Fats- How does the daily get added up?

FoolsintheRain
FoolsintheRain Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Hi!
I am new to MFP and just set my settings to calculate polyunsautrated and saturated fats (I can't seem to have enough columns in my chart to include trans and monounsaturated). It doesn't seem to make sense to me how total fats are added up. Say I have 27 total fats for the day, but only 7 saturated and 8 polyunsaturated...how does that add up to 27?
Hopefully this makes sense..I feel like a dunce! Someone please enlighten me!
Thanks!

Replies

  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    I think the total fat is going by the number listed under fat in the database, rather than adding up the different types of fat. Some database entries only have a number for total fat, with no breakdown. For example, if you ate one item that had 6 grams total fat, 3 poly, 3 saturated. all in the database, than the numbers would add up. But if you then ate something with 10 grams of fat, with no break down in the database, you'd have 16 grams total fat (10 plus 6), but it would still only show 3 poly and 3 saturated.

    Unless you update the entry for each food you list to include the breakdown, it's not going to add up. Unfortunately, I don't think every product is required to list the grams of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats on the label, though some do. You could just track saturated and trans and then assume the difference s poly/mono.
  • FoolsintheRain
    FoolsintheRain Posts: 3
    thanks!
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I think the total fat is going by the number listed under fat in the database, rather than adding up the different types of fat. Some database entries only have a number for total fat, with no breakdown. For example, if you ate one item that had 6 grams total fat, 3 poly, 3 saturated. all in the database, than the numbers would add up. But if you then ate something with 10 grams of fat, with no break down in the database, you'd have 16 grams total fat (10 plus 6), but it would still only show 3 poly and 3 saturated.

    Unless you update the entry for each food you list to include the breakdown, it's not going to add up. Unfortunately, I don't think every product is required to list the grams of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats on the label, though some do. You could just track saturated and trans and then assume the difference s poly/mono.

    This^.

    You would have to be tracking all 4 and they would all have to be posted for each item in your food log for the number to add up. It's not just adding up what you are tracking but everything. It still figures total carbs whether you are counting fiber and/or sugar, too.

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