mpf calorie/nutrition accuracy?

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WolffEarl
WolffEarl Posts: 379 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello there folks
Being relatively new to mpf I had a question regarding the accuracy of the nutrition and calorie information that pops up when we add our various foods to our daily counter. For example, I just had a cup of lupini Beans. The labels on the actual can state that one cup is 380 calories and 44 g of protein. The same brand (Unico) and amount of lupini beans according to mpf data base is only 320 calories and a mere 28 g of protein. Now I do not really care that much about the calorie differential but 16 g of protein difference is more than 50% discrepancy. I have found similar differences with other foods, both fresh, frozen and canned. Since a lot of folks seem to be counting their calories, checking their carb/protein/fat ratios, eating their calories back, etc. I wondered how reliable others have found the mpf data base. Does it all even out in the end? Does it over/underestimate certain nutritional info? Have any of you made similar comparison and found a wide range or is this just a fluke? Any feed back would be appreciated.
Thanks folks

Replies

  • Bridgetc140
    Bridgetc140 Posts: 405 Member
    I'll always check everything, before I put it in my diary. If you see a mistake, you can also edit it.
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    People add foods to the data base. You will find multiples of the same thing and i have found that almost all of them say different things, sometimes you'll find ones that just have the calories and nothing else. I try and log my own food using the labels, that way i know for sure.
  • lorinjer
    lorinjer Posts: 233 Member
    I always compare and if different then change it on here.
  • Kiwijay
    Kiwijay Posts: 216
    I find it hard because a lot of what we have here in NZ isn't in the database so I have to log the majority of my stuff in myself. It's good though because it means I know that what I eat is there and I don't get confused by 'guessing' foreign products that match what I am eating. I found one yesterday that someone had logged and had to addjust it as they had put in the kj instead of cals so instead of it being 162cals it was 702kj, I had a bit of a freak out moment till I realised what was wrong so adjusted it myself. It does pay to check! :flowerforyou:
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I always double check everything, even foods I've checked before or entered myself. Simply because labels can change. Not even counting regional differences (which can cause very large differences in nutrition labels) but sometimes companies change recipes or get foods re-evaluated. The most recent example I can think of are the Fiber One 90 calorie Chocolate PB flavor. I had entered the data into my foods and the product disappeared off the shelves for a bit, when it reappeared it had a new box design and new nutrition stats, so I had to update the info in my entry.

    But I've also seen label changes happen on Healthy Choice meals, Luna Bars, and plenty of other products. So my advice is to always check, and go with exactly what's on the label you're holding in your hand. The "My Foods" section of my app is huge because I always make sure I have the exact info to what I'm consuming, even if the difference may seem small. I go through it ever few months and remove stuff I know I won't be eating again, but overall it still stays pretty long. :)
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
    I'll always check everything, before I put it in my diary. If you see a mistake, you can also edit it.
    And once you edit that food, it will be reflected in your MY FOODS list which will make it easier to find in future.
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