a free app to tell you what food to eat for nutrition
cwhomewood
Posts: 8 Member
Have bene using myfitnesspal for about 3 years, now I am trying to eat a bit healthier, sp am eating as usual during the day, but when it comes to my evening meal am looking beforehand at where I am on my consumption of vitamins/minerals etc according to myfitnesspal (for some reason the app gives you more info than the website does on the diary page?) So what I want is an app where I can list all that I am short in, which then will give you a full list of foods that contain those vitamins/minerals, from best (one fruit/veg containing more than 1 of your requirements) to worst.
Not had any luck so far, anyone else?
For example been short of calcium so had a yogurt in the evening, short on iron the other day so looked online for a list of things that contained it and went out and bought some spinach (which then confused me by not having iron listed on its list of nutrients on the packaging). Last night was short of vitamin A & D didn't bother doing the research, but if i had such an app could have found out straight away.
Just thought other than having to trawl through threads here, could do with one handy free app that tells you what you need to know straight away.
Not had any luck so far, anyone else?
For example been short of calcium so had a yogurt in the evening, short on iron the other day so looked online for a list of things that contained it and went out and bought some spinach (which then confused me by not having iron listed on its list of nutrients on the packaging). Last night was short of vitamin A & D didn't bother doing the research, but if i had such an app could have found out straight away.
Just thought other than having to trawl through threads here, could do with one handy free app that tells you what you need to know straight away.
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I wouldn't rely on MFP for micronutritional accuracy - most foods don't have entries for these things included. I'd just ensure I was eating a range of foods, colours, variety etc.0
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Google0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »I wouldn't rely on MFP for micronutritional accuracy - most foods don't have entries for these things included. I'd just ensure I was eating a range of foods, colours, variety etc.
^^^This
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Just eat a variety of food0
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It would be nice if ALL food packages had ALL the basic nutritional info on it - some products have potassium listed, some don't. One brand of yogurt does, another brand doesn't - doesn't mean the 2nd yogurt doesn't have potassium.
It is frustrating when you want to meet your nutrition goals, and the food is missing info.
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It would be nice if ALL food packages had ALL the basic nutritional info on it - some products have potassium listed, some don't. One brand of yogurt does, another brand doesn't - doesn't mean the 2nd yogurt doesn't have potassium.
It is frustrating when you want to meet your nutrition goals, and the food is missing info.
The big thing is that food labels are not required to list every single micronutrient the food contains. Currently, the FDA mandates that vitamin A, vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron be listed on the labels, though companies can add additional micros. Current proposals (fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm) for a new nutrition facts panel will remove vitamin A and C and calories from fat and replace it with potassium, vitamin D, and added sugars.0 -
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Oh jeez..why remove vitamin A and C?! !!!0
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How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.
I have to ask: Why remove calories from fat? Is it because fat doesn't make you fat? No, wait. That's not right...
I do like the idea of putting potassium on the label. That's something that people seem to struggle getting (unless they cook all their foods at home).0 -
I don't know what purpose it serves to know the "calories from fat" - isn't it really about the total calories?
I can see maybe removing vitamin C - it's really really easy to get enough vitamin C0 -
I don't know what purpose it serves to know the "calories from fat" - isn't it really about the total calories?
I can see maybe removing vitamin C - it's really really easy to get enough vitamin C
Wait. There's a section that reads "calories from fat" that's separate from the total calories? I've never seen that before.0 -
How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.
Although it is important to protect you skin from sun damage, if you are wearing sunscreen or your skin is covered with clothing - it's almost impossible to absorb enough sunlight to help your body make Vitamin D. Something to think about.
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chivalryder wrote: »I don't know what purpose it serves to know the "calories from fat" - isn't it really about the total calories?
I can see maybe removing vitamin C - it's really really easy to get enough vitamin C
Wait. There's a section that reads "calories from fat" that's separate from the total calories? I've never seen that before.
Yes there is. It's somewhat pointless if you ask me...but nobody did,
ha ha
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Because of the low-fat craze there probably was a suggestion somewhere from some expert to make sure that you don't have more than x amount of calories from fat per day..that's probably why that is included.0
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chivalryder wrote: »How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.
Unfortunately this isn't so easy for those of us in climates where there is not enough UVB between November and March to make vitamin D. (Which means all the more reason to get outside as often as possible between April and October to build up reserves
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Because of the low-fat craze there probably was a suggestion somewhere from some expert to make sure that you don't have more than x amount of calories from fat per day..that's probably why that is included.
