Angry! Your messing up the food database!!

toots99

agree i know little to none about nutritional value in foods. if i have a label and what i search doesnt compare i just quick add the calories. and if i have no clue how many calories, since there are so many that say the same thing but different calories i just click whichever says the most calories.... only because like i said im ignorant on what the truth is and id rather not over eat my calories.

But in doing that you're missing out on other important information such as sodium, sugar, proten, fiber...it's not only about calories.

tammy200678

ok everyone is going to hate me for this but i am new but smart enough to read a label so instead of saying it might be new people food does very depending on brand amount all different things that is probably why so take it for what u want but if u do not like the way it is put in put in yourself

toots99

The site administrator has entered all basic food items - and they are entered correctly, and with all the nutrients and varying measurement choices. For instance, I prefer to use grams instead of ounces, and I track Potassium. Most people are entering their foods with ounces or cups and no one enters Potassium.

I am the same weigh, I weigh (and enter in info) in grams. And It drives me crazy when people don't enter in ALL of the info. There's more than just calories, people!

velix

If I can't find an item with nutritional value that matches the label in front of me, I always add it as a new item with (Canada) in brackets. I have yet to click on an item that has said (Canada - or any variation) be wrong so far - so I really do think it's a combination of regional / portion ....

There are times when there are just so many entries for one item, I just add the item and not share it with the database so I know at least I have the write values without clogging up the database...

and just to reiterate what has been mentioned earlier - not all countries have the same nutritional elements on them (no potassium on Canadian labels...)

toots99

Ya'll do realize that food is entered into the system from all over the world, right?

The same food will have different nutrient counts in those different countries.

In addition....food companies change recipes from time to time...therefor the need for more new DB entries.

Get off your high horse and deal with it!

A little harsh. no?

TheMaidOfAstolat

Ya'll do realize that food is entered into the system from all over the world, right?

The same food will have different nutrient counts in those different countries.

In addition....food companies change recipes from time to time...therefor the need for more new DB entries.

Get off your high horse and deal with it!

A little harsh. no?

Maybe...but this is the umpteenth time I've responed to a thread like this. It just grates my nerves that people don't always think through the process that it's not just as simple as one entry being needed.

susiewusie

ok everyone is going to hate me for this but i am new but smart enough to read a label so instead of saying it might be new people food does very depending on brand amount all different things that is probably why so take it for what u want but if u do not like the way it is put in put in yourself

I dont hate you and most sensible people wont either I sit like you with the package then you KNOW that its right for the food you are eating

cat364

As much as I agree with you, if the food product is not in the database I shall continue to add it as per the details on the packet/jar etc. I am sure you will agree that I have the right to ensure that I am eating the correct amount of calories, however as it frustrates the pants out of me too, I also amend figures!!

MissTomGettingThin

Be careful though, I've noticed lots of food that's different in Canada than it is in the US...there should be some sort of management system...that's why I always confirm the entry if I find a good one.

Ditto for the UK
Portions are also different.
Sticks in one country with no weight added or sachet in another with grammes on them.
we either need everything in grams so you add the weight or we need country specific versions.

karenjoy

If I am using something for the first time I always keep the nutrition label, in the UK labels are strictly controlled and have amounts per 100g and also per pack/serving/slice etc. I get annoyed when I see that people have entered something wrongly, often it is a simple mistake, like entering the amount PER SERVING as the WHOLE amount, and I know that the law in the US allows manufacturers to not put calorie content on labels if it is below a certain amount per SERVING, hence a can of diet coke being TWO servings...seriously!! In the UK a can has 4 calories, because of this law in the US people on here are thinking that things have less calories/no calories when they do. I always look on the labels or go to the manufacturers UK site for my information.

Minnie_Moo

I agree with all of you........

I've changed many that were wrong and I had the item with nutritional info in front of me but I didn't know that when you correct it, it only shows in your list and not in the full database available to everyone.

Maybe there is a way that they can set up the database so that it adds the food searched only to each users database (my foods) and the actual foods in the database section will be only from the owners of the site for people to use but not change or edit in any way, avoiding incorrect information......

jackal75

I like the idea of everyone here putting a (US) , (Canada), or (UK) on all new foods and ones that they make corrections to.

I also think that we might want a [date] tag too, since we have established that some labels are likely to change occasionally.

Let's agree on a naming convention!! Let's make sure all the info is in the title! Don't put "Kroger Wheat Bread" when it should read "Kroger - 100% Whole Wheat Buttertop Bread (US) [Feb28,2011]" Also, when possible put in the per serving quantity and the per container quantity so that it appears in the dropdown!

With 5 pages of folks posting on this, we should be able to put a dent in this folks! :drinker:

Thomasm198

I like the idea of everyone here putting a (US) , (Canada), or (UK) on all new foods and ones that they make corrections to.

I also think that we might want a [date] tag too, since we have established that some labels are likely to change occasionally.

Let's agree on a naming convention!! Let's make sure all the info is in the title! Don't put "Kroger Wheat Bread" when it should read "Kroger - 100% Whole Wheat Buttertop Bread (US) [Feb28,2011]" Also, when possible put in the per serving quantity and the per container quantity so that it appears in the dropdown!

