How trusting are you?

Options
slyall08
slyall08 Posts: 25 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I track my foods diligently, mainly using the MFP app. But, I wonder how accurate I am getting b/c just anyone can add a food on there. The other day I added the steak sauce from my local winery and I diligently made sure to accurately put everything in but I wonder if everyone would be so careful. Just wondering what others thoughts were on this.

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Options
    Check labels against what's in the database. And for basics, like fruits, vegetables, meats, etc - look for the items that aren't marked with an asterisk (the * means it was entered by an MFP user).

    For instance, if you want info for a peach, search the database for "peaches", and then find the entry without the asterisk - these usually have all the nutritional info listed, including potassium, which is nice, and generaly several hundred confirmations. I've found you need to search for the plural form of the item, like potatoes, peaches, tomatoes, etc to get to these entries.

    Hope that helps.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    Options
    When I have a lable to compare it, I pick the one
    that matches. If there isn't one, I either add mine
    in the database or try to shoot closest possible.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,639 Member
    Options
    I track my foods diligently, mainly using the MFP app. But, I wonder how accurate I am getting b/c just anyone can add a food on there. The other day I added the steak sauce from my local winery and I diligently made sure to accurately put everything in but I wonder if everyone would be so careful. Just wondering what others thoughts were on this.

    I always doublecheck and compare the packaging to the info on MFP. I have seen discrepancies before and edited the entry to fit the packaging.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Options
    If I add something to the database, which is rare, I'm very careful. But no way do I have time to double-check every food entry created by another member. Besides, the labels themselves can underestimate calorie content. If I'm actively dieting I never mind being a little under because there's a high likelihood that I'm underestimating no matter what I do. As for exercise, I do whatever I can on a particular day but don't factor it in.

    The obsession of some MFP members with numbers that they cannot accurately calculate without a direct measurement has always been puzzling to me. I do well with basic tracking of generally familiar foods, weighing myself a few times a week, getting a rough, rough estimate of body fat from the scale and occasionally, measurements.
  • kaseyAnne425
    kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
    Options
    I always either scan the barcode in from my phone when I'm creating a new food, or I make sure I double check with nutrition labels on the brand's websites.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Options
    I remember one time adding a food to my diary and not noticing that the calories were correct but everything else was way out...so now I check stuff against the database when I log it.

    Most times there are quite a lot of the same food on there and one or more of them will be correct
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Options
    I tend to go by the number of confirmations and sort by relevance.

Categories