Logging Homemade Food?

zingeber
zingeber Posts: 124 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all,
I'd like to ask for some advice. With the onset of cooler weather, I've been doing a lot of "fall cleaning out" cooking. This means that a lot of what I make is using up the last of the summer vegetables and extras from other recipes like beans, rice, quinoa, etc. But I'm not really using recipes, just kind of throwing together soups and casseroles that I can freeze for later. This is making it rather difficult to log food accurately, even using the MFP "recipe" function. Does anyone have a similar problem, and how do you get around it? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
-Kate

Replies

  • sa11yjane
    sa11yjane Posts: 491 Member
    I know this is not the answer you want but logging needs to be as accurate as possible so I would advise to continue using the recipe section on here and entering each item in order to get an accurate calorie intake. Sorry!
  • truelypinkthing
    truelypinkthing Posts: 164 Member
    I tend to estimate quantities and make a recipe, it's sespecially useful if I freeze portions because I've got something to log in the future . Or, I look for an equivalent on the mfp food log and kinda hope it's reasonably accurate. Bit slapdash I know....:laugh:
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Even if you're not using recipes you can weigh and jot down quantities of what you're using and enter it as a recipe on MFP.
  • lizardcave
    lizardcave Posts: 42 Member
    It's not the answer that you want, but I use the recipe feature of MFP.

    The other thing is to at least jot down the quantities and calories of what you're using in the recipe. It's not going to give you the macro, but at least a ballpark caloric value.
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    My food is homemade. I log each ingredient. It's quite fiddly. But often I make in bulk, so I save the meal once I've logged it all, and then can easily log it next time I have it.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    whenever i make a homemade recipe, i write down everything that does in it & pre portion it out, whether in my head (somethings are easily divided up like muffins, and such & others I actually pre portion so it's accurate) - then i calculate everything - nutritional facts and divide by servings.

    it work, but i usually one have to do it once.
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    I make a new recipe and then just enter the number of servings. It makes logging it the next time a lot easier!
  • zingeber
    zingeber Posts: 124 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like I'll just have to practice and get more efficient with the "recipes" function. Oh well, no one ever said losing weight was quick and easy :-) Happy losing to everyone, and enjoy your autumn!
  • v70t5m
    v70t5m Posts: 186 Member
    Make a post-it note and stick it on the food so you are as accurate as possible with either "name of recipe," ingredients, serving size, or all of them.

    This does make it difficult, I agree. Best of luck on finding a system that works for you.
  • saratf
    saratf Posts: 49 Member
    I measure everything and then make a recipe on MFP. If I know about what I'm going to cookahead of time, I make a recipe ahead of time and then just update it after I've cooked in case I find I had extra of something (or used less of something).
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like I'll just have to practice and get more efficient with the "recipes" function. Oh well, no one ever said losing weight was quick and easy :-) Happy losing to everyone, and enjoy your autumn!

    Look at it this way, once you put in the recipe, don't have to do it again and it will already be under your recipe tab! I always try and put in my own nutritional info for things because many times I have come across ones other people have put in and they are not always correct. So even if I use different ingredients for a recipe, I can go in and edit the recipe to exactly what I used.

    it is a pain to begin, but once you have your own little database going, you will be so happy you did it! :)

    Good luck!

Categories