A rant

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Dean31
Dean31 Posts: 38 Member
in Chit-Chat
I'm just a bit frustrated and wanted to voice it. The one major thing that really frustrates me about MFP is the user submitted portions. I see CONSTANTLY portions of "1 cup chopped" or "1 spear" when it comes to vegetables and such. This is absolutely ZERO help to me or anyone else for that matter. The smaller you chop something, the more of it, it takes to fill a cup, and your 1 broccoli spear can be a completely different size than mine. Why do people not realize this and just put in weights???? This is very frustrating!!!

Prime example: I'm looking for yellow onion and what do I find for portion sizes- "1 cup", "1 large", "1 small" UGH!

Replies

  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
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    I agree with this... you have to sift through like 7 entries to find one with weight. You can measure calories for a cup of sugar, but a cup of diced peppers? Not so much... with sizes, I usually just double it to be safe lol
  • DyannAlvarez
    DyannAlvarez Posts: 162 Member
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    To balance what I find on the MFP list I will (sometimes) compare it to what I find on CaloriKing.com. I've found it helpful. My preference would to do everything in ounces. That's easier if you ask me. I feel your pain but there is a way! Good luck. :noway:
  • sylvia1970
    sylvia1970 Posts: 134
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    I totally agree with you. Depends on the cup size etc etc.
  • velix
    velix Posts: 437 Member
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    /agree whole heartedly - and don't even get me started on portions (just follow the box / nutritional info on the packaging and do your own math / conversion pretty please!). For example - yesterday - i bought a 12oz skinny (skim milk) latte from Starbucks. Should not have been THAT hard to find the right one in the database since Starbucks lists it on it's site.... in the end I found a "Starbucks 1 Cup (canada) skim latte for the same nutritional values as the 12oz ... the problem (and I might be being petty) is that 12oz is NOT a cup... 8oz is a cup.... so why not simply enter the information as per the official website!?

    I have taken to building my own database in the "My Foods" section using a gamut of trusted sites for nutritional information and the packaging labels... while painstakingly long, at least I know the information is right
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    It would be nice but until the entire world actually starts using a food scale, it won't happen. :huh:

    As a side note, if you find errors and correct/edit them, the foods then show up under the MY FOODS tab which makes it easier to locate the corrected entries in future!
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    i normally only add stuff that was put in by MFP, otherwise, ill enter the nutritional info myself and add to MY foods, not for everybody else...because sometimes if im in a hurry i only put in some of the nutritional info...like sodium and fat and sugar, and come back and do the rest later, or never...
  • 343paul
    343paul Posts: 24
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    I just add my own entry.
  • spikess
    spikess Posts: 113 Member
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    nevermind! i reread an seen you were talkin about others entries! scuse me i'm half asleep!!

    i always use grams, mainly because i find cups confusing!!
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
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    Well for some I would imagine it a lot easier to list it in cups or ounces since a lot of people may not have scales to weigh the food out. I usually just choose the closest thing and always add a few extra to account for mistakes.
  • Trovan
    Trovan Posts: 133 Member
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    I totally agree with you. Depends on the cup size etc etc.

    I hope that was a joke.
  • SuzetteMerashino
    SuzetteMerashino Posts: 27
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    I tired to add something that I totally forget which is no help really but it was a breakfast bar or something but I went to add ONE serving of FOUR which makes sense, I had one bar from a packet of four and it told me I had to enter in in cups!
    I was like 'WHAT THE ****ENS!! Who eats a cup of biscuits!!!!'
    So in conclusion, I don't think MFP lets you enter it in whatever way you, the correct way! I totally agree with you, using cups as a measurement is not ideal at all!
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
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    And do keep in mind it's almost impossible be totally accurate with everything. Even the nutrition info that's on your food labels aren't 100% accurate. They are allowed to be off by up too 20 percent.
  • david081
    david081 Posts: 489 Member
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    Most people interested in losing weight should have kitchen scales - cups as a measurement is like Latin to me, it means nothing... I want grammes, preferably!
  • sylvia1970
    sylvia1970 Posts: 134
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    I totally agree with you. Depends on the cup size etc etc.

    I hope that was a joke.

    haha. Didn't realise till i'd posted it :wink:
  • clw_888
    clw_888 Posts: 157 Member
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    Does anyone know a way to filter out the options created by members vs. the correct site entered nutritional data?
  • Dean31
    Dean31 Posts: 38 Member
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    WOW, I totally never thought to look at the My Foods tab HAHA. That is such a huge help lol. I use Calorie King too and love it, but I only use the software and not the site, and really enjoy the social side of MFP. I use www.nutritiondata.self.com too and find it very useful.
  • BlindFaith
    BlindFaith Posts: 45
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    Generally I just add my own food (taking the information from the packet so I know it's right) in if I don't find what I'm looking for and to make sure I can find it again I always add "(Correct Values)" so I know which one is which.

    It's so much easier than spending ages trawling through what feels like a million different items!!

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