We don't have that in Australia. We get some imported products from the US and I can't stand your labelling (no offence!). We have a column for nutritional info per serve, and also per 100g. It makes comparison so much easier. Fat just goes in the list with everything else0 -
Don't forget that one gets very little to no vitamin D from the sun during the winter months if they live above a certain latitude (I think it was anything north of Pittsburgh), even if they're outside a ton. Sunscreen also inhibits vitamin D production within the skin.chivalryder wrote: »
How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.0 -
_SammieGirl_ wrote: »
How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.
Although it is important to protect you skin from sun damage, if you are wearing sunscreen or your skin is covered with clothing - it's almost impossible to absorb enough sunlight to help your body make Vitamin D. Something to think about.
You need ridiculously fair skin to get a burn from being outdoors for 15 minutes.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Because of the low-fat craze there probably was a suggestion somewhere from some expert to make sure that you don't have more than x amount of calories from fat per day..that's probably why that is included.
We don't have that in Australia. We get some imported products from the US and I can't stand your labelling (no offence!). We have a column for nutritional info per serve, and also per 100g. It makes comparison so much easier. Fat just goes in the list with everything else
30+ years ago, when I was in 7th grade / junior high, we had to learn the metric system because "within a few years, everything in the US will be metric."
LIES, LIES, LIES.
It would make a heckuva lot more sense if the nutrition info was based on something like "Per 100g." That would be AWESOME. Even if it were ounces, that would be better than the system now which is very arbitrary. Apparently the serving sizes, from what I read somewhere, were based on not some industry standard, but what a sub set of people reported they considered a serving size.
That's why ice cream has a 1/2 cup as a serving size. Nobody I know over the age of 2 eats only 1/2 cup of ice cream in one sitting.
I agree our nutritional information labeling system here is really dumb. I would love for everything to be metric, and labeled per 100g.
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You need ridiculously fair skin to get a burn from being outdoors for 15 minutes.
Not my point - but you are correct. I was just pointing out that your skin needs to be exposed to the sunlight to have any benefit. With all the use of sunscreens - even in lotions and make up, it eliminates any benefit you may have received for that 15 minutes.
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Don't forget that one gets very little to no vitamin D from the sun during the winter months if they live above a certain latitude (I think it was anything north of Pittsburgh), even if they're outside a ton. Sunscreen also inhibits vitamin D production within the skin.chivalryder wrote: »
How to get the RDA of Vitamin D in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Walk outside.
Step 2. Stay outside for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Walk back inside.
Voila. You now have enough Vitamin D to survive another day.
That part is true. SAD (Seasonal Affected Depression) is real in Canada.
HOWEVER, you get next to no Vitamin D from nearly every food out there. The only foods that have a decent amount is fish. The next closest is Portabello Mushrooms at 63% of your intake per cup. Who's going to eat that much mushroom in a day?
IMO, regardless of how much you eat, if you don't live in a sunny area, you should be supplementing Vit. D during the winter months. During the summer months, I wouldn't be concerned about it.
ETA: Side note: SAD is my favourite acronym for a disorder ever.0 -
_SammieGirl_ wrote: ».
You need ridiculously fair skin to get a burn from being outdoors for 15 minutes.
Not my point - but you are correct. I was just pointing out that your skin needs to be exposed to the sunlight to have any benefit. With all the use of sunscreens - even in lotions and make up, it eliminates any benefit you may have received for that 15 minutes.
Agreed. Doesn't work if you cover up.
However, I did read that you only need your face or arms exposed to the sun for 15 minutes to get enough Vitamin D. Take my word for what it is. I'm not going to look up evidence to back this up. All I'm saying is that I'm not overly concerned about Vitamin D and that I think it's silly to put it on labels because it's such a hard thing to get from food.0 -
I have for the last few months been keeping track of my vitamins as well as carb/pro/fat and I have found the above to definitely be true for me. Lots of A and C but my labs showed a very low vitamin D level. 16 was my level and it's supposed to be at least at 40. I have read similar articles that most americans are seriously low on D. That includes my husband as well. We've been making it a point to get sun on the larger parts of our body for a few minutes on the weekends( I am one of those who burns very quickly, I'm 2 shades lighter than chalk lol), and been taking orally absorbable Vitamin D.
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