) is not only delicious and good for you, but immensely satisfying. Just like learning to cook for yourself! ANd the produce or results of your cooking can make great gifts to the neighbors as well.

Redheadllena

You can enter your recipes on MFP. Just make sure to measure and weigh (if possible, this is a better way than measuring!) the ingredients! You can still get the nutritional info this way, just takes a small bit of effort on your part. But you can eat so much more this way, and so much better imo

caroldavison332

according to EAT THIS NOT THAT, it costs TWICE THE MONEY AND CALORIES to eat out, and presumably purchase processed food. Also restaurants, and presumably manufacturers, add 27 ingredients to the same meatloaf that you would make at home with only 5 ingredients. I don't want artificial color, flavor, preservatives, etc so I make my own.

When I make my own I use healthier ingredients like oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs; replace half the spaghetti sauce meat with beans; and add a pound of kale to everything to make it healther. You can barely taste the kale.

Because I replace calorie rich meat with beans I know that my food is less caloric and more nutritious than anything listed, so if I want to save time and just use the same homemade butternut squash soup protein, fat and carb levels that are listed in MFP I feel free to do so.

Also, the longer I am on my fitness journey, and the more I learn the impact of malnutrition on my long term health, and facts like you have to run 3 miles to burn off a cookie, the less I want salt, sugar, fat, etc.

kiekie33

I actually cook more now that I've started my weight loss journey. I can have all the woods that I would have gotten at a take out place or restaurant with a lot les calories. I've gotten pretty adventurous with my cooking I love trying new recipes. I've been eating really well preparing things myself.

marianneread

For those questioning how to determine portions, I actually use the recipe builder to help me determine an appropriate portion. I put in the recipe and a reasonable guess at how many I think the recipe should serve. If the calories come out too high/low, I adjust the number until it's reasonably close to the number of calories I think are appropriate for that meal. So if I start with 4 servings and that's 600 calories per serving, which is more calories than I want to 'spend', I'd change it to 6 servings to get to 400 calories, which is more reasonable for me. Then I divide the completed food into six servings. If that isn't enough food I add some veggies on the side or use the bigger, higher calorie portion size for an occasional splurge.

auddii

Remember the FDA allows frozen diet meals (any meal or thing really) to be 20% off in calorie count. So that 300 calorie meal..could really be 360. You do that a few times a day..you could overshoot your calories for the day and never know. I often wonder if that is why so many on here have trouble losing.

So.. I find restaurant food and prepared foods what really throw most of our counts off.

Interesting, could you cite that anywhere?

From the FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/labelingnutrition/ucm063113.htm

MsKeelah919

I eat more home cooked food. I bought a nice inexpensive food scale and measuring cups and spoons and I weigh everything that I eat. It's time consuming, but my goals are worth it. Besides, the sodium content is so HIGH in prepared foods... And I like to know every ingredient that I am consuming.

seltzermint555

I agree with others...use the Recipe Builder! I didn't for months after joining MFP, but started using it later and love it now! If you're concerned about portion sizes measure and/or weigh them, too.

I thought maybe this was more about homemade food that others have made, so you are not sure WHAT is in it or how it's cooked...I do shy away from that SOMEWHAT but I don't think it is a serious issue unless you're eating with others several times per week and really have zero idea of how they cook, if they're using butter, lard, canola spray, etc...

nhradeuce

You are missing out jmsspr93! In general, homemade meals pack less calories per volume if you are using good foods. Basically, you get to eat more. For example, I can eat a small frozen beef and bean burrito for about 350 calories and a ton of sodium. Or, I can make one from fresh ingredients and eat the same 350 calories with WAY less sodium and a burrito that is about twice the size since I can pack it with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and other veggie goodies. And I still get beef, beans, and a little cheese.

mygrl4meee

Use the recipe builder. What I do with a lot of my homemade meals is that I weigh the whole recipe and if it weighs 30 oz then I say it feeds 30 people. So if I have 10 oz I record 10 servings. This gives me the luxury of being able to take leftovers and pack more or less based on my other meals.

