Please DO NOT add foods to the database....

xonophone
xonophone Posts: 474 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
...that are already in there! Please do a careful search BEFORE you add anything because chances are pretty high that unless it is homemade, it is already in there. It's getting to be quite time-consuming entering name brand foods into the food diary because there are so many entries for the same item and by the time I get done checking the nutritional info for accuracy it's practically time for my next meal! I mean seriously, I just tried to enter Smart Balance butter into my diary and I counted FIFTY (50) entries - and I was only halfway through the list! In many cases IDENTICAL entries are listed one after the other!

Sorry for the caps, but laziness is just a pet peeve of mine :grumble:

Ok, off to the gym to do some healthy anger management! :laugh:

Replies

  • MMLong3996
    MMLong3996 Posts: 31
    DITTO!!!
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
    :grumble: Yeah that is annoying when there are 50 identical entries.
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
    I think it takes more time to enter the nutritional info than it does to search the database. =) It is frustrating though, I do agree.:wink:
  • taryn_perry
    taryn_perry Posts: 193 Member
    Do you know if the MFP web folks do a sweep of the food items? Would be nice if they did, as I'm sure that would free up a ton of space on their end!
  • sssrip
    sssrip Posts: 72
    Agreed and the worse part is when the entries are wrong.
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    Just wanted to say in defense of adding a food when it's already there. The same food or brand may have different calories in different regions due to serving size, country, etc. Also a lot of foods have changed in the last few months with producers taking out trans fat, lowering sugar or just changing ingredients in the product. So a product may look wrong to you but it may be correct for the person who entered it. :flowerforyou:
  • MsGreatful
    MsGreatful Posts: 9 Member
    Right on. I was gonna ask if he was database police. Something are NOT that DEEP.:drinker:
  • Deweypc20
    Deweypc20 Posts: 68 Member
    Or maybe as a suggestion where it forces you to read a pop up that says something like "there seems to be many similar entries, are you sure you need to create this item?"
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Or maybe as a suggestion where it forces you to read a pop up that says something like "there seems to be many similar entries, are you sure you need to create this item?"

    There is such a popup. I guess it goes largely ignored.
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Just wanted to say in defense of adding a food when it's already there. The same food or brand may have different calories in different regions due to serving size, country, etc. Also a lot of foods have changed in the last few months with producers taking out trans fat, lowering sugar or just changing ingredients in the product. So a product may look wrong to you but it may be correct for the person who entered it. :flowerforyou:

    That is a good point and I didn't think of that. However I don't think it's possible that the same exact product has been reformulated over 50+ times!
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
    Just wanted to say in defense of adding a food when it's already there. The same food or brand may have different calories in different regions due to serving size, country, etc. Also a lot of foods have changed in the last few months with producers taking out trans fat, lowering sugar or just changing ingredients in the product. So a product may look wrong to you but it may be correct for the person who entered it. :flowerforyou:

    You can edit an entry if you see there have been changes.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    LMAO!!!

    omg - and i thought I was the only one - I mean, how many ways can you possibly boil an egg? I get having 1 for reg. size, one for large and one for jumbo - makes sense, right? You'd think that would be the only necessary distinction - an egg is an egg is an egg, no matter what country you're in! Yet I've seen them (hardboiled, mind you!) at 70 cals, 90 cals and 100 cals, I think. Oh, and by oz and by cup. HUH???? Is it an egg or not?? Eggs don't come in "ounces" or "cups" and the cals aren't going to change if you chop one up for egg salad! It's STILL AN EGG!!!!

    ROLMAO!!! silly wabbit. :devil:
  • Deweypc20
    Deweypc20 Posts: 68 Member
    Or maybe as a suggestion where it forces you to read a pop up that says something like "there seems to be many similar entries, are you sure you need to create this item?"

    There is such a popup. I guess it goes largely ignored.

    oh that's funny...doh
  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
    The strangest thing for me is when I'm looking something up and there are 4 options for the same food yet every single one has different nutritional info.
  • pinbotchick
    pinbotchick Posts: 3,904
    Is it an egg or not?? Eggs don't come in "ounces" or "cups" and the cals aren't going to change if you chop one up for egg salad! It's STILL AN EGG!!!!

    I actually do measure my egg by grams using scale. If I was making a recipe that called for sliced hard boiled eggs, I may measure by cups. Maybe I am the only one who is neurotic enough to measure out everything.

