Logging Spices

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Rosylee1976
Rosylee1976 Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
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    I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?

    I use spices all the time. In fact it's a rare meal that doesn't have spices in theme. I don't bother logging spices because there are so few calories in them. I suggest you do the same.
    All the best.
    Ben
  • Hishtagat
    Hishtagat Posts: 27 Member
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    I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.
  • Oh_Allie
    Oh_Allie Posts: 258 Member
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    I find it a real challenge to log spices, curry powders etc. Most of the time, the weight is in grams and the scale doesn't seem to register this well as I am not using very much and they are obviously fine powders. Any suggestions?

    I use spices all the time. In fact it's a rare meal that doesn't have spices in theme. I don't bother logging spices because there are so few calories in them. I suggest you do the same.
    All the best.
    Ben

    ^^ I disagree with this. If you're counting calories, spices don't seem like they amount to much, but they DO add up.

    On the off chance that my scale doesn't register spices, I measure them with a teaspoon or tablespoon and just search the nutrition information for the spice online.

    I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.

    Although this sounds much easier than my method and I have no idea why I never thought of that!
  • Rosylee1976
    Rosylee1976 Posts: 39 Member
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    I tend to weigh the spice container itself, before and after adding the powder to the food. If your scale is accurate enough it will register the decrease in weight, gram by gram. If I don't see the value change, I just log it as 1 g and call it a day.

    Fantastic idea, thanks!!!!
  • SbetaK
    SbetaK Posts: 381 Member
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    The biggest reason to log spices would be for those who are tracking sodium. Many of my favorite spice blends contain salt, so I have started to experiment with nonsalt spice blends, single pure spices, and alternate ingredients like dried peppers and fruits to flavor my meals. The challenge is rewarding!
  • texerus
    texerus Posts: 62 Member
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    This is just my opinion, but spices are more on the very micro side of things. I add cayenne, habanero, and many other spices to everything from green beans to eggs, and if I had to take in account that few calories if would go crazy. In fact, when trying to figure out daily calorie account I just add about 10 percent overage to these types of things which is about 200-250 calories just to make sure.

    Just as a matter of reason and fact, taking an exact calorie count off labels just for food alone and making an exact count on portions is very difficult for many.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    logging spices is OCD.... hell, i dont even log a lot of vegetables (like lettuce and onion on my burger)....


    food labels themselves are often up to 20% off higher or lower.... thats means that even if you log everything perfectly you could still be off by hundreds of calories... for example, a perfectly logged day of 2000 calories could be as little as 1600 and as much as 2400.

    paying attention to such small things is pointless.... minutia doesn't get you sexypants yo
  • Hishtagat
    Hishtagat Posts: 27 Member
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    If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    It strikes me that this is well into spurious accuracy territory to be honest. The only way this becomes meaningful is if energy expenditure throughout the day is very accurately understood.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    I'm with the spurious accuracy camp. There's no way you can weigh every single thing you eat to that level of precision, and it's madness to try.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    I cook with spices all the time, instead of using salt, to flavor my meals. I log everything, no calories or not, I do have to get on the computer and Google conversions all the time. Its a pain in the booty, but I still do it. Also if you are having that much problems finding what you use, you can just create a new entry for the spice.
  • agdyl
    agdyl Posts: 246 Member
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    I only log spices if I use a significant amount, but the nice thing is that things like cinnamon have a good amount of fiber if you're adding a lot to your squash, etc. It can be several grams of fiber.

    Of course, if you don't track fiber, who cares, but it's useful to me.
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
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    Calorie stats are just an estimation at best since the food is a natural product and will vary! You have all seen the warnings on tiles, wallpapers and paint to make sure you buy enough to get the same shade from the same batch - food is no different. THe OCD in me wants to log it as accurately as possible, but the reality is that a teaspoon of turmeric in 500g of beef isn't going to make much difference!
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    If someone is small and working with a very small deficit (last 2-3 kg as is my case, for example), the tiny little details DO add up a lot, to be honest.

    No.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 503 Member
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    Do not, can't imagine, would not, ever. I always round up and generously. Life is too short to log spices.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I'm in the not logging camp. Very simply, there is such a level of variable in what we log and what the labels of food say it contains that the few cals either way in spices aren't going to make a difference, and I'm a "pinch of this, shake of that" spice user so I just cant be bothered.

    I can honestly say - it hasn't been not logging my curry powder than's made me fat!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,988 Member
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    I don't log spices (other than salt) for tracking calories or nutrients, but I do log them if I'm adding a recipe, so I'll know what I put in it if I want to make it again.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    When I'm creating a new recipe, I add the spices to the recipe but a sprinkle or pinch in something quick for myself, I don't log.
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
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    I only log spices in recipes ... might be wrong, but it has worked for me so far.
  • MickeyCastello
    MickeyCastello Posts: 269
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    Nope. It's just not worth it.

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