Fresh Vegetables

searsvls
searsvls Posts: 164 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Should I log/count vegetables? I feel like if they are eaten raw or steamed that they should be free foods (especially if they are not root vegs). Any thoughts?

Replies

  • shawna48
    shawna48 Posts: 15 Member
    I log them regardless of their calorie count. I am aware it "takes more calories to digest them than they have"... but they still hold carbs and sodium which I monitor my intake of.

    Guess it matters what you use this food log for.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    I log them because they DO have nutritional value, plus sometimes I like to look back and see what I was munching on for a particular week or period of time.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I log mine. It helps to have accurate information when I'm reviewing my logs. I'm tracking more than just calories and I have a few hundred calories in fresh veggies most days that I want to account for in my nutrition goals.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I am a firm believer that you log everything except plain water.

    Your log is your database. If it's full of inaccurate entries, then how can you go back through the log later to determine what works well for your and what doesn't?
  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
    I definitely log my vegetables and am proud to do so. Vegetables have calories, some, more than others. Some vegetables are pretty high in carbs too. You need the nutrients and fiber and things in the veggies. You WANT that in your diary and food consumption. Logging veggies also helps you to learn which veggies that you are eating are better for you, and which ones to limit more ( example--trying not to overload on white potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc)--based on what YOU are trying to eat and how you feel about eating right.
  • amberj32
    amberj32 Posts: 663 Member
    I am a firm believer that you log everything except plain water.

    Your log is your database. If it's full of inaccurate entries, then how can you go back through the log later to determine what works well for your and what doesn't?

    I second this!!!
  • Koholint
    Koholint Posts: 104 Member
    Definitely log. If you're counting calories, count ALL the calories. Weigh them with a food scale and find them in the MFP database, making sure you distinguish between raw and cooked as the weights could be different.

    Say I have both broccoli and cherry tomatoes every day for a month (I must really like them!) and I don't count them. 25 cal for broccoli and 20 for cherry tomatoes... 45 cal a day, 315 cal a week, about 1,417 calories over a month (4 and a half weeks.)

    If you're counting calories to lose weight, 1,400 calories that you didn't realize you had could be problematic.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I log them unless it's, like, one paper-thin slice of onion on a sandwich or a handful of chives in an omelet or something. I probably eat 300-500 calories per day in vegetables, though; if I didn't log them I'd basically be eating an undocumented extra pound a week!
  • numinousnymph
    numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
    yes, i do log them unless it's a very miniscule amount (something that probably amounts to 25 calories or less). i'm vegan and a large portion of my food comes from vegetables! though you may eat less vegetables than i do, counting them is still necessary... because though they have fewer calories, they're still calories, and still add up.
  • LettinggoinCT
    LettinggoinCT Posts: 11
    Yes I log them.
  • oinkerjnn
    oinkerjnn Posts: 85 Member
    Like others have said, if I'm making a six or seven ingredient omelette, which I do pretty frequently, I won't log, "kale, tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms". I will put in the egg whites, protein, cheese,and Avocado, as they are more calorie rich.

    Veggies are chock full of nutrients, and those four little lines at the bottom of your diary are important to fill up too.
  • TurtleTape
    TurtleTape Posts: 254 Member
    I log veggies if it's a huge meal or recipe, but other than that I tend not to. I'll log the oil or butter I cook them in, but the veggies themselves not so much.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    I don't find that it's good practice to let things slide. I occasionally don't log spinach leaves on my sandwiches but other than that, I log my veggies. I eat several hundred calories of them most days so...
  • neveragain84
    neveragain84 Posts: 534 Member
    When I logged, I logged everything. Those "free" foods can add up fast. It keeps you accurate.
  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
    Yup. I log it! Mostly so I can see how I'm spreading out my food in the day. If I didn't log them, then I may look back say, one month and go hmmm... why was I eat 400 cals at breakfast and then only 200 at lunch? Surely I didn't eat JUST a chicken breast with salsa and sour cream with some cheese? Plus, even though veggies don't have that many cals, they are full of nutrients and water and fiber so... helps to know what you've been REALLY consuming should you have an issue with your guts or something.

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