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velix
velix Posts: 437 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering how many people add food to the database as opposed to just adding it for yourself. While I try to sift through the database (because it's a great resource and took time and effort by other people), I often cannot find 'exactly' what I am looking for.

For example, coffee is a pretty personal thing (when made at home). I was using a database entry that I thought was pretty close - 10oz coffee 1tsp sugar + low fat milk - it was down as 90 calories... but this morning I realized I drink out of an 18fl. oz mug, and drink two of them in the morning. I add 1tsp of sugar and 3 tbsp of low fat (1%) milk .. after looking up the cals/ carbs, my 18oz coffee is actually only 49 calories each - so I was logging well over what I should have been.

So I added my own, specific coffee stats, but I was not sure if I should keep it private, or share it. While I like to add to the database (and always contributes store bought / brand items that are missing), is it worth adding something more personal to the public version?

Replies

  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    If it specifically with milk and sugar- I would just add to My Foods for you. When I add coffee - I use generic coffee and a seperate line for Fat Free half n half (no sugar). It always come up on my recent foods anyway. If you are adding a food that is just one food - like a product you find packaged and it is not in the database - add for everyone. That's what I do anyway....
  • Bobble2610
    Bobble2610 Posts: 40
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    I tend to to make public any shop-bought thing that I can't find on here...
    But if it's my own recipe for something then I tend to keep it private, cos there would end up being like a million ways to make a cup of coffee...
  • madmama
    madmama Posts: 123 Member
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    The coffee itself has no nutritional value. It is actually a deterrent to good nutrition as a caffinated beverage it inhibits your body from absorbing calcium and it also dehydrates so you need to drink even more water. If you are going to drink coffee (I haven't given up my morning cup) I would suggest trying to drink it without the cream and sugar as this is where the calories are coming from. I have included a link that shows what the nutritional value of just coffee (no cream, sugar or other additions) is

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3898/2
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
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    i just enter coffee, then whatever i use milk or creamer in another entry. i would say keep it private, cause ppl dont make things the same. if it is a store bought item then public. happy living.
  • velix
    velix Posts: 437 Member
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    thanks guys!

    and thanks madmama for the link. It's interesting because my trainer has talked about black coffee as beneficial to working out (not once you add milk / sugar to it) but can't quite remember the rationale ..
  • Beth720
    Beth720 Posts: 661 Member
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    The most interesting thing is that I decided to randomly create a recipe for something I'd gotten from another site (also a health and diet-related site), and WOW were the calories different. When I made my own recipe, it came out as more calories, even taking into account I was using flavored Via...it was more than that difference. Now that's the one I use - I'd rather err on the side of my log saying I had too many than think I'm consuming less than I am!

    I've also found that on some things where the nutrition information IS available (such as on an item from say, Trader Joe's) the information that was put in on here was wrong, so I end up putting it in myself. I've seen calorie counts off by as much as 50 calories. Really? You can't read the numbers? (If it should be 180 and says 190 I can see that a little easier...your finger just hit the wrong key. But I've seen something that the packaging lists as 285 be posted here as 330 and something where the packaging was 325 be posted as 275. That's a case of not reading numbers or trying to cheat yourself IMHO.)
  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
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    The most interesting thing is that I decided to randomly create a recipe for something I'd gotten from another site (also a health and diet-related site), and WOW were the calories different. When I made my own recipe, it came out as more calories, even taking into account I was using flavored Via...it was more than that difference. Now that's the one I use - I'd rather err on the side of my log saying I had too many than think I'm consuming less than I am!

    I've also found that on some things where the nutrition information IS available (such as on an item from say, Trader Joe's) the information that was put in on here was wrong, so I end up putting it in myself. I've seen calorie counts off by as much as 50 calories. Really? You can't read the numbers? (If it should be 180 and says 190 I can see that a little easier...your finger just hit the wrong key. But I've seen something that the packaging lists as 285 be posted here as 330 and something where the packaging was 325 be posted as 275. That's a case of not reading numbers or trying to cheat yourself IMHO.)

    I've noted this too about recipes. I can't get anywhere near the same counts on MFP that the other sites claim. I choose to use MFP as my reference point to avoid any more pain than absolutely necessary.

    About the foods in the database, certain foods that we believe to be "standard" do vary in different places around the world. Trader Joe's stuff *SHOULD* probably be consistent because it is sold in a very limited market, but a lot of the other packaged stuff has huge variations.
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
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    this might be a stupid question but how do you make private entries? i do most of my logging on my android phone, and only get a "can't find what you're looking for" and "add quick calories" option. i assume "can't find what you're looking for" option uploads your entry to the database? my food diary is set to public. when creating new foods i don't see an option for private or public entries
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
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    anyone??

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