New Member--Database Practically Useless!

Rum_Runner

You should just read the nutrition labels on your food and enter it in that way. The database isn't perfect, but people eat a lot of different things and enter them in. If you have the app you can also scan barcodes. Which is accurate. Where there is a will there's a way.

The scanner isn't always accurate. My bottle of Fuze iced tea came up as a chicken wrap.

Also, people use different ingredients to make things (like your scrambled eggs, for example), so if you're not looking up a whole or pre-packaged food, you should just enter the ingredients separately, or create a recipe or meal so you have it for the next time.

Scan it again. That has happened to me too, but if I scan it again it will usually come up correct. I think it may misread on the fist attempt. But if the nutrition info is on the back of the item and the barcode doesn't work a manual search will still produce the right one - just match up the calories and macros!

puppy1002

Most foods from the USDA is already in the database. If you notice at the bottom it says " * = Nutritional information provided by another MyFitnessPal member"

So look for foods that don't have the * next to it.

ealinn

It can be confusing and very annoying. I've built a lot of recipes for things I make/eat often using USDA measures - then I know exactly how many calories I'm eating in the food I prepare and I can quickly access them under recipes or my foods/meals.

TheNewDodge

If there is no milk in your scrambled egg recipe, just enter "egg" and "medium, large, extra large or jumbo" depending on the size.

Rum_Runner

Use the barcode scanner and scan in the foods you eat. Then it will be in your database and you'll have the correct data.

Hold on, there is a way to scan food items into your personal database, not the general database? Oh, please enlighten...

If you use the app to log food there is a little Barcode looking thing in the top right. Click that and it will bring up your camera. Find the barcode on your food and scan it (as if you were at the grocery). It will auto populate your nutrition info.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I've noticed that there is a message "nutritional information confirmed" and the number of members that have confirmed it so I use that information when making entries.

I wouldn't go by how many people confirmed something, either. I looked up a food that was confirmed by 13 people, and I knew there was no way the numbers were right (and according to the package they were not). If you find something that isn't correct, you can edit it in the database where you would confirm the information. Just say "no" and it will give you the option to edit.

rockerbabyy

there are plenty of USDA entries in the data base - there are also MFP added entries that are accurate, just look for the ones without an * at the beginning.
for meats and produce, it helps if you search (for example) "lettuce raw" or "ground beef raw"
for dairy and eggs, just search for the basic form. so instead of "scrambled eggs" (even if thats exactly what you had) search for "egg raw" also "milk 2%" instead of using brand names.

JesterMFP

My advice would be not to search for things with many variables (liek "scrambled egg") unless it's a specific brand. Search for each ingredient. For scrambled eggs the way I make it, I would add 2 eggs ("Eggs - Scrambled (whole egg)") to my diary, and then weigh the butter I use and add that. Adding someone else's recipe for scrambled eggs would not be very useful. The entries without an asterix have not been added by other users, and are generally pretty reliable. There is already a lot of USDA data in the database. It can be a bit tricky to learn how to use properly, but it's certainly not useless.

Ramberta

My first post.

I have found using the database to enter foods I've eaten to be virtually useless.

Then why use it at all if it's useless to you? Yes, there is some clutter with certain entries, and you picked one of the only problems I personally have come across (that being eggs). However, for the most part I love the food database. I especially like how I can create large meals using the "Recipes" function, and then just enter 1 serving of that meal and log it simply when I eat it on subsequent days.

It's true that sometimes, when finding something specific, I have noticed certain values to be off. Sometimes it's only off by a few calories, sometimes it's way off, or certain nutritional values have been left off. I always go through and correct entries that I believe are misleading when I am logging my own food. Yes, this takes more time, but when you consider that people from other countries are entering things, and that certain brands may package or quantify their foods differently when shipping to other places, it's hardly anyone's fault that the caloric amounts differ. Perhaps there ARE eggs that are 150 cals each across the ocean, and are very very large. Ever think of that?

Besides, even when you're measuring your food, you're not going to be exact down to the last calorie ingested. Do you take off ten calories for the soup that sticks to the bowl when you're done, or the crumbs left on your plate? Of course not. But as long as you are at between a 15 and 20% deficit from your TDEE you will still lose weight, and if you are maintaining then as long as you are within the window for maintaining you will be fine. Best of luck to you.

rileysowner

My first post.

I have found using the database to enter foods I've eaten to be virtually useless. The numbers are wildly inconsistent. Don't believe me? Just try looking up Scrambled Eggs. The basic egg including yolk, no milk, no cheese, nothing else. I'm seeing 69 calories, 70 calories, 75 calories, 100 calories, 169 calories. I believe the consensus is 75 calories.

