The database is ridiculous

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2

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  • ohmscheeks
    ohmscheeks Posts: 840 Member
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    themonstermash wrote: »
    You do know you can add things to the database yourself right? If its in the database wrong why do you care? Just dont use it. Create a new food item, log it, and move on.
    Agreed, if you don't like it. Do the work yourself.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
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    themonstermash wrote: »
    You do know you can add things to the database yourself right? If its in the database wrong why do you care? Just dont use it. Create a new food item, log it, and move on.

    The problem is that sometimes it becomes a task to find a database entry that is accurate, and then it becomes a guessing game. For instance I know that a medium slice of peperoni pizza is around 210 calories, but there are entries in there saying it is 60 calories....some people may not know which is accurate. There should be a way to flag obvriously incorrect database entries.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
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    For anyone that is caught up on grams to oz you may want to learn some basic math. To keep it simple I say 1oz is 30 grams (i.e 2oz is 60g 8oz is 240g, 10oz is 300g).
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
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    I think the database is what you make of it. Yesterday I found 2 entries for a cheeseburger from Five Guys. Both had the same MACROS but the calories were off by 51 or 61 calories. Some quick MACRO math and I found the more accurate entry. I kind of like having to double-check them sometimes. Can you find some horror stories. . . sure. But it is free so sometimes when something is free you get what you pay for.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    You can make your own entires. That's what I did for everything. Trying to sift through all the inaccurate entries was more time consuming than just entering my own stuff and saving it. For produce, you can usually find it in the USDA database.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
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    Nice thing with the phone app is that it saves your previous selections which makes for much faster logging when you eat the same food later.
  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
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    Ive edited a few. Instead of making new entries, can't we just correct the other ones?
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    spacequiztime wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    I'm surprised at the number of entries that are completely wrong and others that don't have a gram listing. Whoever is logging the Lean Cuisine for 65 calories is doing themselves a great disservice.

    Does clicking "no" where it asks if the entry is correct do anything? After so many 'no' votes does the entry get deleted?

    I noticed there is an option when you add an entry on whether you want to share that entry to the database. Maybe that question should be more prominent and should include that you will still be able to use that entry - that it doesn't have to be shared into the database to use it another day.

    Homemade - Toast Peanut Butter and Jelly How much? 1 sandwich

    doesn't work for me.
    It allows you to edit the entry.

    Yeah, wading through the database was bad enough before the new verified system came along. I edited three entries for the same food yesterday because the first two seemed to disappear after the "Changes saved!" page.

    I have edited a couple of entries. But then I wonder, well, maybe this entry was actually correct for this food in another country and someone was using it. Now I've messed up their accurate (to them) entry. I know there are food ingredients used in the US that aren't allowed to be used in Europe that may throw off macros or calories for their version and the US version. So maybe Kraft cheese slice is off by 20 calories. Is that because the entry is completely incorrect or is just regionally incorrect.

  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
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    I use the bar code option on the app if possible and then search USDA for items such as produce and meat to get the most accurate calories.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    bbontheb wrote: »
    Ive edited a few. Instead of making new entries, can't we just correct the other ones?
    Unless they're verified, yes. It's a little easier than going around and making new entries. Still pretty annoying

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Its hardly surprising that entries entered by users can often be inaccurate, so as others have said dont use it , eneter your own or just edit the version. It annoys me when I find them to be inaccurate as well as incomplete becayse im one of those people who believe if you are going to enter something then you have a duty to consider those who will use it afterwards and to do ity properly. Not soemthing to fret over and its faster to just change it.
  • sunnyazgirl
    sunnyazgirl Posts: 271 Member
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    I have a question about entering new foods. I have entered new foods mostly under "My Foods". Do those go nto the database? If not, how do I enter foods into the data base? I don't see that as an option. I usually am using my phone. I do know the actual website has more options. Is it there?
  • purpleposies
    purpleposies Posts: 90 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I'm so appreciative of the database, even if sometimes I have to weed through a few bad entries to find the one that works for me. If that thing didn't exist, I'd have to enter every last bit of nutrition information myself and lord knows that ain't gonna happen.

    But yeah, edit the entries you can. Add your own if it makes you feel more comfortable/better. And after a while you'll have things in your Recent/My Foods list to select from over and over again without having to worry about finding the 'right' entry.

    ETA: Try weighing in grams, not ounces, I've found that easier to find things. Also, instead of letting your food get cold, write down the weight or type it in a notepad app so you can add it to MFP later after you've enjoyed your meal! :smiley:
  • sunnyazgirl
    sunnyazgirl Posts: 271 Member
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    purpleposies wrote: »

    ETA: Try weighing in grams, not ounces, I've found that easier to find things. Also, instead of letting your food get cold, write down the weight or type it in a notepad app so you can add it to MFP later after you've enjoyed your meal! :smiley:
    Great suggestion for writing it down. Thank you. I just started really weighing everything and the time it takes has been my biggest concern. :)
  • sunnyazgirl
    sunnyazgirl Posts: 271 Member
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    I always check the calories on the package when using the brands and when I have a package available. But, I like the dea of usng the USDA for whole foods, especially when don't have a package avalable or if I am havng a problem finding grams. Searching for foods using the word "grams" at the end of my search term often works, too.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
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    Is there any way to edit a "verified" entry? I know it is incorrect per the package label.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    themonstermash wrote: »
    You do know you can add things to the database yourself right? If its in the database wrong why do you care? Just dont use it. Create a new food item, log it, and move on.

    The problem with this is that other users can modify your entries. So, you even need to verify what you entered every time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    themonstermash wrote: »
    You do know you can add things to the database yourself right? If its in the database wrong why do you care? Just dont use it. Create a new food item, log it, and move on.

    The problem with this is that other users can modify your entries. So, you even need to verify what you entered every time.

    Yeah unless you don't share it.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    HappyCampr1 wrote: »
    This is why I've mostly quit caring which brand I'm using and I just use the official entries. I know I'm using smucker's jam, but I use the preserves-jellies entry. I know I'm using Cabot extra sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese -cheddar entry is good enough for me. Same with olive oil, light sour cream.... The official Usda database entries may not match 100% accurate for what I'm eating in that particular meal, but the are "official" and apparently the average for the products tested and that's good enough for me. Plus, they always have the proper gram listings for me to use.

    How do you mean official, and how are you identifying these? Do you mean any entry that matches the USDA database, or MFP official non-asterisked entries? The asterisk for knowing which entries are MFP official went away with the introduction of verified foods. Only really matters when you're attempting to log a brand new food you've never eaten, and that isn't already saved in your foods/recents/frequents, etc...
  • Thoramann
    Thoramann Posts: 2 Member
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    So it drives me nuts to want to add a new entry and find all measurements are in "pieces" (one piece of pie, one medium apple) , "package", "cups" (for example 1 cup of lasagna... seriously) and so on ... I can't believe there's a country where the food you buy is measured in package or cups, on all containers you find grams, ml, oz and so on to at least have an exact measurement unit of what you pay for. A piece, slice or a package is not a unit of measurement...

    How would people like to get paid the salary in random sizes of "piles" of money :)

    I don't think a recipe can be considered verified when the quantity is so ambiguous.

    Cheers

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