How am I suposed to cook for my family? =(

kathrynarnold
kathrynarnold Posts: 69
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
How do you cook for your family and still calculate the calorie intake? Any help? I seem to be falling off at dinner time because I don't know how to log what I make for dinner, so I usually don't calculate dinner, unless I make something simple.

Replies

  • eating4balance
    eating4balance Posts: 743 Member
    When I started, I automatically went to all of my "usual" dinner recipes and input them into myfitnesspal. Things like: Chili, pizza, sloppy joes, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, lasagna. Then, when I made those for supper, I could just pick the serving size, and I was done!

    Also, the homemade food stats on here are pretty reliable, so even if you are just guessing at the calories, that's better than nothing.

    GOOD LUCK!
  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
    Use the recipe calculator under the tools and input everything you use. You may need to figure out how much of each ingredient you use, but after a bit, it will get easier. Then think how many servings it makes and volia! Its a little more time consuming for larger meals, but completely worth it.
  • justann
    justann Posts: 276 Member
    I have started adding foods to my recipe box and I also measure whatever food I put on my plate.
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
    Use the recipe calculator under the tools and input everything you use. You may need to figure out how much of each ingredient you use, but after a bit, it will get easier. Then think how many servings it makes and volia! Its a little more time consuming for larger meals, but completely worth it.
    This, my recipe list is growing on here! Also I get a lot of recipes online and most of them have nutrition facts attached to them.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    Click food, click recipes, enter all ingredients, portion out dinner so you know how many of "YOUR" servings the meal makes, always bugs me that a recipe says makes 12... and it makes 4 of what makes you feel you actually ate something, when you enter it in your food journal you tell it how many servings you had and it enters it.

    For instance my home-made pretzels, recipe totals just under 2400 calories, makes 12 pretzels so each pretzel is 200 calories, still less than the chocolate bars I formerly snacked on!
    Actually thanks for bringing this up, I just noticed I've been over-estimating from my pancakes recipe lately as when I entered it on the site I used a double-batch... have to confirm calories there since I usually only make one batch at a time unless I'm planning on freezing some for the week.
  • Suzeesmu
    Suzeesmu Posts: 159 Member
    If I am cooking from a recipe (or just winging it and throwing things together) I try to weigh the ingredients and enter everything into the recipe calculator in the food section of MFP. It works beautifully!

    I bought a kitchen scale for measuring ingredients for breadmaking, and never realized how much I'd end up using it on a daily basis to keep my calories on track. I've even used it to weigh potato chips so I'd have an accurate calorie count. It is just about the most used tool in my kitchen (next to the recipe calculator on MFP)!

    If you go out, check for online nutrition values on the restaurant website for full info. Also great to check before you go so you can make smart choices when not under the pressure to order quickly. Planning ahead is great!
  • sewist
    sewist Posts: 40
    Ditto the above suggestions but I've also taken the opportunity to clean up my standard recipes, reducing fats where possible and carbs where practical but also simply reducing portion size. It's ok to ask for seconds but I don't automatically scoop up huge portions anymore. I also weigh everyone's meat. No more 10 oz burgers - and no one has complained. Benefits all our waistlines!
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