I ran into the same inconsistencies with many, many other foods. I end up Googling the USDA to get the official government info. This causes unnecessary further time spent tracking my foods. (BTW, 1 large egg = 70 calories)

Besides the inconsistencies there's just too darn many listings in the database!

I'm thinking I'll have to create my own list of foods using USDA stats. I do have a food scale and use it frequently.

What do other members do to get accurate calorie and nutrition counts?

Why would you use something like scrambled eggs (since how people prepare them varies widely) instead of simply using the ingredients. Frankly I would like a lot of those entries removed, but then again if multiple members from a family are logging here, it is the only way to share recipe numbers between them without both having to enter the whole recipe. Other variations are because the nutritional information for products varies from country to country. Finally, if you are using this with a web-browser, just look for the stuff without a * beside it. The ones with an * are entered by other users while the ones without th e* are entered by MFP.

I have never had any real problems with the database and I have been here a long time. Maybe the issue is not the database but expecting something it was not designed for.

lorenhorn

I have had pretty good success with the data base. Yeah some of the entries are way off base. You just gotta keep your eyes open and use your own judgement. If it looks like it is way off then question it and if it is then dont use that entry.

anifani4

Takes time to learn the ropes. Look for items with no asterisk. Those were originally put in by mfp and are accurate. Searching by specific brands sometimes helps. Look for items that have been verified. Eventually you have the foods you use most often already on your own list so they are quick to find. I like to put in my own recipes too but don't share them so I dont' have put in all the directions...It will just be there under my recipes.

It is frustrating at times when there are multiple entries for the same food. Good luck

88meli88

you dont have to do it perfectly for it to work. these are small differences compared to what most people would eat without tracking. so not worth sweating it. It is more important for me to track every day even if there are mistakes than aim for perfection, make it time consuming and then not do it bc it is too hard. \

that said, when im tracking on the internet and not through my cell app, i can see MFP added rather than member added items and I use those. for a few items, i have double checked also but only if it is calorie dense, if it is fruits or veggie, I dont sweat it.

and finally, i think of my calorie target as a rnage, not as a hard number. I try to eat between 1400 and 1600 so that has some cushion in there in case i dont estimate portions right or get the wrong number.

so in sum, dont sweat it too much if you can

powrwrap

OK, I'm getting some good ideas. I'll scrutinize the entries with * next to them. Also might use the word generic when looking up produce or, well, generic foods.

joet60

No....it's not perfect, you do have to do some research for yourself.....but once you enter and save foods that you eat, and recipes you use a lot, it becomes much more accurate. I use this database too http://nutritiondata.self.com/, as well as the usda site. stick with it....it works....even if the numbers are slightly off....you can still see what you're putting in your body and that helps to cut those portions! good luck!

Andyandyandyandyandy

I just check the database against the nutritional info on the package.

If it doesn't have it I a) seriously consider eating it because if it isn't there that is automatically a red flag and; b) use the company's website. If I really cannot find it at all I average the amounts that the database gives and choose one in the middle. I've only had to do that once.

If it is scrambled eggs, which seems to be a big culprit of this - and rightfully so since everyone makes theirs a little different. I just add my own recipe : 2 large eggs, 1/8 cup of milk, seasoning, etc. and add it on my own.

SDHudgins1976

Yes, the database is inconsistent... Not useless...

making good choices and taking care of ourselves isn't always "easy" (if it were I wouldn't be at 263 pounds) but at some point you just gotta say I'm doing this no matter what it takes...

We all have the same number of hours in a day, and we all have to decide how to spend them....

Just sayin'

jackpotclown

luckily the site, information, suggestions, and support etc is all free, so if you choose to leave you won't be out much \m/

CallMeCupcakeDammit

You should just read the nutrition labels on your food and enter it in that way. The database isn't perfect, but people eat a lot of different things and enter them in. If you have the app you can also scan barcodes. Which is accurate. Where there is a will there's a way.

The scanner isn't always accurate. My bottle of Fuze iced tea came up as a chicken wrap.

Also, people use different ingredients to make things (like your scrambled eggs, for example), so if you're not looking up a whole or pre-packaged food, you should just enter the ingredients separately, or create a recipe or meal so you have it for the next time.

Scan it again. That has happened to me too, but if I scan it again it will usually come up correct. I think it may misread on the fist attempt. But if the nutrition info is on the back of the item and the barcode doesn't work a manual search will still produce the right one - just match up the calories and macros!

I did scan it again, because I wanted to show my friend how it worked.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

OK, I'm getting some good ideas. I'll scrutinize the entries with * next to them. Also might use the word generic when looking up produce or, well, generic foods.

I would look up "raw" when searching produce. That's where you're going to find the items that MFP has input and not the users.