None of you log sweet potatoes?

W_Stewart
W_Stewart Posts: 237 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
The food database is slam full of crazy custom entries for sweet potatoes, all of them user contributed. How come no entries with a handful of people agreeing to the nutritional values? I spent 10 minutes trying to log the sweet potato I just steamed and ate. Man I hate that food database.

Which entry would you use? Am I missing out on how to search for these?
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Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    look up usda, raw (with or without skin)
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    Search usda sweet potato
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    The USDA one.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    I choose the entries without an * whenever possible, otherwise I go with the entry with the most confirmations.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I dislike plain sweet potatoes so only have them in recipes. There is an entry for "sweet potato, raw, unprepared" which Is what I would probably choose if I was having one plain.
  • W_Stewart
    W_Stewart Posts: 237 Member
    OK. Now what? 0 confirmations, all user contributed.

    WmxnKvp.png
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    I would probably just scan it
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited June 2015
    I weigh them on my food scale in grams, before cooking. Then I find the calories using Nutrition Data (I don't track food here on MFP).
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    There should be one with a green shield next to it that means it's verified
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    edited June 2015
    I don't care for sweet potatoes, but I do like Yams. I use this one. Its correct. (I verified.): Generic - Yams by Ounce, Baked Boiled or Steamed, oz
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Scanning only takes you to member entries these days so there is no guarantee of accuracy unfortunately and the USDA entries seem to be member entries as well. Use the entry with no * because that is an MFP site entry and should be more accurate, otherwise look for the ones with the most confirmations
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    wahoowad wrote: »
    OK. Now what? 0 confirmations, all user contributed.

    WmxnKvp.png

    AAhk3TW.png
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Look for the one that has information matching this if you want to log it based on the uncooked value:
    eua1atj23fhg.jpg
    (screenshot is from the USDA database)
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3242?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=sweet+potato

    I don't see anything in the USDA for a steamed sweet potato. They have steamed sweet potato leaves. I typically log my foods based on raw weight.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,601 Member
    lseed87 wrote: »
    I would probably just scan it

    Your vegies come with barcodes? o_0
  • swole_elsa
    swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    lseed87 wrote: »
    I would probably just scan it

    Your vegies come with barcodes? o_0

    How convenient would that be though?!
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    ChrisM8971 wrote: »
    Scanning only takes you to member entries these days so there is no guarantee of accuracy unfortunately and the USDA entries seem to be member entries as well. Use the entry with no * because that is an MFP site entry and should be more accurate, otherwise look for the ones with the most confirmations

    While that's true, it's getting harder and harder to find entries with no *.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    If it's something you eat often just go to the usda website for the nutrition info and create your own entry.
  • Agathokakological
    Agathokakological Posts: 136 Member
    I eat a lot of the same foods and have found crazy variances in the database. I just look up the nutritional information and create my own foods without adding them to the mess that is the database. That way I don't have to search every time I want to log a food, and I know it's right, or as close to right as it's going to get.
  • arachnofobia7
    arachnofobia7 Posts: 50 Member
    For this very reason I stopped logging on MFP, it takes way too long to find the correct item and the measurement units are ridiculous!!! How do you quantify ''cup'' or ''serving''? I found an external website that provides nutritional values measured either by grams or mililiters (not cups, teaspoons etc) and use it instead MFT. Very often all I use as guidance is packaging information to determine calorific value.
  • boomhower1820
    boomhower1820 Posts: 86 Member
    arachnofobia7 wrote: »
    For this very reason I stopped logging on MFP, it takes way too long to find the correct item and the measurement units are ridiculous!!! How do you quantify ''cup'' or ''serving''? I found an external website that provides nutritional values measured either by grams or mililiters (not cups, teaspoons etc) and use it instead MFT. Very often all I use as guidance is packaging information to determine calorific value.

    what do you use?
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    lseed87 wrote: »
    I would probably just scan it

    Your vegies come with barcodes? o_0

    How convenient would that be though?!

