Calories not being placed into database correctly

Falcon
Falcon Posts: 853 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've noticed something as of late. There are people on the website not being honest about the amount of calories is according to the package.

Great Value white bread is 170 calories per 2 slices, not 140 calories per two slices.
I noticed this is happening with some of the higher calorie items.

I feel when you put in the wrong amount of calories into the database you're not only being dishonest to yourself but to others who are taking your word for it.

It also leaves room for consuming more calories then you think you are per day. That's my two cents and something to think about.

Replies

  • AndHab
    AndHab Posts: 2
    I know right?

    I get really annoyed by people who don't seem to understand that 0.16 grammes is NOT 16 milligrammes.
    Learn to convert SI units!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I've noticed something as of late. There are people on the website not being honest about the amount of calories is according to the package.

    Great Value white bread is 170 calories per 2 slices, not 140 calories per two slices.
    I noticed this is happening with some of the higher calorie items.

    I feel when you put in the wrong amount of calories into the database you're not only being dishonest to yourself but to others who are taking your word for it.

    It also leaves room for consuming more calories then you think you are per day. That's my two cents and something to think about.
    Sometimes in different parts of the world the same product may have different calories amounts due to slightly different ingredients. Also when companies frequently change the recipes the calories can differ slightly so the calories could have been correct when originally entered. Also your bread example maybe the person weighed each individual slice (I do) and the weight (so therefore the calories) could be different

    I find it strange that you automatically think people are doing this on purpose. Personally a mixture of the above and user error seems more likely.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
    i agree that it sucks to have wrong info in there but actually find that some of the food i buy does actually change its macros and nutrition. I guess products evolve and there is no real mechanism to get it fixed inside of this database. That being said I'm not sure what I would do without this database. I use to pay for Weight Watchers years ago and their database was even worse.
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    I've noticed something as of late. There are people on the website not being honest about the amount of calories is according to the package.

    Great Value white bread is 170 calories per 2 slices, not 140 calories per two slices.
    I noticed this is happening with some of the higher calorie items.

    I feel when you put in the wrong amount of calories into the database you're not only being dishonest to yourself but to others who are taking your word for it.

    It also leaves room for consuming more calories then you think you are per day. That's my two cents and something to think about.
    Sometimes in different parts of the world the same product may have different calories amounts due to slightly different ingredients. Also when companies frequently change the recipes the calories can differ slightly so the calories could have been correct when originally entered. Also your bread example maybe the person weighed each individual slice (I do) and the weight (so therefore the calories) could be different

    I find it strange that you automatically think people are doing this on purpose. Personally a mixture of the above and user error seems more likely.

    This...
    If I notice a discrepancy, I usually just edit the entry so I know which one to pick out next and move on. I will also look for entries that say (Canada) as that's where I gt my food and the nutritional values are sometimes a bit different and more accurate for what I have than the non Canada ones...Sometimes they're the same, but the county it's purhcased in can sometimes make a bit of a difference.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    The amount of calories written on the nutritional information label on food packaging s often horribly inacurate anyway.

    Take a can of Pepsi and Coca Cola, for example. Pepsi clains on 355mL (12oz) contains 150 calories, whereas Coca Cola claims it's 140 calories. Pepsi has 41g of sugar, and CocoCola has 39g.

    Pepsi: 4 calories per g of carbs * 41g of sugar (carbs) = 164 calories.

    CocoCola: 4 * 39 = 156 calories.

    They're both way off the mark. For theoretical sake, if you consumed what you thought was 2000 calories from these beverages (13 cans of Pepsi, 14 cans of CocoCola), you'd have logged 1950 calories from Pepsi, but actually consumed 2132 calories. Coke: 1960 logged but 2184 consumed. That's a difference of 182-224 calories per day. That's half a pound per week!

    Obviously no one is going to drink allof their calories through soda (though I've seen amny people do half of their calories through beer), but if it's this far off for soda, who's to say it would be any more accurate with any other food product?

    Basically, my point is, is people should ignore calories consumed and go by their macros. If you aim for calories, you're going to be constantly off.
  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
    macros? How do you measure macros?
  • dcc56
    dcc56 Posts: 172 Member
    I can't believe how many times I find inaccurate entries in the database.
    I have suggested to MFP that the database REALLY NEEDS A CLEAN UP.
    I suggested that if a food has less than FIVE or maybe even TEN user confirmations....get rid of it.
    Lets start this over and do a better job of being accurate!
    We can all be more diligent to confirm the information and get the database more accurate.
    They basically ignored my suggestion.
    I figure at least I am tracking, and trying to get the accurate information as best I can.
    But come on users....do your part to enter accurate information. Double check your entries.
    Thank you!
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
    i agree that it sucks to have wrong info in there but actually find that some of the food i buy does actually change its macros and nutrition. I guess products evolve and there is no real mechanism to get it fixed inside of this database. That being said I'm not sure what I would do without this database. I use to pay for Weight Watchers years ago and their database was even worse.

