Need Help Inputting Recipes in App

ils_1231
ils_1231 Posts: 249 Member
in Getting Started
Hi All,

I've read through some old forum posts about inputting homemade recipes on the site, but I don't really get it. I cook a lot , and I want to add more recipes so it's easier to calculate. My problem is I enter things, but I'm not sure what to do about serving size.

I can't measure out servings into a bunch of tupper ware, because I have a roommate and limited space in the freezer/fridge. I usually end up with a huge pot of something and just approx, but this is a terrible system-- especially when I've made something like stew or bolognese sauce vs. vegetable soup.

Lately I've been using old entries to approximate food instead of creating my own recipes, but I would like to utilize this tool... I also bought a kitchen scale for this very purpose!

Please help!

Replies

  • Chase510
    Chase510 Posts: 14
    If it's something baked in a casserole dish, you can cut into equal size pieces and use the number of pieces as your serving size. Like a 9x13 pan of something might be 8 or 12 servings, depending on how you cut it.

    For something like soup or sauce, I would weigh your pot when it's empty. If your pot weighs 2 lb empty, you can weigh your pot full and deduct the empty weight. So if it's 4 lb full, you made 2 lb of sauce. Then you can weigh out portions. So if you think that 2 lb of sauce should give you about 10 servings, each serving should weigh 3.2 oz.

    Same with soup -- you could weigh out one serving. Like a cup of the soup you made weighs 6 oz. So that means your recipe (if it weighs 3 lb) is 8 servings. :heart:
  • Sheltie4me
    Sheltie4me Posts: 21 Member
    I use another pot and measure out one cup servings and go from there I made soup yesterday and it worked out to 6 servings at 1 1/4 cups a serving then just put it back in a container and you know how much to measure out when need a meal hope fully this helps
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I weigh each ingredient into the recipe (say, a soup) and cook it, then weigh the entire final product, divide to figure out the # of calories and serving size, note the serving size in the title of the recipe in the builder, then store it in the fridge in one container. When I want to eat some, I put a bowl on the scale scoop out the appropriate serving size, heat and eat. One container of soup goes back into the fridge so it's not taking up a huge amount of room, and I've successfully served myself one portion.

    So most of my recipes in the recipe builder will say for example "Crock Pot Taco Soup (269g/serving)" so when I enter it to my daily food log I will know how much of it to serve myself without having to go to the hassle of keeping track in some separate place. As I modify a recipe over time (like if the next time I make it, I add onion or use a different brand of bean) I will adjust the serving size notation in the recipe title accordingly so it's always current.

    Is that what you were asking?
  • nicolen160
    nicolen160 Posts: 197 Member
    If it's something baked in a casserole dish, you can cut into equal size pieces and use the number of pieces as your serving size. Like a 9x13 pan of something might be 8 or 12 servings, depending on how you cut it.

    For something like soup or sauce, I would weigh your pot when it's empty. If your pot weighs 2 lb empty, you can weigh your pot full and deduct the empty weight. So if it's 4 lb full, you made 2 lb of sauce. Then you can weigh out portions. So if you think that 2 lb of sauce should give you about 10 servings, each serving should weigh 3.2 oz.

    Same with soup -- you could weigh out one serving. Like a cup of the soup you made weighs 6 oz. So that means your recipe (if it weighs 3 lb) is 8 servings. :heart:

    This is also what I do.
  • ils_1231
    ils_1231 Posts: 249 Member
    Thank you for the suggestions!!!
  • ninabean6
    ninabean6 Posts: 3
    I need help in entering ingredients for my own recipes. When I select "ingredient" I get food items and if I can find just the ingredient like flour, eggs, onions, black pepper, etc. it comes up with preset amounts and won't let me change them.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    I used to worry a lot about this. But I just decided it was easier to wash an extra pot and a measuring cup instead of spending time estimating. Just scoop it into an empty pot using a 500 ml/2 cup measure (don't lose count!), then serve your portion.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    @ninabeans6 -- try adding the word "raw" when entering your ingredients. That tends to select for the USDA nutrient database, which has more portion size choices.

    To change the portion sizes, use this formula in a calculator:

    (amount of food you are using) divided by (amount of the portion size listed) = (number of portions)

    instead of changing the amount of the portion size, you change the number of portions.

    So if you are using 80 grams of a food, and the database lists the calories in 28 grams

    80 divided by 28 = 2.857

    You aren't really measuring that closely, so you can round that to 2.9 portions.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I need help in entering ingredients for my own recipes. When I select "ingredient" I get food items and if I can find just the ingredient like flour, eggs, onions, black pepper, etc. it comes up with preset amounts and won't let me change them.

    scroll through the data base for the ingredient you are looking up - you can usually find one in the measure that you did - it is frustrating when you weigh something in ounces and then look for it to only find an entry for grams but I have used an online converter to solve that issue - and if something is a preset weight in grams it usually has a 1g spot where you can enter the portion by the number of grams you used

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