Need Best Method of Determining Calories in Casserole Type Meals

tim579
tim579 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys... new to MFP, here. Turned on to it by my daughter who has used successfully for one year.

Question Re: Stir Fry, Chili, casseroles, stews, etc:

In dishes such as these, can accurate calorie count per bowl (regardless of bowl size) be determined by 1. calculating total calories in entire pot; 2. determine weight of entire pot; 3. calculate calories per ounce in pot; 4. weigh each serving and calculate count for that serving?

I understand that I need a food scale for things like meats but will the above provide an accurate count for these types of meals?

Thanks much!

Replies

  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    edited January 2015
    I believe that method is as accurate as the sum of the calorie counts of the individual ingredients, assuming that you get a homogenous mix in each portion. It is certainly more accurate than pure guesswork.

    I usually calculate the total calories per recipe, then divide by the number of "bowls" or servings. Your way sounds a little more accurate than mine, and mine seems to be working well enough for now.
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
    yes. I've used the recipe builder, & sometimes edit the recipe based on the total # cups it made, making the default serving 1 cup, then charging myself 2 servings for 2 cups, etc. You could do that with weight, ie, weigh the empty pot/saucepan, cook your meal, then weigh it again. Difference is the weight of the whole dish.
    If it's in a casserole dish (ie, square or round) you can either do it as you suggested, or cut into 4 (or 6 or 8) equal portions, then 1 portion = 1/4 (1/6, 1/8) of your total.
    Hope that makes sense!!
  • csitton963
    csitton963 Posts: 1
    Hi Tim,

    Congratulations on joining MFP. I'm fairly new too. I found what works best for me on dishes like that is to 'manually enter' the recipe under the recipe tab. You can enter the number of servings/portions per recipe and all the exact ingredients. Once you've done that, just select the number of servings/portions you have at a meal and the program will take care of the rest. When you enter your food, just go to the recipe tab and select that dish. For me at least, if it becomes too much of a burden then it's not likely to last. It seems like the creators of this program knew that well when they allowed you to enter your recipes. Good luck!
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    There is a place on MFP where you can enter your recipe. Once you have it calculates the nutritional information and calories per serving. I find that is much easier than trying to calculate how much of each ingredient per serving.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Definitely use the recipe builder! Weigh everything that goes into your recipe, then record the recipe. Make sure to note the weight of your casserole dish before you fill it. When your casserole is finished, weigh it.

    If you record your recipe in the number of grams the finished casserole weighs (subtracting out the weight of the dish), you can take varied serving sizes. Say your finished casserole weighs 1000 grams. Record your recipe as having 1000 servings and if you eat 1/4 of it, weigh it and it should say 250g, which you'd record as 250 servings.

    The only problem with this does come with leftovers. I've noticed some loss of weight to a dish due to condensation in my fridge, but I can't imagine it accounting for too many calories.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Yes do that ...enter weight of raw ingredients in the recipe builder, weigh the cooked food and divide by number of 100g (or 1 oz) servings that make it up and you can log it
  • tim579
    tim579 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks much for all the quick responses. We are using the recipe builder and for more solid type casseroles I can see where cutting into serving sizes. However, with soup, chile, spaghetti sauce, etc. it is difficult to determine the amount each person scoops. I think weighing will be pretty easy to do and should be accurate. My wife and I are both using MFP and find it much easier than anything we've done before. Happy Health!!
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    edited January 2015
    This assumes an even mix/distribution of the ingredients.

    You can't scrape all the icing off a cake, weigh it, and call it the same as a serving of the whole cake, right?

    Just try to keep servings same-same as far as distribution of the various ingredients and it should work out just fine.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited January 2015
    Here's how I do it...

    Weigh each individual ingredient before it goes in. Total up the calories in the whole mess by entering it is a single meal in the MFP, say Lunch. Save the meal.

    Delete all the entries on my log in Lunch.

    Total up the number of bowls it goes into and add that amount each time I have some. So, it I have a serving when I make it and there are four more bowls, I'm adding .2 of the meal each time. Whatever percentage you need, based on the bowls.

    Each serving may be wrong, but the total amount eaten over the course of however many days I eat it will still be accurate.

    There might be an easier way to do it. That's mine. The recipe thing never worked for me, so I quit it.

    I left out the part where I accidentally add the peas without remembering to weigh them and then guess about the peas. I don't recommend that you follow that step, hence the exclusion. But in the name of Honesty, that step must be included. :)
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