    To clarify what i meant is essentially companies sometimes change the recipe and therefor the nutrition. It's why there are double entries in there at times - one is the old information and the other is new. One will say 140 calories and the other 170. For that matter try weighing your bread just for a laugh at times. The supermarket sliced bread is always wrong - thing like chicken wings say "approximately 3 wings (100 grams)" - I've weighed wings in the past and it never tends to be 3 wings (I wish). Ultimately its about doing the best with the info you have and trying to get as close as you can.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
    macros? How do you measure macros?

    Macros are assigned when you get your calories for the day in MFP. Fat is 9cals per gram, Carbs & protein are 4 cals per gram. For instance i get 2160 calories - 64 Fat, 138 Protein & 258 carbs.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    I've noticed something as of late. There are people on the website not being honest about the amount of calories is according to the package.

    Great Value white bread is 170 calories per 2 slices, not 140 calories per two slices.
    I noticed this is happening with some of the higher calorie items.

    I feel when you put in the wrong amount of calories into the database you're not only being dishonest to yourself but to others who are taking your word for it.

    It also leaves room for consuming more calories then you think you are per day. That's my two cents and something to think about.

    Create your own database entries. /thread
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    As other have said, formulas change all the time, plus there are regional differences. It helps to check the most recent confirmation date in addition to the number of confirmations.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    i agree that it sucks to have wrong info in there but actually find that some of the food i buy does actually change its macros and nutrition. I guess products evolve and there is no real mechanism to get it fixed inside of this database. That being said I'm not sure what I would do without this database. I use to pay for Weight Watchers years ago and their database was even worse.

    To clarify what i meant is essentially companies sometimes change the recipe and therefor the nutrition. It's why there are double entries in there at times - one is the old information and the other is new. One will say 140 calories and the other 170. For that matter try weighing your bread just for a laugh at times. The supermarket sliced bread is always wrong - thing like chicken wings say "approximately 3 wings (100 grams)" - I've weighed wings in the past and it never tends to be 3 wings (I wish). Ultimately its about doing the best with the info you have and trying to get as close as you can.

    This is why I will double check items that I frequently use on occasion.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    I have noticed this too, but I have found in some of those situations you need to look a little closer. The serving size on the actual product may not be the same as what the user entered into MFP.

    Another thing, the user may have done, what some others have eluded to already in this thread, is actually weigh out their portions. I have found in so many situations that the recommended slices or volume doesn't come close to what the weight of a serving in grams or ounces is. Yes, I have actually weighed my slices of bread to see and many times they are off.

    As LolBroScience said, if you don't like what you find, enter your own. Heck, you can create your own database totally separate from the MFP database that no one else has access too.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    I have noticed this too, but I have found in some of those situations you need to look a little closer. The serving size on the actual product may not be the same as what the user entered into MFP.

    Another thing, the user may have done, what some others have eluded to already in this thread, is actually weigh out their portions. I have found in so many situations that the recommended slices or volume doesn't come close to what the weight of a serving in grams or ounces is. Yes, I have actually weighed my slices of bread to see and many times they are off.

    As LolBroScience said, if you don't like what you find, enter your own. Heck, you can create your own database totally separate from the MFP database that no one else has access too.

    ^ This what what I do. Nearly every single entry I have is my own entry in grams
  • lasombrs
    lasombrs Posts: 30
    I scan every item on my phone. but i have noticed some come up wrong. I then just search the name in the database and usually more then 1 will pop up. I scroll til i find a correct one. The formula either changed or someone typed quickly and hit a wrong key. its my job to make sure i log correctly not the job of others so how can i blame them the numbers aren't right if i was to lazy to find and input the correct ones?
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    I have noticed this too, but I have found in some of those situations you need to look a little closer. The serving size on the actual product may not be the same as what the user entered into MFP.

    Another thing, the user may have done, what some others have eluded to already in this thread, is actually weigh out their portions. I have found in so many situations that the recommended slices or volume doesn't come close to what the weight of a serving in grams or ounces is. Yes, I have actually weighed my slices of bread to see and many times they are off.

    As LolBroScience said, if you don't like what you find, enter your own. Heck, you can create your own database totally separate from the MFP database that no one else has access too.

    ^ This what what I do. Nearly every single entry I have is my own entry in grams

    LoL, my wife and I fight over the settings on our electric scale. I keep trying to tell her grams are more accurate but she keeps setting it to ounces. Granted that is better than not weighing at all, but still not the most accurate.

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