Question about calculating calories in fruit:

SallyinIL wrote: »

If the fruit has a peel, such as a banana or a clementine, do I weigh it before I peel it or after? How is the database figured? Since I don't eat the peel, I'd like not to include it in the weight.

So don't. Only weigh the portion you eat.

No peel on the banana. Can be a pain! (Sticky fingers, haha)

isulo_kura wrote: »

Ninkyou wrote: »

If I'm eat just the banana I weigh it with the peel, eat the banana and then re-weigh the peel, subtract it from the first number. Otherwise I slice it up in a bowl and weigh that as I slice it.

Wow that's complicated. Why not just weigh it once it's peeled far simpler

She could be eating it out of the house and then weigh the peel when she returns

http://www.fitday.com/fitness/forums/fitday-custom-foods/5353-banana-log-peel-not.html

Interesting take on the banana

veevee1950 wrote: »

That's missing the point, she wants to know how the MFP database calculates the calories. I must admit it has me stumped on plenty of foods. Anyone know???

Agreed. I've often wondered this and just decided to use the 'with peel' assumption for the database calories. I'd rather overestimate, but it would be nice to know the answer to the question.

SallyinIL wrote: »

If the fruit has a peel, such as a banana or a clementine, do I weigh it before I peel it or after? How is the database figured? Since I don't eat the peel, I'd like not to include it in the weight.

Various databases utilize values from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (which is also referred to in the abbreviated fashion USDA SR-#, with the # reflecting which release version was used).

In that database, they explicitly state "Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion." -- but many databases don't explicitly state such, though most (if not all) would tend to involve the assumption of 'edible portion only' (though could/would include, for food items which could be eaten with or without a skin, rind, etc., having separate listings that explicitly state such (an example for a commonly eaten item which is sometimes eaten with the skin, and sometimes not, would be a potato -- and the database entries for such will tend to in some way indicate whether the entry is for "skinless", or "with skin", or "whole", etc.)).


Edited to Add: when it comes to various fruits that have peels or rinds, and that have somewhat limited variation in size, the databases also tend to have a listing for such foods that involves a kind of small/medium/large/x-large set of options, and which have corresponding length or diameter -based specs (and sometimes 'ranges').

The MFP database listings for bananas do include length specs corresponding to x-small/small/medium/large/x-large. Obviously, this wouldn't be as accurate as utilizing the weight of the edible portion, but for those who don't specifically weigh the edible part of a banana, it would allow for a ballpark number that is far better than 'pulling a number out of thin air'...