susie3g

I make mostly all homemade meals. Use the recipe builder. It can take time to enter all the ingredients, but once it's in there, it's saved. The only thing I don't like about it, is you can't edit amounts. If you need to change something, you need to delete it, then re-enter it. Other then then that I love it,

Yes, you can edit the amounts in a recipe without having to delete it and re-enter it. I do it all the time. If you are using the computer, go to recipes, then click on whatever recipe you wanted to edit and edit it. If you are using the phone app, go to settings. Then, go to edit foods and exercises. Then edit recipes, and choose which one you want to edit. You can edit serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

sarainiowa

I think I cook more now.

ashenriver

I needed to know that I can make adjustments to my recipes, even if it is just on the app.
But why oh why can I not do that on the computer,

I hate using my phone,

I also recently found the multi-add on my phone and that option is not on my computer either.

Who to we talk to get that changed!!

For those saying to weigh the whole pot, my scale only goes up to 15 lbs, and my meals with pot are probably a lot more so that will not work for me.

lavender_fairie

My homemade, thin pizzas r way smaller and use no butter/oil, but recipe builder says each slice is at least 100 cals more than pan Pizza Hut pizza. That's why I don't get recipe builder- I'm math challenged and just can't figure that one out.

bethlaf

i too love the recipe builder,
esp since i never make the same exact recipe twice! ,
i weigh out each ingredient and then do 1 oz or 8 oz servings ,
and i can calculate nearly exact,

What i don't do as much anymore is dine in restaurants, there is no way of "Truly" counting calories there

spoiledpuppies

I make way more homemade food than ever using the recipe builder, or just sticking with simple things. For awhile, I relied on healthier frozen options paired with entire bags of steamed veggies for filler. This worked too.

I have avoided homemade foods that other people/restaurants make since I don't know the accurate calorie info.

toronto_j

Eating homemade food is what has made a huge difference in me losing weight, actually. I usually use the nutritional info in the recipe or the recipe builders. I feel much more in control when I've made what I eat.

AbsolutelyAnnie

Broken Record.....RECIPE BUILDER. Oh yes.

TIP: When using recipe builder you tell it how many servings the recipe will make. BUT it will NOT tell you what the serving size will be. So I always include that info in the recipe title. For example "Asian Chicken Coleslaw 24 One Cup Servings". The recipe builder will base the calorie/nutrient counts based on 24 servings because that is what I entered at the beginning. Then when I am adding food to my diary, I can add 1.5 servings and know that that is 1.5 cups of coleslaw. When I don't add that information in the title I have trouble remembering what I calculated as a serving size.

Do this. Ready made food is not nearly as healthy for you and will almost always be more expensive.

Good luck.

Pirate_chick

No, I prefer it. I create a recipe in MFP and follow it exactly each time I make it. I know what's in it.

susie3g

I needed to know that I can make adjustments to my recipes, even if it is just on the app.
But why oh why can I not do that on the computer,

I hate using my phone,

I also recently found the multi-add on my phone and that option is not on my computer either.

Who to we talk to get that changed!!

For those saying to weigh the whole pot, my scale only goes up to 15 lbs, and my meals with pot are probably a lot more so that will not work for me.

Yes, you can edit the amounts in a recipe without having to delete it and re-enter it. I do it all the time. If you are using the computer, go to recipes, then click on whatever recipe you wanted to edit and edit it. If you are using the phone app, go to settings. Then, go to edit foods and exercises. Then edit recipes, and choose which one you want to edit. You can edit serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

ashenriver

I needed to know that I can make adjustments to my recipes, even if it is just on the app.
But why oh why can I not do that on the computer,

I hate using my phone,

I also recently found the multi-add on my phone and that option is not on my computer either.

Who to we talk to get that changed!!

For those saying to weigh the whole pot, my scale only goes up to 15 lbs, and my meals with pot are probably a lot more so that will not work for me.

