Calories showing up wrong?

kinggrace78
kinggrace78 Posts: 29
in Food and Nutrition
Hello, I just joined yesterday so this might have been answered already. I have a question about how some of the calories are calculated. I entered in 2 pieces of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds nuggets and it is show 50 calories per 1 piece. I looked at the bag yesterday and a serving size is 4 pieces for 190 calories (I think) so that doesn't add up. If I ate 4 pieces (the serving size) my calories would be higher than what is showing on the bag.

Does this happen a lot and does anybody know why?
Thanks,
Rachel

Replies

  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    I even found white rice entries showing up as 130 calories per a 100 gram (which it should be 320-250). I totally don't trust MFP on calories - especially not on user entries.
    I just usually compare different website resources, the bag and the MFP entry and try to figure what must be most likely.

    Actually, the more you prepare your own food from basic ingredients (oil, butter, meat, vegetables, milk, sugar, eggs, whatever) the closer you get to accuraccy. Foods made in a factory - as most processed food are - usually I consider as "best guess" as several manufacturers have already proven to get the calories wrong. How do you know what they poor into that gigantic bowl in that factory if the recipe is officially a "secret" for most of them? You don't.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Most listings in the database are user entered so there may be mistakes made. Plus the site is used internationally so a Hershey kiss in the US may not be exactly the same as a Hershey kiss in Canada. Keep checking your labels and see if other listings may be more accurate as there are probably several for those nuggets.

    You can also edit entries, at least on the website. When you're searching for a food, you get a list on the left side. If you click on a food, the box on the right is filled in with basic serving data and allows you to click to add the food to your diary. That box also has a hyperlink that says "nutritional info (or data?)". When you click on that, you can check to see that the info matches what your packaging says. If it doesn't, click "No" on the right and edit the entry so it will match.

    And yes, it does happen a lot but in most cases, like yours, it's not off by much. Just keep checking your labels to be sure you have the right serving size and that the nutrional info is accurate.
  • jrmartinezb
    jrmartinezb Posts: 147 Member
    A lot of the entries in the database are user submitted, so there really is no way to make sure they are correct. The entries with an asterisk next to them are user submitted, the ones that don't have it come from the USDA database (methinks). You will find a lot of items have multiple entries in the database, each submitted by a different user.

    That said, there are a lot of possibilities for error with calorie counts. Manufacturers not being accurate, the food not weighing what you think it does, how ripe a fruit is, etc. In the end they are just estimates. I try to be as accurate as possible in things I eat often and make a big part of my calories. When it comes to ocassional treats, I don't worry too much about differences of 10/20%. If I feel like indulging myself i use the lower estimate, If I don't I use the higher one.
  • HaleyxErin
    HaleyxErin Posts: 94 Member
    If you have the package on hand always check it and if it is wrong just add it in yourself, I try to but generally if you can't whatever is there tends to be a pretty good ball park. I know a lot of the time I just do my best and hope its right, especially when eating out as most of the time you don't have a nutrition label in front of you.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    If I feel like indulging myself i use the lower estimate, If I don't I use the higher one.

    haha I totally do this!
    :D
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    I entered in 2 pieces of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds nuggets and it is show 50 calories per 1 piece. I looked at the bag yesterday and a serving size is 4 pieces for 190 calories (I think) so that doesn't add up. If I ate 4 pieces (the serving size) my calories would be higher than what is showing on the bag.

    This is such a small difference I wouldn't worry. As others have said it could be a difference between international / US or even different packaging. I went looking for Barilla manicotti today and found a listing for the the completed recipe showing 130 calories per serving. That's a mere 90 calories off. I just wonder how many people don't reallize it's incorrect and think they're eating low cal.
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
    Just enter the foods yourself with the info off the packages or scan using the barcode scanner!
  • mrshill2007
    mrshill2007 Posts: 78 Member
    I have the my fitness pal app on my phone so if I have the package I always scan the package with the scanner that is provided with the app and before I go out to eat... I find myself looking at the nutrition facts
  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
    I've actually never had a problem with the mfp calorie counter, it's always been very accurate
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    Just enter the foods yourself with the info off the packages or scan using the barcode scanner!

    The barcode scanner doesn't always give the correct info - I used it on the manicotti shells and it was totally off. Someone posted the other day that she always uses the barcode scanner and then enters the data for the prepared dish because it's "so much more convenient".
  • CTCMom2009
    CTCMom2009 Posts: 263 Member
    If you the app on your phone, you can actually scan the barcode of the product and it will add the correct information automatically. I do this as often as I can and then use that information whenever I have that same thing again.
  • mistadj
    mistadj Posts: 43 Member
    Yea, im usually thinking non of this is 100% correct. Not even the veggies...So i use the give\take method. Meaning i basically know that the calories are close but maybe off a few here and there. So i use is only as a guide and i normally workout MORE than i actually list. So if i workout twice a day and do cardio, i only add my workout once...that way....I cover those unknown calories. Your body dont adjust just because you log it or dont log it...so its not the be all end all...just a guide
  • ngressman
    ngressman Posts: 229 Member
    It's user entered data. I have noticed that it can be off by quite a bit. Click on the box that says nutritional information. It will say is the information correct yes, no or I don't know. If you type in no, it will allow you to correct the information. That will help you, but it also benefits everyone by allowing mfp to update the nutritional info with the correct numbers.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    most of the pre-packaged type stuff I get I've found to be pretty correct...i.e. my vegetables from costco, yogurt, etc. A lot of other stuff can be fairly subjective and are really just estimates. Whenever I do come across a packaged product that is wrong, I tell MFP that is is wrong and submit correct numbers. I also use my bar code scanner a lot.

    BTW, being 10 calories off isn't going to make or break you. These are really all estimates anyway. As you go about this, you will find yourself tweaking your calorie goals a little to represent your true goals...when I started out at 1 Lb per week per MFP recomendations, I was losing closer to 1.5...so I dialed my calorie goals up by 250 calories to make it roughly 1 Lb per week...stuff like that.
  • kinggrace78
    kinggrace78 Posts: 29
    Thanks, I did that today with some soup I ate. Someone entered it in 20 calories off. I took the information right off the can and corrected it.

Categories