With 5 pages of folks posting on this, we should be able to put a dent in this folks! :drinker:

Excellent suggestion. I'm going to do this from now on.

kayemme

It wasn't directed at just you, FYI. But everyone responding to the thread needs to know that not all of the entries are 'wrong' because they are not what you have directly in front of you on your packaging. Items vary from region to region, state to state, country to country. It's simple.

yeah, this is really important and such a great thing to note! I will gladly add US to any product where I have a label.

But I am wondering if there's a way to list whole foods first. The problem I have is that I don't cook from boxes, so I need something like "milk" to list just regular milk (even 1%, 2% etc is fine for the first, say 5 entries) and not "milk chocolate" or "milk and cookies" just milk.

does that make sense?

petey49

I like Jackal75's suggestion.

Let's agree on a naming convention!! Let's make sure all the info is in the title! Don't put "Kroger Wheat Bread" when it should read "Kroger - 100% Whole Wheat Buttertop Bread (US) [Feb28,2011]" Also, when possible put in the per serving quantity and the per container quantity so that it appears in the dropdown!

I will do that from now on.

Thomasm198

But I am wondering if there's a way to list whole foods first. The problem I have is that I don't cook from boxes, so I need something like "milk" to list just regular milk (even 1%, 2% etc is fine for the first, say 5 entries) and not "milk chocolate" or "milk and cookies" just milk.

does that make sense?

Yes.

What I did however was I created a new food using the nutritional label from a carton of the milk that I always buy. That way it shows up in the "My Foods" tab but I can search for it by the brand name and the word milk. That always brings back just one match in the database.

sassyg

But I am wondering if there's a way to list whole foods first. The problem I have is that I don't cook from boxes, so I need something like "milk" to list just regular milk (even 1%, 2% etc is fine for the first, say 5 entries) and not "milk chocolate" or "milk and cookies" just milk.

does that make sense?

Not really an overall solutution, but I find that you get to know what to search for after a while.
I know to search straight away for "milk whole" for milk
"suagr granulated" for plain white sugar
and add "raw" to most veges, fruits and meats to quickly bring up what I want

i also know that the bread rolls I buy are listed under "woolsworth" rather than "woolworths", whoever entered them had a typo, but the info is right so I use it :laugh:

edryer123

I agree that that is completely frustrating! I usually will google something if I am not sure because there was no label. My biggest frustration is going to a restaurant that doesn't have nutrition info available for its customers. i don't care if you are not a franchise! I like knowing what you are putting in my food! woo... sorry didn't mean to go off there.

Nigel99

Have to echo that I agree with the complaints. I usually check the info by a food to make sure that the food I'm adding has the correct info. My biggest frustration comes with the occasional food items that mostly have correct information, but have 0 mg for sodium listed, when it actually has 300-400 mg. I need that sodium info to be correct, by golly!

jackal75

I agree that that is completely frustrating! I usually will google something if I am not sure because there was no label. My biggest frustration is going to a restaurant that doesn't have nutrition info available for its customers. i don't care if you are not a franchise! I like knowing what you are putting in my food! woo... sorry didn't mean to go off there.

No need to apologize! I rarely get to eat out, but I am seriously considering calling restaurants first and asking if they have nutritional info (or ingredient lists.) If they tell me no, then I would say that I'll be going elsewhere. See if I can kick some eateries to get with the program!

jackal75

Have to echo that I agree with the complaints. I usually check the info by a food to make sure that the food I'm adding has the correct info. My biggest frustration comes with the occasional food items that mostly have correct information, but have 0 mg for sodium listed, when it actually has 300-400 mg. I need that sodium info to be correct, by golly!

I'm not tracking sodium, although I probably should because I go over every day. My watch list is in the area of dietary fiber and cholesterol due to my last blood test. I'm not scary high requiring medication, but the doc told me I needed to reverse those numbers and get it under control now through diet.

However, calories are king in this journey. Doc said that my cholesterol would come down if I lost a bunch of weight, and I have. That said, I have still nearly quit eggs (gives sad panda eyes) and replaced my breakfast with oatmeal or multigrain cheerios. I am both nervous and impatient to see how much I can repair this by the time my annual appointment comes in August. I know I've lost 55 pounds since the last visit, but need the blood test to find out how I've done in the other areas.

RicLaPorte

Agreed! And... if you're going to add a food, then add everything -- not just the calorie count. Some of us are counting sodium intake or other categories as well. I am so sick of searching for a food to find that it has absolutely no other nutritional info but a calorie count... Why bother adding Costco Potato Salad if all you are going to list is 210 calories... why not just find another food like Bing Cherries or something and add enough those cherries to equal the 210 calories you're so worried about!!!

Solution = I end up creating all my own food by listing my first name as the manufacturer -- I look up the nutritional info from the national database and then add most of my own items such as garlic, onion, squash, celery, etc. Then I know when I add something to my daily food list I know I have the right counts for everything.

Jodi_O

I'm new...how am I suppose to know which information was added correctly to the food database? Am I suppose to confirm the information for every item?

MissingMinnesota

Please see this sticky post that is under the feedback section. It explains why people are making duplicate entries.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/235362-do-you-intentionally-create-duplicate-foods-if-so-why

lovelilavender

I agree, but at the same time I always re-check the nutritional information (before I make the recipe) anyways because I may have used different brands than they did.

Mads1997

Edited my comment because this is just an old thread been rehashed.

JennsRAQ

I know what you mean! I had some cake the other day and the person put carbs at 0 LOL!