Nutrition Fact Frustration on MFP

Options
VictoriasImage77
VictoriasImage77 Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This is more of a vent over a general annoyance than anything.

So I'm kind of frustrated about the lack of complete nutrition info in one spot here on MFP. I understand that this is based on user-input, and that different people are tracking different nutrients, etc. I just wish that when people create a food under "my foods" that they would forgo checking the box making the food available in the database UNLESS they are going to fill out complete nutrition info. Like if you only care about sodium or fat, and that's the only thing you add besides calories, keep it for your own use!

For example, I was just thinking how awesome I was doing on keeping my sugar down for the day..until I realized that several items that definitely contained sugar read "0 g." I'm finding it really tedious to track my food when I keep having to "trial and error" several items several times each per day to get an accurate assessment of what I'm actually eating.

So does everyone add every single food they are eating for themselves? Is there something I'm missing here? I don't mind doing the leg work for a lot of foods, but I'm just frustrated that I've probably been tracking inaccurately since I started using MFP. I have to keep my sodium-potassium levels in check, and my fat way down.

Replies

  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    Options
    It is a bit frustrating. I've been looking for foods that have a lot of confirmations, and if I find one that I can confirm I always click the yes button to help others out.
  • redambition
    redambition Posts: 39 Member
    Options
    If I'm on the website and I notice the food I'm adding has incomplete or incorrect data, I will click edit and change it - assuming I have the nutritional info to hand.

    This makes more sense to me than just creating yet another entry for the same food (even if it's just for my own use) that leads to more duplicated/junk data in the database.

    Same with the barcode scan option - if I find that scanning a barcode gives me the wrong item, I'll correct the match or enter in the correct item then associate it with the barcode.... for everyone, and for next time!
  • ffargynnig
    ffargynnig Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    I started checking the label against what is listed, if I don't have the label from the food I go with the one with the most confirmations. Yes it is extremely annoying! Why would anyone intentionally enter in the wrong nutritional information!?
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Options
    I check fir ones that are closest to the labels. I use my own recipes.
  • Fodao
    Fodao Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    Yeah, I have the same complaint. The food database is a little too democratic--for general foods (such as fruits/veg) there are usually 10 different versions of the same thing, all with different numbers.

    They need to get someone to vet the entries and make sure there's only one entry per item, and that it's dead-on correct.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Options
    If I'm on the website and I notice the food I'm adding has incomplete or incorrect data, I will click edit and change it - assuming I have the nutritional info to hand.

    This makes more sense to me than just creating yet another entry for the same food (even if it's just for my own use) that leads to more duplicated/junk data in the database.

    Same with the barcode scan option - if I find that scanning a barcode gives me the wrong item, I'll correct the match or enter in the correct item then associate it with the barcode.... for everyone, and for next time!

    You rule!!

    I saw a tip on here to include "USDA" in my search and that could give a more accurate entry. I mostly use that for food and veg. I've been a bit obsessed with scanning the bar codes recently; even doing this instead of using the "recent" tab ;-) I think that's another way to get more accurate results. Finally, I don't know that most users are tracking their micro nutrients, so perhaps this accounts for what usefulness the users assign to the entries they upload. I'm not even keeping track of macros yet. Just calories. Anyone who enters foods with the wrong calories should be shot :tongue:
  • redambition
    redambition Posts: 39 Member
    Options
    If I'm on the website and I notice the food I'm adding has incomplete or incorrect data, I will click edit and change it - assuming I have the nutritional info to hand.

    This makes more sense to me than just creating yet another entry for the same food (even if it's just for my own use) that leads to more duplicated/junk data in the database.

    Same with the barcode scan option - if I find that scanning a barcode gives me the wrong item, I'll correct the match or enter in the correct item then associate it with the barcode.... for everyone, and for next time!

    You rule!!

    I saw a tip on here to include "USDA" in my search and that could give a more accurate entry. I mostly use that for food and veg. I've been a bit obsessed with scanning the bar codes recently; even doing this instead of using the "recent" tab ;-) I think that's another way to get more accurate results. Finally, I don't know that most users are tracking their micro nutrients, so perhaps this accounts for what usefulness the users assign to the entries they upload. I'm not even keeping track of macros yet. Just calories. Anyone who enters foods with the wrong calories should be shot :tongue:

    Hah! I feel your pain! I have no idea why people enter foods with the wrong cals - incorrect macros I can understand (typos, leaving it out, etc)... But cals!

    When it comes to fresh produce - I usually look for the entries that don't have a star. They usually have a heap of different serving sizes listed, and it looks like that info has been imported and verified :) I am going to try the USda search for ones I can't find - thanks for the tip!

Categories