Track fruits and veggies or not?

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KReduced
KReduced Posts: 98 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new to actually using MFP app, and was kind of wondering what the idea was about recording fruits and veggies? I'm mostly getting this from the new WW points system and that they have fruits and veggies as "free" food, so I was thinking if it is necessary for me to track these items? I am drinking a green monster smoothie for breakfast and using almond milk the whole thing is about 60 cal if I am NOT counting the spinach, banana, and strawberries (or whatever other fruit). Any opinions? That would be awesome! Also, I'm new so I need friends : )
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Replies

  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I log everything I eat bc MFP is based off a calorie count not a points system. WW helps you to eat healthier by points, MFP helps by forcing you to eat more lower calorie foods or less bad foods to stay in your goal. Good luck!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    If it has calories, you should log it.
  • ferrytrip
    ferrytrip Posts: 497 Member
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    If you eat it or drink it - log it. Some times logging fruit & veg can be hard as its not as easy to find in the database
  • wisteri
    wisteri Posts: 14
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    I've never done WW, but I've used a lot of recipes (theirs or by members) that I found to be both tasty and have sensible substitutions. I only recently learned that they don't count fruits or veggies in their point system at all which I find interesting. I'm guessing this is to encourage you to eat the "freebies" when you're feeling hungry? I kind of like this idea because it's something I struggle with. I eat a lot more of them now, but that's not saying much considered how few I ate before.

    I think tracking fruits and veggies is kind of a grey area for me because calorie/macronutrient counts assume all sugars are the same. It makes it seem like eating an apple is just as bad for you as eating a spoonful of sugar but something in my brain goes "that can't be right".
  • LolaGotThin
    LolaGotThin Posts: 112 Member
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    I track because I'm trying to keep track of the sugars I'm eating. I know they're natural sugars (and I still don't know if I should worry if I go over in my sugars intake if its all in fruits and veggies) but I need to know what I'm taking in to try and make better choices.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    Course you should!
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
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    Today for lunch I had 356 calories worth of vegetables (and I had some for breakfast, a snack and will have more for dinner too). If I didn't include my fruit and veggies then I'd be WAY over every day and still thinking I did well.

    WW gives you a very low calorie count in their points system because they hope you're going to eat more in fruit and veg to make up for it. You either follow what WW tells you or you follow MFP. If you're using MFP, add your fruits and veg.
  • paulamortimer56
    paulamortimer56 Posts: 6
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    You would be surprised. I track everything. It is a visual ticker of the things I've been eating all day. I am amazed by what I actually eat during the course of the day. I think it's a little easier for me since I don't dine out very often. My husband loves cooking. Just try to keep track of the things you are eating. You'll see. With MFP it doesn't just keep track, it gives you the dietary contents of what you're eating as well. WW doesn't do that, and MFP is free. Also, with MFP you van use the bar code and it will put it in your diary automatically. Trust me. Just try it. It will become a habit. I promise. Let me know how you're doing. We can do this together!
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
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    Well, I took in 1,100 calories today… in NOTHING but fresh (non-processed) fruits and vegetables. I've never understood the whole "free" foods thing. They have calories and affect your macros…

    I think the assumption is most people dont eat any and if they do it will decrease the amount of heavy calorie foods they do eat.
  • saltedcaramel86
    saltedcaramel86 Posts: 238 Member
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    Track them. They all contain calories, even if they're low (like salad). Things like bananas are quite calorie dense (I have 100g banana most days, logs 103 cals), a small corn on the corn contains something like 136 cals.
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
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    Track them. They all contain calories, even if they're low (like salad). Things like bananas are quite calorie dense (I have 100g banana most days, logs 103 cals), a small corn on the corn contains something like 136 cals.

    FYI corn is a grain not a veg but I agree. Track every thing you put in your ,ouch. Everything.
  • IAgirlinCO
    IAgirlinCO Posts: 7 Member
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    When WW changed the program to "not" count points for fruits and most vegetables, they also altered the points of other foods to account for servings of fruits and vegetables in a customers meal plan.

    I think the reasoning behind that was to get people to eat more fruits/vegetables and not to choose a 100-calorie pack of processed food over fresh produce.

    That said, fruits and vegetables do contain calories and if you don't log fruits/vegetables in MFP, you aren't logging those calories when you log other food in your diary.

    Count points or count calories, it really doesn't matter. But if you don't log calories for fruits and vegetables on MFP, you aren't getting a true picture of the number of calories you are eating every day.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
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    if it goes in your mouth, it goes in your food diary.
  • nickiog
    nickiog Posts: 187 Member
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    the confusion comes in when people who dont use the program refer to them as " free " and assume

    "ZOMG you cant lose if you dont track ever speck!"

    basically when they created the system it included your full 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day in the base points calculation...soooooo sort of like say if MFP gave you 100 cals for a day (small number to keep it easy) WW system would give you more like 75 but tell you hey ...dont count the fruits or veggies on the pre approved list! so although you don't track them daily in your point count, they aren't " free "...you are still supposed to list them in your food journal and also count how many servings you have each day.

    is it possible to go over by say eating only really high cal produce choices? absolutely.
    if you are really following the program the way it was intended and not trying to cheat the system/yourself and you have even the smallest bit of common sense then its pretty unlikely.

    Well, I took in 1,100 calories today… in NOTHING but fresh (non-processed) fruits and vegetables. I've never understood the whole "free" foods thing. They have calories and affect your macros…
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,871 Member
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    Log so that you can track your nutrients. Calories are not the only thing in food, nutrition is more important.

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