MFP calorie counter

butterbean77
butterbean77 Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
Am I crazy or just missing something? I just started using the calorie counter and am new to MFP.
My frustration is each food I enter does not allow me to calculate calories unless I add a brand name.
Most ALL natural food does not have a brand name, fish meat ,fruit, buckwheat grains, etc. I could go on and on.
So it means I have to go to another site and get the calorie count then come back to MFP.
Too bad this app was not written properly. Am I missing something?

Replies

  • jenmom2myboys
    jenmom2myboys Posts: 311 Member
    I enter fruit and vegetables all the time with no brand name.
  • Donna36232399
    Donna36232399 Posts: 10 Member
    Hello, there are "generic" listings. Also, if there is a bar code on your produce/food items, there is a "scan" area for the bar code on the product that is a huge help, it will add calories, nutrition, fat, sugar, sodium, etc. very nice. Good Luck! :)
  • ElusivePete
    ElusivePete Posts: 50 Member
    Try searching for "generic [something]"; e.g. "generic apples", or "generic carrots", and so on.
  • emmaroid1981
    emmaroid1981 Posts: 45 Member
    I enter with no brand name it normally comes under generic
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Like someone else mentioned, if you are using the MFP app on a smartphone, just scan the bar code.
  • butterbean77
    butterbean77 Posts: 2 Member
    Donna thank you for your response. When I go to add foods to my daily count somewhere I can find generic foods?
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    If you're talking about the required fields when entering a food item, then do as others have suggested. Use a word like "generic" as the brand.

    pebkac error, it seems.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    Try entering "raw" before the item. I find a lot of fresh produce that way. Another way is to enter the grocery store where you bought it. I find Publix lettuce/baby carrots/ etc all the time for fresh produce.
  • mycupyourcake
    mycupyourcake Posts: 279 Member
    If you do use an item with an asterix by it double check the calories and macros. I have found a few to be wrong.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    put USDA after anything like that...i.e. broccoli usda or top round steak USDA, etc.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    No no no, fruits and vegetables, use the usda listing. Here, this link explains how to do it all:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Am I crazy or just missing something? I just started using the calorie counter and am new to MFP.
    My frustration is each food I enter does not allow me to calculate calories unless I add a brand name.
    Most ALL natural food does not have a brand name, fish meat ,fruit, buckwheat grains, etc. I could go on and on.
    So it means I have to go to another site and get the calorie count then come back to MFP.
    Too bad this app was not written properly. Am I missing something?

    You're definitely missing something.

    Enter the name of the food you're eating. For example, "apples." There will be hundreds of entries, most without a brand name. For best results, find the entry WITHOUT the asterisk next to it; these are USDA nutrition facts that are the most likely to be accurate (this won't help you on the mobile app, though, unfortunately, as the asterisks don't appear, but you can get a feel for what they look like and/or use your recent foods lists).

    Not every single food has such an entry. But, the vast majority of grocery food items do, particularly single-ingredient foods (which is what I think you mean by "ALL natural food"). For other pre-packaged foods, just look at the nutritional facts on the package and ensure the entry you select matches those facts. I think with a little bit of scrolling and getting used to knowing what you're looking for will help you a LOT and you'll find that this database is, while admittedly inaccurate in places, extremely comprehensive.

    *Edit to add - le sigh, lots of concise and wonderfully accurate comments while I was typing my post. That's what I get for being wordy. Carry on! :drinker:
  • culo97
    culo97 Posts: 256 Member
    Here's how to do what I think you are asking.

    Click on the Food tab, then Database. Look up your item, like "carrots, raw"

    Select your item below from the list on the left.

    On the right select your unit of measure in the drop down menu.

    Put a number in the serving size box, 6 for instance.

    See the numbers in the box on the lower right box update.

    Calories is the first item in the upper left of the box.

    Hope this helps.

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