annoyed at MFP food database!

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2

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  • dxwatson2
    dxwatson2 Posts: 69 Member
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    I agree. You should ask for a refund.

    I intend to do just that. I mean, with the amount of money MFP is paying people to use the product and enter the information you think people would take pride in what they're doing and at least be 100% accurate.
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,858 Member
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    it is getting very hard to search also, with so many duplicates. Also when searching for the simplest of things, strawberries for example, can be really trying....

    This is my biggest issue. When I search for sea salt (just plain salt), I have to scroll down pages of "sea salt chips" and other crap to just find plain ole sea salt. So annoying!

    I have this one solved for you. Put in: sea salt spice. Works every time!
  • OrionG
    OrionG Posts: 32 Member
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    Yep, the database has some inaccuracies but I have to say its amazing compared to one I was using just prior to joining MyfitnessPal. It was completely, utterly unusable.
    Today I made road stop at Chipotle and rounded up a Chicken bowl, and there were quite a few entries in the database. I found one that had the ingredients I had, but the calories was 690, and according to the Chipotle nutrition calculator, should have been 495, so I created one for me with that amount and shared it.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
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    When you find one that is accurate - What I do is to add it as a "meal" to "My meals" - this makes finding it again super easy.

    This way, your pain is limited to once each time for each new item - at least for foods you commonly eat.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    When I search for sea salt (just plain salt), I have to scroll down pages of "sea salt chips" and other crap to just find plain ole sea salt.

    I've noticed that on other kinds of foods too! (I don't log salt). I wish the search engine was a little better, I"m not sure typing bacon wrapped date and bacon wrapped dates should come up with such wildly different answers.

    But I've long since given up on the idea that the calorie counts are perfect and just live with good enough. I do delete items that have no macros listed. That's irritating.

    And this isn't MFP's fault, but I was trying to find the calorie count for this tapas thing at macaroni grill the other day and kept staring at the calorie count/carb listing thinking there was no it was right until I figured out that it came with some flatbread/cracker stuff that I didn't eat. I could not find it split out anywhere on a basic internet search either. Annoying.
  • OrionG
    OrionG Posts: 32 Member
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    When you find one that is accurate - What I do is to add it as a "meal" to "My meals" - this makes finding it again super easy.

    This way, your pain is limited to once each time for each new item - at least for foods you commonly eat.

    Good idea. I may do the same.

    I wish this site had the +1 support.....
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
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    LOL, pure sarcasm. Sea salt is a bit better than regular salt but not as much as people think.
  • cwaters120
    cwaters120 Posts: 354 Member
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    it is getting very hard to search also, with so many duplicates. Also when searching for the simplest of things, strawberries for example, can be really trying....

    This is my biggest issue. When I search for sea salt (just plain salt), I have to scroll down pages of "sea salt chips" and other crap to just find plain ole sea salt. So annoying!

    when I search for "sea salt" - and its only sea salt I want, not something WITH it - I always search "generic sea salt" and it works fine. You only have to choose Canada, UK or the just plain sea salt entry. works great with many other things too.
  • graciepecie
    graciepecie Posts: 135 Member
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    It might be when someone copies it down, you can always add your own food into the database and share it with other's. Like if you know that Gourmet everyday soup is off, put a corrected version up.

    You can also edit the food. I think that's better because otherwise you are adding more and more things to the database
  • armywf07
    armywf07 Posts: 245 Member
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    I just edit what needs to be edited after I look up all the nutritional information. Before I share I mention that I obtained the information from the site/manufacture/ restaurant etc.
  • bookitty_ca13
    bookitty_ca13 Posts: 13 Member
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    :huh:
  • jogglesngoggles
    jogglesngoggles Posts: 362 Member
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    Considering that this is a free site, and that the food entries are put in by the public you really have no guarantee that anything is accurate. While it is frustrating, you have to take responsibility and make sure you are entering what you are actually eating! Sorry, wish I had a better answer for you, and best of luck!
  • am2anangel
    am2anangel Posts: 38 Member
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    Wow really considering this is a free site in a world where everyone wants your last penny. I'm surprised by the number of complaints. It can't be easy to input so much information on such a large amount of foods. I personally have been very happy and pleased with the performance of this site. As was suggested if something is that far off put it in your personal foods. This is far better then either writing down all the info and recording it yourself or googling every item you eat just to find the calories in an apple. So you have to scroll through a few items to find an exact match. Ill take it and appreciate it.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    You can also double check whole food entries again the USDA database just to make sure you got the correct entry:

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    Make your own entries. Make sure it's complete. For instance, make sure you add potassium, as I'm tracking that.

    this is what i do as well. i use the mobile app to scan the item in. plus since i pretty much eat the same things anyway, i dont have to go into the database too often and when i do it's for random stuff i dont get very often like bubble tea. for things that i cant scan (like eggs, veggies, fruit) i just go with the most detailed entry with the most calories to be on the safe side

    it's really not that big of a deal to enter your own info, like others said, it's free, b*tches :laugh: i didnt realize something was wrong until a few months in when i noticed that some corn tortillas i ate had been entered as 110 calories for the size instead of 250 as the package noted.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Just break up.
  • Gidzmo
    Gidzmo Posts: 904 Member
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    Sometimes I notice that the calories/fat will vary a little between brands of the same item. Not all potato chips are created equal. And what is so 'mooney' about logging water?
  • jksdadams2
    jksdadams2 Posts: 11 Member
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    I feel this site has a good tracking system. I use some other sites and I can never find what i'm looking for. With MFP i always find everything.
  • strcrft15
    strcrft15 Posts: 5
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    I feel ya on this one. My biggest pet peeve is that there is this woman who keeps changing the almond milk I use to completely wrong values. I don't' know WHY anyone would do that... but it's extremely frustrating when the calories keep getting lowered and other values messed up.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    Make your own entries. Make sure it's complete. For instance, make sure you add potassium, as I'm tracking that.
    but i think that's what is causing the database to be so overloaded - we surely don't NEED 7 different entries for something like "1 cup of raw strawberries".

    The better way would be to update the information (assuming that you actually have the accurate data)

    If it's for a brand name item - then copy ALL the information from the package, e.g., serving size, protein per serving etc.

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