Do you think it's necessary to log vegetable intake?

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Replies

  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I don't log the really low calorie veggies. So baby bok choy, celery, lettuce, asparagus, etc are not logged. The only high calorie veggie I eat is a Japanese sweet potato.
  • AliciaStaton
    AliciaStaton Posts: 328 Member
    Hi along with the rest of the comments on here I log everything even vegetables have calories in
  • kellykw
    kellykw Posts: 184 Member
    It's necessary for me. Whether or not you log vegetables is up to you, but I agree with other who say you should. Why wouldn't you log them? Because it's too much trouble? That seems like a dangerous way of thinking when your goal is (presumably) to track what you are eating.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    Yes I do.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    a little more...
    I think logging should be a means to an end, not an end unto itself. When I get to my goal, I don't want to feel like I can't feed myself in a reasonable manner without constantly checking every detail. That said, there is a question you need to ask yourself - is what I am doing working? If so, sweating extra details probably isn't worth the effort. But if the answer is no, then log everything and look closer.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    sometimes nearly a quarter of my caloric intaake is from veggies so yes. If I didn't log those I could be off up to 400 calories a day. That being said, if it's a bit of shredded lettuce on a burger or a bit onion in 6 cups of kale then no - I'll log the burger (of course) and the kale but skip the shredded lettuce and the bit of onion.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    Yes, I find that if I don't log most everything I start cheating a little bit more and more....that cookie is only 40 cals I don't need to log that which spirals into meals/ snacks then entire days. SO I try to log everything.

    That being said, I may not log the lone piece of lettuce on a sandwich or the sprinkling of diced tomatoes on a chicken breast....but if anything comes close to a serving or even a half serving it's logged.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Yes! The fiber content helps me figure out what helps keep and make me full. Fiber is also really good for your cholesterol levels. The iron content in a lot of veggies is surprising as well.

    So yeah, it's not just the calories, but the whole picture. Log the veggies.
  • SaveFileCorrupt
    SaveFileCorrupt Posts: 29 Member
    I think it depends on the vegetable, and how consistent you are. I think it's a bit painful to make a huge effort to log reasonable servings of cruciferous, green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, cabbage) that have a near null effect on calories due to their fiber content. However, much like anything else, if the servings are overdone, they may begin to have a detriment on your goals.

    Obviously, this is anecdotal, but I've had great success the past 2 years omitting these highly fibrous veggies, but always including the more starchy or sugary varieties.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    There are many days where I eat 300+ calories of vegetables. If I didn't log them, I'd delude myself that I have extra calories for other foods. Same with condiments. It's the small stuff that adds up and keeps people from losing.

    That, and I keep a close eye on my micronutrients. If I didn't log veggies, how would I know if I got enough potassium or Vitamin A?
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    If it has calories, I log it...even a simple splash of milk in my coffee (that's about 1oz, and incidently about 12-14 calories for the milk I use).
  • Catlady87
    Catlady87 Posts: 302 Member
    I log them because then I can learn which foods have less calories, allowing me to make healthier choices in the future.
    I'm never going to look at frozen peas in the same way ever again!
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    yes, veg are food. period, regardless of calories.
  • Querian
    Querian Posts: 419 Member
    I eat a lot of veggies so I log them. Not only do they add up but I like to see all the great choices I am making when I look at my diary,

    The only thing I don't log is tea with a splash of almond milk. It's like 5-6 calories for a cup of tea and if I logged all the tea I drink in a day my diary would look silly. Still, even if I have 4 or 5 cups of tea (mostly herbal) it is only 20-30 calories I'm not logging and I can live without logging those. And I actually do log my tea sometimes.
  • knkmfp
    knkmfp Posts: 295 Member
    I don't bother logging lettuce and cucumber. Pretty much everything else I do. I don't get all anal about it though, I use rough estimates (apart from starchy veg like potatoes, sweetcorn etc which I weigh).
    Calories are average values, and the difference between 10 cals and 20 cals is not going to halt your weight loss.

    (I'm vegetarian, by the way, so vegetables make up a large part of my diet).
  • WhoButME28
    WhoButME28 Posts: 63 Member
    I log them. A calorie is a calorie - no matter how low it is.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    ya, log it.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    I log everything, even if it is zero calories like mustard. So yeah veggies are logged even if it's just 15 calories for a serving for a mixed lettuce blend. Its what works for me.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    If I didn't log my veggies, I would be off by at least 200 calories a day. Much more on some days.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I don't think it's a simple question. Some veggies. such as parsnips and sweet potatoes, have quite a few calories and IMO should always be logged. Others like a couple of pieces of lettuce on a sandwich or 2 jalapeno in a recipe are so low that they make no difference.