    I too get frustrated by the multiple entries. It took until my 4th month here to realize that items with a star are user entered and items with out the star are original MFP entries. I now chose the non-star entries every chance I get (then I know that I can choose my 100 gr option and accurately input my weighed food.)
  • imcanadianangel
    imcanadianangel Posts: 40 Member
    Some things are different in the U.S. than in Canada Like milk, butter, cookies and some frozen food. I would be nice if someone put if it was Canadian or not if it's different than the U,S one
  • mama22girlz
    mama22girlz Posts: 291
    Some things are different in the U.S. than in Canada Like milk, butter, cookies and some frozen food. I would be nice if someone put if it was Canadian or not if it's different than the U,S one

    I agree if I ever do add anything its usually only because what is there is in the American formats (different amounts therefore different calories ect) but when I add it I always put CANADA beside it so I can find it again when I need to LOL But I do look before I add and agree there are way to many duplications and triplications...ect ect.
  • lindsay1982
    lindsay1982 Posts: 245 Member
    I usually look up my food, check the facts for the first one, and if need be, change any errors.
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
    This was really unnecessary. To be more constructive you could have formed your alternatives and left it in the feedback section of the forums.

    I think the idea of cleaning out some of the database is a good one, but you went about it the wrong way. People have just as much right to add foods to the database as you have to ask IN CAPS that they don't do so.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    Some things are different in the U.S. than in Canada Like milk, butter, cookies and some frozen food. I would be nice if someone put if it was Canadian or not if it's different than the U,S one

    I agree if I ever do add anything its usually only because what is there is in the American formats (different amounts therefore different calories ect) but when I add it I always put CANADA beside it so I can find it again when I need to LOL But I do look before I add and agree there are way to many duplications and triplications...ect ect.

    See, THIS makes total sense and gives logical reason for a duplicate entry! Maybe instead of just assuming, if we all put US, CAN, FR, SP - whatever - that might cut down some of the duplications. I'll bet that people get so tired of looking for what they need and just add their own and without realizing it, select "share" rather than "don't share". I will *try* to make sure to add US to anything I might enter if it's clearly new. That will help EVERYONE, it would seem. GREAT idea!!!
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    This was really unnecessary. To be more constructive you could have formed your alternatives and left it in the feedback section of the forums.

    I think the idea of cleaning out some of the database is a good one, but you went about it the wrong way. People have just as much right to add foods to the database as you have to ask IN CAPS that they don't do so.

    Of course people have the right to add foods to the database, I was not suggesting otherwise. I did form an alternative, which was to first carefully check the database for existing entries before typing in duplicates. It makes the database unnecessarily cumbersome to have so many repeated foods.

    I respect your opinion that this was unnecessary. Sometimes I too see a post that I feel is unnecesary, I just choose not to answer it. :wink:
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Some things are different in the U.S. than in Canada Like milk, butter, cookies and some frozen food. I would be nice if someone put if it was Canadian or not if it's different than the U,S one

    I agree if I ever do add anything its usually only because what is there is in the American formats (different amounts therefore different calories ect) but when I add it I always put CANADA beside it so I can find it again when I need to LOL But I do look before I add and agree there are way to many duplications and triplications...ect ect.

    See, THIS makes total sense and gives logical reason for a duplicate entry! Maybe instead of just assuming, if we all put US, CAN, FR, SP - whatever - that might cut down some of the duplications. I'll bet that people get so tired of looking for what they need and just add their own and without realizing it, select "share" rather than "don't share". I will *try* to make sure to add US to anything I might enter if it's clearly new. That will help EVERYONE, it would seem. GREAT idea!!!

    This is another good alternative! In fact, maybe on the screen where we enter foods, there can be an additional field for country of origin?
  • OneMission
    OneMission Posts: 160 Member
    Agreed and the worse part is when the entries are wrong.

    I concur! I usually end up having to "fix" entries :grumble:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    This was really unnecessary. To be more constructive you could have formed your alternatives and left it in the feedback section of the forums.

    I think the idea of cleaning out some of the database is a good one, but you went about it the wrong way. People have just as much right to add foods to the database as you have to ask IN CAPS that they don't do so.

    Truly glad there are members like you here :drinker: not afraid to speak up!

    I agree instead of constructive solution by the OP it turned into something else.:noway:
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
    Sometimes I too see a post that I feel is unnecesary, I just choose not to answer it. :wink:

    Take advantage of the rights bestowed upon you by those who have fought for your right to voice your opinion. Just because you disagree and are in the minority doesn't give anyone the right to ignore you. After all, you didn't ignore me.

    Anyhoo, I made my point and further comment will derail this thread, so I will henceforth abstain.
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
    I often add the same products that are already in the database, but when I do that I usually opt to not let other users see them. This is because I don't want to clog up the database with my extra repeat entries. I will always check if the correct info is in the database first as well, then if it's not I will add it for my own use.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    I just make sure I identify it with my name. That way when I want to look up my "recipes" I enter my name and Walla :wink: No harm done :flowerforyou:
  • mama22girlz
    mama22girlz Posts: 291
    when someone fixes an entry does it change the original entry or does it just create a new one? this may be why there are so many entries. People see the incorrect one, go to change it and since it remains others will correct it as well. Maybe this is something that should be brought up on one of the other boards where suggestions and questions to the creaters of MFP are asked.
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