Fiber

tomk68
tomk68 Posts: 6 Member
edited November 14 in Food and Nutrition
I don't understand how I can eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables all day long plus whole grains and not hit my recommended fiber intake. My speculation is that my definition of a "cup" is a lot larger than Fitness Pal's.

Replies

  • jddnw
    jddnw Posts: 319 Member
    A cup is 8 ounces.
  • tomk68
    tomk68 Posts: 6 Member
    So a cup of raw spinach is basically a bag.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    If you smoosh it...(apparently "smoosh" is not a word")
    Watch when you track your food...not all of what is in MFP has all of the nutrients correct.
  • llavengood89
    llavengood89 Posts: 2 Member
    Does MFP track fiber? And if so, where? Thanks :smile:
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    tomk68 wrote: »
    I don't understand how I can eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables all day long plus whole grains and not hit my recommended fiber intake. My speculation is that my definition of a "cup" is a lot larger than Fitness Pal's.

    What is your fiber goal? If you're eating tons of fruits and veggies then you're probably doing fine and shouldn't stress about it.

    BTW, I wouldn't recommend eating a lot of fiber from whole grains to compensate. That didn't work out too well in this study discussed by Stephen Guyenet:

    http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/02/dietary-fiber-and-mineral-availability.html


  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    llavengood89 wrote: »
    Does MFP track fiber? And if so, where? Thanks :smile:

    Yes, you can select exactly what you want to track and not track. I believe it's somewhere in the settings section.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Some entries don't have complete nutritional info, so it could be that?
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    You won't know how much fiber (or calories or protein or anything else) you're consuming unless you weigh the food. The same goes for any solid food. I generally tend to use the generic USDA food database entries (the entries without an asterisk, apart from any you've entered yourself) or the labels off a product I'm holding in my hand - the other entries are suspect IMO.
  • jddnw
    jddnw Posts: 319 Member
    tomk68 wrote: »
    So a cup of raw spinach is basically a bag.

    Sorry, 8 fluid ounces. A "cup" means an 8 fluid ounce measuring cup.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    dopeysmelly wrote: »
    You won't know how much fiber (or calories or protein or anything else) you're consuming unless you weigh the food. The same goes for any solid food. I generally tend to use the generic USDA food database entries (the entries without an asterisk, apart from any you've entered yourself) or the labels off a product I'm holding in my hand - the other entries are suspect IMO.

    This. It's not the only reason a scale will make a huge difference in your tracking, either. You're probably getting a lot more than you realize, now. It's also possible you're expecting it in places where it's not really that high. A lot of vegetables only have 1 or 2g per serving.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    jddnw wrote: »
    tomk68 wrote: »
    So a cup of raw spinach is basically a bag.

    Sorry, 8 fluid ounces. A "cup" means an 8 fluid ounce measuring cup.

    Exactly.

    Weigh everything that isn't liquid.

    Also, add your own entries to ensure all nutritional information is included.
  • Kida_Adeylne
    Kida_Adeylne Posts: 201 Member
    Another factor, besides for weighing and making sure the logs are correct, is that MFP seems to alter the amount of fibre you need when you add exercise, even though it should stay as a constant. A healthy adult needs 21-38g a day, and the default on MFP is 25. So if it's showing red, you might actually be fine if you've logged exercise that day.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    3laine75 wrote: »
    Some entries don't have complete nutritional info, so it could be that?
    That's my guess. As @dopeysmelly notes, pick the USDA entries and the ones without stars. User entries might not have included fiber.
  • tomk68
    tomk68 Posts: 6 Member
    edited March 2015
    Personally, I think it's because a lot of the nutritional info is off. I mean it shows a glass of red wine containing cholesterol. And no matter how hard I try, I consume few processed foods, I way overshoot sodium every day.
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    I have been frustrated in getting more fiber in my diet as well. I have pretty much stopped drinking juice and eating the whole fruit instead. My search for a good whole wheat or whole grain bread is ongoing. I was told that bread should have 4 grams of fiber but I have yet to find one that has more than 2 grams. Also, at 100 calories a slice, I may as well eat white bread! It seems like there are many items on the shelves claim to be made of whole grains but when you look at the nutritional information on the package there really isn't that much. If a healthy adult needs at least 21 grams a day, I'm lucky if I'm getting half that most days.
  • gaurdgoose
    gaurdgoose Posts: 106 Member
    lentils and beans, berries, apples and potatoes if you eat the skin are good sources of fiber
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