    Personally, I log all vegetables eaten as part of the meal, rather than for seasoning or garnish. Veggies used to season dishes I may or may not log, depending on the calorie count and how big of a hurry I'm in.

    I agree with this. I try to log vegetables because they do have calories, especially sweet potatoes and carrots. But, sometimes I don't want to be bothered logging everything and just log the main foods with calories and protein and nutrients I track (calcium). But, I don't always log veggies if it's not going to make a big difference. But, I am on maintenance and never needed (or chose) to be exact in my measurements. My food diary is not an accurate reflection of the exact composition of my food. It's just main ingredients. But, I do try to log as much as I can. I don't log gum, either, though.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    I do. I find if I don't log veggies it leads to not logging that bit of cream in the coffee, sugar in the tea, bit of mayo on that sandwich, etc. I personally log everything. If you don't, you are only cheating yourself. Logging everything ensures you have an accurate record to look back on if you stop losing, or if you need a hint as to what works for you. Logging everything also makes it so you can see whether or not you are getting proper nutrients into your diet.

    I can eat a few hundred calories of veggies each day so I for sure log them as it can make a difference. I don't weigh/measure them as accurately as I do with other foods though.
  • ckeatonrn
    ckeatonrn Posts: 17
    a little more...
    I think logging should be a means to an end, not an end unto itself. When I get to my goal, I don't want to feel like I can't feed myself in a reasonable manner without constantly checking every detail. That said, there is a question you need to ask yourself - is what I am doing working? If so, sweating extra details probably isn't worth the effort. But if the answer is no, then log everything and look closer.

    I think 55in13's reply is wise and balanced. If you are meeting your personal goals without logging vegs, then you probably don't have to. If you're not meeting your goals - not losing weight, eating too much in one category (fat, protein), gaining weight (yikes!) then log everything.

    I do log everything, esp vegs because I like to keep track of Calcium, Sodium, Fiber. As a vegetarian I like to know which nutrients I need to pay closer attention.
  • Lantzbug
    Lantzbug Posts: 58
    I think it also depends on what kind of weight loss plan you are following. Like weight watchers, a lot of the veggies are free, so if you know it's a free veggie and you don't feel like logging it, don't. I would think just out of habit, logging it would keep you in that habit and you can see exactly what you're taking in.

    I on the other hand strictly just do MFP and count calories, carbs, protein and sodium. So I log EVERYTHING.
  • kk1084
    kk1084 Posts: 51 Member
    I would log it... but then I'm a vegetarian who eats a TON of veggies... they make up most of my intake... so if I didn't log them, my intake would look insane.

    However, if I eat one small piece of chocolate or a few kernels of popcorn, I record that... I'm all for recording everything that passes my lips. That's just me.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Log them, but don't bother weighing or measuring them, especially as it is usually green veg I eat like broccoli, cabbage etc.

    Plus, what would people think if they looked at my diary and saw no veg!
  • MissNordicLight
    MissNordicLight Posts: 140 Member
    I found this "mixed vegs" entry in the database that I use to log my low-cal veggies. Much simpler and it's always in the top of my most frequent foods list.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    I do log vegetables. I do not log gum though.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    I log mine, not just for the calories but for the nutrients. I take a multivitamin where 5 tablets = a full day's requirement, so at the end of the day I look at things like calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C and take however many I need to fill in. Some days I don't need any, some I need 1, or 2, or 3 (almost never more than that). Spinach might be low cal, but even a side salad is going to contain significant vitamins and minerals.
  • JonathanBB
    JonathanBB Posts: 252 Member
    IMHO - LOG IT. Especially to start. If you don't track it you can't get accurate information back from your diary and can't make accurate future adjustments. A big part of MFP for me is the tracking of everything I eat - making me more coscious of my food choices, what and how much I am eating. It was shocking to me (I never "dieted" before) how much a little bit here and a little bit there adds up.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Everything adds up over time. 50 calories a day not logged from veggie intake will add up. In one month, that's almost half a pound. In six months, that's 2.5 pounds and then in a year, that's 5 lbs.

    I definitely log all my veggies since I eat about 200-300 cals in them each day. It's up to you but I'd suggest you do.

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