Yes, you can edit the amounts in a recipe without having to delete it and re-enter it. I do it all the time. If you are using the computer, go to recipes, then click on whatever recipe you wanted to edit and edit it. If you are using the phone app, go to settings. Then, go to edit foods and exercises. Then edit recipes, and choose which one you want to edit. You can edit serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

Just tried on the computer, I can go to the recipe and 'edit' but you can change the ingredients without deleting and adding new ones. I have recipes for salads, stir fries, and nachos and I do not use the same amount or same types of ingredients every time. The only things you can edit on the computer are deleting ingredients and changing the title or serving size which does not help me.

I will have to check what the phone app can do for me later since I have no cell reception at work.
I refute your comment about editing serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

mwynn210

I cook at home as much as I always have; which is a lot by typical standards. A digital kitchen scale (about $20) and the recipe builder on here make it pretty easy. It does take a bit of time to enter the recipes, but it's definitely worth it to me. Cooking gives me a lot more options for foods I enjoy and I can still hit my macros as well as calories.

Totally agree. A kitchen scale is the best thing, and preparing your own food is so much healthier and cheaper. I know it's a hassle to cook all the time, so I try to do most of my cooking on Sundays - I'll make a pot of soup and use the recipe builder to plot the calories. I eat lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which are super quick & easy to cook up, with a side salad or veggies & brown rice. There are so many ways to cook a healthy, diet-friendly meal, and you'll end up saving money in the long run. The best thing, for me,is that when I cook, I always know what's in my food - I never use preservatives, artificial colors or flavorings, and low amounts of sodium.

If you're stumped on what to cook, message me and I'll send you some recipes!

paulawatkins1974

Plus making it homemade leaves out many preservatives! Like homade coffee creamer versus store bought, i noticed a huge difference.

PLEASE tell me how to make homemade coffee creamer!! I am a coffee fiend and waste a lot of my calories on store creamers!

slk_5555

Home made all the way - I can adapt ingredients to get a larger portion & I know exactly what is in it. I just use the recipe builder. If a recipe comes in a bit high - I can plan ahead & either cut some calories out or split it into more portions.

Most pre packed ready meals i have tried are very small, not very filling & don't taste great.

Velum_cado

No, gross.

smn76237

I needed to know that I can make adjustments to my recipes, even if it is just on the app.
But why oh why can I not do that on the computer,

I hate using my phone,

I also recently found the multi-add on my phone and that option is not on my computer either.

Who to we talk to get that changed!!

For those saying to weigh the whole pot, my scale only goes up to 15 lbs, and my meals with pot are probably a lot more so that will not work for me.

Yes, you can edit the amounts in a recipe without having to delete it and re-enter it. I do it all the time. If you are using the computer, go to recipes, then click on whatever recipe you wanted to edit and edit it. If you are using the phone app, go to settings. Then, go to edit foods and exercises. Then edit recipes, and choose which one you want to edit. You can edit serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

Just tried on the computer, I can go to the recipe and 'edit' but you can change the ingredients without deleting and adding new ones. I have recipes for salads, stir fries, and nachos and I do not use the same amount or same types of ingredients every time. The only things you can edit on the computer are deleting ingredients and changing the title or serving size which does not help me.

I will have to check what the phone app can do for me later since I have no cell reception at work.
I refute your comment about editing serving size, amounts, ingredients, anything.

Yep, I have the same problem on the computer, I can't edit the amount of each ingredient in a recipe on the web version. But I just found the place for editing recipes in the app--and you CAN edit the amount of each ingredient! Happy day for me! I too have been deleting each ingredient and re-adding when I use different amounts. This will be a time saver!

monstergirl14

Ive found myself eating ready meals as I know exactly how many calories are in it, and when I have homemade food i am anxious about eating it as I cant tell how many calories are in it.

Ready meals are pumped full of chemicals, so the answer is no. I eat at home all of the time, and that's how I like it. I use references for foods I'm not entirely sure of, and it doesn't take long at all. I know how to cook healthy so it's a non-issue. I would buy a food scale because that will help immensely. Good luck

thatismesammyg

I would rather be fat than have to eat frozen meals. I love the recipe builder! That and creating a food to enter my juice has been a lifesaver for me.