Guesstimating calories

kenazfehu
kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What do you do when somebody else makes the meal, and you don't know exactly what went into it?

Yesterday my son made dinner for everybody (a macaroni, cheese, beef casserole), and I could only take a guess as to what went into it. I entered what is in the parentheses in the food search and took the first thing that came up, but I doubt accuracy.

I've also had restaurant meals when the food search didn't pull up anything that sounded even close, and I couldn't find any nutrition information regarding that meal on line.

What do other people do in these situations?

Replies

  • dellalyn
    dellalyn Posts: 41
    I just do my best and over estimate a little.
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
    This one meal...guess the best you can.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Some meals are too complicated. As long as they don't become the majority of your food, it's not a big problem. Obviously life is going to offer you all types of eating situations that are not easy to log, so just enjoy and move on. There are many meals during the week I don't worry about. It's more about a pattern of behavior over long periods of time, than the perfect logging of food.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    When it gets that complicated, I will just skip logging food for that day. I usually look for food that I can easily estimate, but if it's a situation like that or if I'm going out to dinner at a nice restaurant, I just skip logging.
  • mhouston2011
    mhouston2011 Posts: 155
    This one meal...guess the best you can.

    Exactly what she said...I see too many people on here that freak out over one meal. One meal isn't going to change things. Just do your best estimation and move on from there.
  • lizblizz2012
    lizblizz2012 Posts: 196 Member
    I try to add up all the major ingredients that I think went into it, like you said, and definitely over estimate just to be on the safe side! Also, when I'm eating an "unknown" meal, I pay REALLY close attention to how much I eat... it's easier to estimate the calories later when you know how big your portion was.

    I would feel really rude asking people "Uhh, how many calories are in this?" so I just do my best and try not to worry about it. One iffy calorie count won't destroy your progress!

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    If it is a restaurant item, I look for something similar and estimate high. If its someone in my family that prepared the food, I just ask them what went into it, enter the recipe and estimate what portion of the dish I ate.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    If it's someone like my mother (who knows what I'm trying to do with my health), I'll just ask after the meal when we have a moment. If it's someone else - it's just one meal, so I make my best guess and move on.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    If I can make a guess by thinking about the ingredients I do, or just the main ingredients that have the most calories. Or I compare it to a similar meal or I just make a guess and quick add 600 or 900 calories depending on how caloric it seems in comparison to similar meals. Or maybe I just don't fully log that day (I'll log some of the protein and just eat to hunger in normal amounts).
  • happypath101
    happypath101 Posts: 534
    This happens to me a fair amount. Here are a few strategies:

    1. If I ate a restaurant then I try to find a similar database entry from a restaurant. I always estimate high because restaurants tend to use more oil and butter etc. Applebees is often a good choice to search for.

    2. I ate at someone's home or a potluck, then I'll try to recreate the recipe from the ingredients. Again, I aim high.

    3. If neither of those options works for me, then I'll do a Quick Add calories and, again, err on the side of over-estimating.

    Something else I try to do is to make sure I'm logging everything else accurately. I want to keep these meals to just one a week if possible. Then, if I can, throw in some extra exercise.

    You can do it! Don't worry, we can't control absolutely everything. Manage yes, control nope. :o)
  • nancykhayes
    nancykhayes Posts: 20 Member
    I am like everyone else. Try to guesstimate and then if you exercise that day, don't eat back your exercise calories. They will give you a little wiggle room too.
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    Had that problem yesterday. Taco boy super wet buritto. No calorie info. Knowing how much....kinda...they put in it I just did up a fake recipe and went a little higher. Normally I go by my own rule of "don't eat if no info" but it's been soooo long since I have had one :wink:
  • Strangelyinsane
    Strangelyinsane Posts: 120 Member
    I just did up a fake recipe and went a little higher.

    This is what I've done. I log everything else for the day as accurately as I can so that my calorie count doesn't get out of control. I also try to make sure i get some exercise that day and not eat my calories to increase my margin of error.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    "Oh, where did you get this recipe?"

    "it's an old family secret recipe" (ok, I HATE people like this!! Unless they've been sworn to secrecy by someone who is still alive)

    "oh, I found it on allrecipes.com it's the _____ one"
    go home, look it up, many have the cal. count.
    or google "macaroni, cheese, beef (weird ingredients) casserole and see if allrecipes come up, check on that one.
    estimate up a bit, and of course eat really health early on in the day to make up for any potential damage so you don't feel guilty, and def. up your water intake to counteract any of the excess salt you're not used to.

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