    Some do. Say if you purchase a sack of sweet potatoes, avocados, onions, etc... it'll have a barcode on the tag.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I log them using the USDA-raw selection. Always weigh them before cooking. If I bake them I weigh with skin on because I eat the skin. If I roast or boil them I peel before weighing.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    allaboutthecake wrote: »
    I don't care for sweet potatoes, but I do like Yams. I use this one. Its correct. (I verified.): Generic - Yams by Ounce, Baked Boiled or Steamed, oz

    YAMS?!

    Friends-3_3040527k.jpg
  • arachnofobia7
    arachnofobia7 Posts: 50 Member
    http://www.nutracheck.co.uk/CaloriesIn/Product/Search?desc=sweet+potatoe
    boomhower1820 wrote: »
    arachnofobia7 wrote: »
    For this very reason I stopped logging on MFP, it takes way too long to find the correct item and the measurement units are ridiculous!!! How do you quantify ''cup'' or ''serving''? I found an external website that provides nutritional values measured either by grams or mililiters (not cups, teaspoons etc) and use it instead MFT. Very often all I use as guidance is packaging information to determine calorific value.

    what do you use?


    http://www.nutracheck.co.uk/CaloriesIn/Product/Search?desc=sweet+potatoe

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    wahoowad wrote: »
    OK. Now what? 0 confirmations, all user contributed.

    WmxnKvp.png

    AAhk3TW.png

    This. When logging whole foods rather than specific products, always go for the non-asterisk entry if possible (and if you don't have time to check yourself). Not only is it more reliably accurate (it's USDA info input by MFP), but it's usually got the various data on nutrients like potassium filled in.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This. When logging whole foods rather than specific products, always go for the non-asterisk entry if possible (and if you don't have time to check yourself). Not only is it more reliably accurate (it's USDA info input by MFP), but it's usually got the various data on nutrients like potassium filled in.

    It sure would be nice if MFP database automatically displayed all non-asterisk items at the top of the list. Sometimes it is a huge PITA to scroll through to find them.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This. When logging whole foods rather than specific products, always go for the non-asterisk entry if possible (and if you don't have time to check yourself). Not only is it more reliably accurate (it's USDA info input by MFP), but it's usually got the various data on nutrients like potassium filled in.

    It sure would be nice if MFP database automatically displayed all non-asterisk items at the top of the list. Sometimes it is a huge PITA to scroll through to find them.

    I could not agree more.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This. When logging whole foods rather than specific products, always go for the non-asterisk entry if possible (and if you don't have time to check yourself). Not only is it more reliably accurate (it's USDA info input by MFP), but it's usually got the various data on nutrients like potassium filled in.

    It sure would be nice if MFP database automatically displayed all non-asterisk items at the top of the list. Sometimes it is a huge PITA to scroll through to find them.

    yeah or figuring out the right combination of search terms to get the right result to show

    annoying as *kitten*
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited June 2015
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    wahoowad wrote: »
    OK. Now what? 0 confirmations, all user contributed.

    WmxnKvp.png

    AAhk3TW.png

    I use this one!
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    arachnofobia7 wrote: »
    For this very reason I stopped logging on MFP, it takes way too long to find the correct item and the measurement units are ridiculous!!! How do you quantify ''cup'' or ''serving''? I found an external website that provides nutritional values measured either by grams or mililiters (not cups, teaspoons etc) and use it instead MFT. Very often all I use as guidance is packaging information to determine calorific value.

    The official non asterisk entries should have multiple serving sizes: cups, tablespoons, grams, ounces, 100g, etc. They made a change where the official MFP entry showed up at the top of results but I'm not sure I thought I heard that got broke again. Either way, once I find an item, I seem to have it almost permanently for continuous use (from my Recents area), which on the iOS app I discovered appears to store a ton of items

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