To track fruits & veggies or not to track fruits & veggies?

Johnna1

Hi everyone!

So I've had this app forever and I am now starting to really use it. I did Weight Watchers at the beginning of the year and it really helped me, but I didn't feel like paying for it anymore, and this is free so well...yeah. Anywho! Question for you all, are you tracking your fruits and veggies that you eat? I ask because with WW you don't have to, and I was thinking about doing the same with this program. Has anyone else tried the same with good results?

rockerbabyy

i track everything that goes into my mouth. vitamins, cough drops, fruits and veggies. if it has calories, it should be tracked. what would vegetarians do if they didnt track fruits and veggies?

JennW130

yup! if it has calories, log it!

jgic2009

Track them -- especially fruit!

meg7399

This is not WW. This is calorie counting. WW fruits and veggies are zero points...but since we track calories you track everything with calories....fruits and veggies have calories so yes.

Bllanes

I dont track everything (medicine, viatmins, etc.) but fruits and veggies are a must.....they have varing calories and it will help you keep track of your sugar intake as well whick is important. HTH

Matttdvg

Fruits and veggies do have calories, so it's best to track them. Some fruit has surprisingly high amounts of calories. And it certainly can't do any harm knowing exactly what is in all the foods you eat, including fruits & veggies. There is no real need to stress over every single little detail like the exact size and amount of fruit & veg you're eating, but I'd still track it, even if the sizes are only a rough estimate.

SDkitty

yup! if it has calories, log it!

^^ This!

Espressocycle

Track everything. Carrots have a lot of calories.

susanswan

I am trying for a plant based vegetarian approach these days, so I definitely want to make sure I get as many greens into my diet as I can. Now my goal is to eat tons of these so YES! I am definitely tracking my fruits and veggies.

SarabellPlus3

This is not WW. This is calorie counting. WW fruits and veggies are zero points...but since we track calories you track everything with calories....fruits and veggies have calories so yes.

Yep! Otherwise I'd have roughly a thousand calories of junk food a day. I would never stop myself from eating that apple because it has to many calories, BUT it's important to remember it has calories so I'm not eating a Snickers thinking I have the caloric room for it when I don't.
Well, in other words, yes.

If you don't want to count fruit/veg, set yourself a much lower caloric limit and make sure to eat a lot of fruit/veg anyway, I guess.

jennajava

They have calories, so yes.

wriglucy

Track everything. Carrots have a lot of calories.

I've never seen carrots have a lot of calories....but that's not my point here

I agree with all of the above, anything that has calories should be logged.

goldfinger88

You should track everything. Fruits have calories because of the sugar content. Veggies, unless done is a sauce or butter or whatever, generally don't have many calories (except things like potatoes, etc.) But you won't get a true calorie count if you don't count them. Nor will you know if you're getting the right nutrients.

Johnna1

Thanks everyone! Figured it wouldn't hurt to ask, and yes I know this isn't WW....

Becoming_A_Butterfly

I agree: if it has calories, make sure you track it. I add to my food diary notes section at the bottom the number of fruit and vegetables servings I have had that day, to help motivate myself to eat more fruit and veggies. But I still want to know how many calories I consumed so I can keep everything in balance.

Debbe2

Agree- track it

annabellj

I am doing the same thing. this instead of ww because I dont want to pay. you can get the same results, just a little different than the new points plus system. I did the core plan before and I didnt have to track at all because I never ate anything processed. I am finding that too restrictive anymore and I didnt keep the weight off long enough( a yr and a half) and then it all came back after not tracking. I am committed to this. It will work.but definitely add anything you eat.

Laces_0ut

is that why with Weight Watchers a lot of people dont have great success? they dont count fruits and veggies? seems ridiculous. 2 people eat the exact same thing but 1 has 8 apples extra in a day. how can that be the same?

Elizabeth_C34

I track it all, even if it's miniscule calories. It's just a habit.

SarabellPlus3

is that why with Weight Watchers a lot of people dont have great success? they dont count fruits and veggies? seems ridiculous. 2 people eat the exact same thing but 1 has 8 apples extra in a day. how can that be the same?

I know I would be really full eating 8 apples a day, if it was in addition to ANY other food at all. LOL So I think their idea is to encourage as many fruits & vegetables as possible, while consciously remembering to not eat when you're not hungry, and that sort of thing. If you are eating healthier foods, I personally find that they fill me up way better, so it would work as long as it's in conjunction with not using those calories on crap. At least I think that's the way it works!

puggleperson

no way! There is no need to count your veggies! I don't even log mine. Fruit yes because they have a significant amount of calories and sugar.. But you can pretty much eat unlimited veggies in a day and not gain weight!!!

Raihn

Hi Johnna1 . . . Just wanted to add something not yet mentioned, I think.

Fiber is a major factor in weight loss and good health. You can't track fiber, or any other food values that are important to our health unless we log everything.

Good luck!

Raihn

Especially veggies!

KarenWas

I am a Lifetime Member of WW but this site doesn't really work the way WW does. If you are counting points this tracking might not work well for you. I count all food that I eat since this site is based on calories. Give it a try.

woou

I don't count veggies. The amount is just so small.

njto619

I track fruit and veggies for fiber and nutrition information. Its also helpful when looking over your food diary to see what you've been eating for your daily calories.

CoraGregoryCPA

Track EVERYTHING with calories. This website is about the calories you take in, so yes track it!

Fruit can really add up.

vjrose

Well, calories aren't everything if you are eating a balanced diet, there is fiber (oh so important) sugar, sodium (yeah many veggies have sodium (like celery, yikes). So to be sure you are getting a healthy and balanced approach then yes, if you eat it or perhaps drink it, then track it, I like a few have said, track some of my supplements too, but not all.

lmelangley

It depends. Are you using MFP to track calories and nutrients or just to log exercise? If you're tracking calories, you need to add everything you eat - no matter how few calories. Everutjomg adds i[/

tschmelzer

So fruits definitely need to be tract.They have a lot of natural sugars and calories that should count toward your daily goals. As for veggies I track them just so people looking at my diary know I ate them and to keep a record for myself as well. Although they are minimal in calories it is good track em just to see if you are getting all your food groups in etc.