Logging Spices
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I tend to use teaspoon/tablespoon measurements, although to weigh the spice container before and after is a great idea. When cooking for one, I use my own judgement on logging; a sprinkle of cayenne is almost nothing, but spice mixes that include salt and other more complicated ingredients, I will pay more attention in accuracy. Otherwise, if I sprinkle one or two different things in, I might be lazy and account a quick add calorie buffer of '20' or so to cover it. In the end it's up to you how accurate you want to be, it isn't a make or break sort of thing, but there's nothing wrong with being strict if it makes you more comfortable.0
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These are the main spices I use and when divided into six or eight servings, they amount to diddly squat.
Ingredients Calories Carbs Fat Sat Fat Protein Sugar
Spices - Cumin, 3 tsp 24 3 1 0 1 0
Mccormick - Coriander, Ground, 3 tsp. 15 3 0 0 0 0
Spices - Paprika, 1 tbsp 20 4 1 0 1 1
Spices - Pepper, black, 1 tsp 5 1 0 0 0 0
Spices - Pepper, red or cayenne, 0.25 tsp 1 0 0 0 0 00 -
I almost never log spices. The effort involved in logging an 1/8 of a teaspoon of cinnamon probably burns more calories than the half a calorie the cinnamon contained. Same with salt. It has no calories. I may log garlic if I use a bunch of cloves because I can eat over 50 calories of garlic in a sitting, but that's it for spice logging.
I eyeball everything in the kitchen unless I'm baking. OCD weighing would drive me nuts. The only time I could conceive measuring things is if you really aren't making progress like you should be. Obviously you're tracking something wrong then and you need to figure out what it is so you can correct it.0 -
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.
The amount of spices I use while cooking can easily add up to 50-60 kcal out of my 200~ daily deficit. I'd say that very much warrants logging.0 -
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.
The amount of spices I use while cooking can easily add up to 50-60 kcal out of my 200~ daily deficit. I'd say that very much warrants logging.
Id rather just consider it a constant variable and adjust my calorie goal down when necessary... do as you wish.... if you're really cutting "the last few" you'd probably benefit from looking into more advanced dieting methods like cycling, refeeds, diet breaks, IF, carb loads, etc....
ETA: You're also still ignoring that counting calories is not in any way exact. Food labels are inaccurate. I get the feeling you never read my first response in its entirety.0 -
Unless you have a way to me pinpoint accurate with your daily expenditure, the 10-15 calories a day you get from spices is irrelevant.0
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I don't think its that serious. If you put down you ate 4oz of chicken but only ate 3.75oz leave it at 4oz to add up for the spices. Thats what i do. Or if i eat 15 chips and and serving size is 20chips.(for example) I just leave it at 20chips. Because I'am sure those calories can go to something else I wasn't so tedious about logging such as spices or lettuce on a sandwich. I rather over estimate myself then to under. At the end of the day.... no one is ever 100% accurate on calories no matter how much you weight or count your food. Do what you can and don't stress the rest. Why would you want to make this feel like a chore. Thats just my opinion.0
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Id rather just consider it a constant variable and adjust my calorie goal down when necessary... do as you wish.... if you're really cutting "the last few" you'd probably benefit from looking into more advanced dieting methods like cycling, refeeds, diet breaks, IF, carb loads, etc....
ETA: You're also still ignoring that counting calories is not in any way exact. Food labels are inaccurate. I get the feeling you never read my first response in its entirety.
I do employ some of those methods, to be sure, but I still find keeping an accurate log to be more than helpful.
I'm also fully aware that all the labels are estimates, but I don't see why that should prevent me from being accurate on my end. If anything, eliminating as many random factors as possible can only be a net positive in the long term.
All in all, I prefer to err on the side of precision, especially since I don't find it taxing in the slightest to do so. If someone finds it to be too much work, then by all means it's not going to make or break it for them if they are less precise. At least if the lack of tedious accuracy is kept to spices alone.0 -
Well put Hishtagat... I couldn't have worded it better than that0
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Hishtagat, the OP said that it WAS tedious. Which is why we're all recommending that it can be ignored.
If you want to go for as accuate as you can, and you DON'T find it a chore, that's great. But it doesn't really help the OP. And it's not compulsory.0 -
OP, I'm with the don't worry about logging spices team.
I think becoming too over zealous about logging such minute details is likely to lead to burnout .
If it makes you feel better about it just slightly over log something else ; put in that you had 50g of rice instead of the real 47 or something - but just I just wouldnt worry about it at all myself.0 -
I log everything, but I especially like logging dried herbs like parsley and basil - not very significant from a calorie standpoint, but they can contain lots of iron and calcium, so that adds up to a nice nutrition boost!0
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just to save myself time i either log it as a teaspoon or a tablespoon0
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missing the forest for the trees0
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All the spices I have logged, can be done in tsp. or Tbsp. but honestly almost all spices have very, very minimal calories in them, sometimes only 1 calorie depending on how much you use, but if you are concerned about it and use a very significant amount of them in your food then I would just try to measure it like that, or look at the nutrition facts and go from that and just add in quick calories to your log0
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This- unless you are using gallons of spice the calories don't get that extreme. I have lost 40# so far without doing that. Seriously don't think it is worth the inconvenienceI 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.
Ben0 -
I can honestly say - it hasn't been not logging my curry powder than's made me fat!
Word!0 -
^^^THIS! All seems a bit eating-disordered to me. Shake on some garlic powder, do a jumping jack, and call it a day.0
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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.
Same here.0 -
Just...no.
Use your spices....and do a hundred jumping jacks in the kitchen if you are so worried about it. Done and done.0
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