Do you guys log spices?

KhaIeesi
KhaIeesi Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
Heya,

Last night I prepared Ćevapčići for a BBQ. Later, I created a recipe because I east them quite often. When I logged all ingredients I realised I had never really payed attention to the spices. When I checked I was rather surprised to find that I used cumin "worth" 44 calories. I didn't log it but it made me think if you guys do?
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Replies

  • clew77
    clew77 Posts: 34
    I was just about to post a topic myself. I always get my chicken from a butchers but plain .. the other day he asked did i want any flavouring so for a change i had my 8 chicken breasts in a Chinese chicken seasoning. They taste so much nicer but was wondering how many extra calories i was adding to my meal.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    Strangely iv never thought of logging spices besides for the tablespoons of cinnamon I use daily . Good topic should be interesting
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    nope.. I never log them.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    A t. cumin, 1/2 t. red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla x no I don't log those. Tablespoons of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce yes I do log those.
  • AnsiStar
    AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
    A t. cumin, 1/2 t. red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla x no I don't log those. Tablespoons of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce yes I do log those.

    ^^ this. Things like basil leaves or dried spices and herbs I don't log, but if it's seasoning like a sauce or a stock cube I do
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
    I log mine
  • kbeardmore22
    kbeardmore22 Posts: 283 Member
    I log all of my spices, it is surprising that some of them actually do have calories.
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  • RebekahR84
    RebekahR84 Posts: 794 Member
    Nah. Only if I'm creating a recipe.
  • RoninLife
    RoninLife Posts: 64
    I log condiments but not spices...
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I normally do a "Quick add" of 25-50 calories, depending on how many I use.
  • playitagainsam
    playitagainsam Posts: 84 Member
    I always do, mainly because I'm slightly anal about logging "everything". Usually, the only spices in my log are cinnamon and pepper...and Lawry's Season Salt...if you actually consider that a "spice".
  • xmeganxtarax
    xmeganxtarax Posts: 79
    Yes, I log everything. Mostly for recipes.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    Dried herbs and spices, no. Anything 'wet' that I add, yes.
  • Last2bfirst
    Last2bfirst Posts: 49 Member
    I dont use many spices (they all seem to go with recipes I am not eating UGH) But I do log my Jalopenos :-)
  • andiebaco
    andiebaco Posts: 211 Member
    A t. cumin, 1/2 t. red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla x no I don't log those. Tablespoons of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce yes I do log those.

    This.

    I also always log those that are pre-prepared (taco spices, etc).. But I use dried spices and I never log them because unless I'm following a recipe I don't actually count how much I put on.

    If i'm logging a recipe, yes, I do log them.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    That sounds like a lot for cumin - what was the quantity?
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    I no longer log. But when I did, I did post most spices. But the reason was that I take certain spices for certain health issues. It really has no significance to your calories as a rule. It depends on why you might want to log them. I don't think many people do without a valid reason. There may be exceptions.
  • aaronrlindemann
    aaronrlindemann Posts: 25 Member
    If you're logging spices... let it be for the sake of tracking micro nutrients, more than calories. Keep your portions in line, make food choices in line with your goals, and get plenty of movement. I've never tracked a spice.
  • krouse83
    krouse83 Posts: 182 Member
    I always log any marinades or sauces I use. I haven't been logging my spices thought and I think I should. I use blackening seasoning all the time for my fish and chicken and looked at the nutritional facts the other day, its loaded with sodium! I thought I was doing well with the sodium intake but after seeing that I think that I am over my daily goal. It should be interesting once I start logging them regularly!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I did when I was trying to cut sodium. Now that I am passed that stage, I don't unless they are a part of a recipe that I want to use again. The most interesting thing I discovered when logging spices is that black pepper and sugar have exactly the same calorie count. I used to think black pepper was calorie free.
  • Gestahl
    Gestahl Posts: 110 Member
    I log my spices, more for reference than anything else. Honestly, though, with dried spices, the calorie difference is in the single digits, and with the exception of salt, the spices only seem to add trace amounts of sodium, potassium, and carbs. Not really a big deal to not log them.
  • cwaters120
    cwaters120 Posts: 354 Member
    I always do, mainly because I'm slightly anal about logging "everything".

    ^^ this :bigsmile:
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    Only the high sodium stuff like Tony Chachere
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
    No I don't. I use a lot of them when I cook too, but the calories from them are negligible.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    No, I don't log spices or vinegar or mustard or little bits of vegetables used for seasoning like one jalapeno or 3 cloves of garlic.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    I do, but honestly just because I most often use recipes from the ones I've entered into mfp, so I don't want to forget anything that made a dish tasty before. If you are doing curries, yes, it can make about a 50 cal difference, but truely that's not enough to worry about.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    I just looked up cumin and ginger in the database, both listed zero calories, though the cumin had 2% iron. Are you using whole cumin seed or ground cumin? I cook with spices but never bothered to log them as they are flavor, not calories ( or so I thought anyway).
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    When creating a recipe, I definitely log it all. And certain other seasonings I'll log if I use them as well. I track my sodium & potassium, so I log both salt & the salt free seasoning that I use because they include those two things. When I add black pepper to a meal, there is a minimal amount of calories. I don't log that. But I like to keep my recipes "true" in order to have them as accurate as possible, and I like to see how high my sodium/low my potassium are... That's just me, though.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Dried herbs and spices, no. Anything 'wet' that I add, yes.

    ^^ THIS is what I do, more or less - I look atthe "wet " stuff to check if it has significant calories. Less than 50 cal for 100ml I don't add unless I'm putting in more than a tablespoon (15ml). I don't add stock cubes, but I do add homemade stock or the liquid stock (if I use it - it tends to get hidden at the back of the fridge and forgotten:ohwell: ).

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