How do you log food when you have no idea how it's made?....

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Shua456
Shua456 Posts: 211
in Food and Nutrition
I went to a spaghetti dinner at church tonight and I have no idea how they made the sauce or even what type of spaghetti noodles they used. That doesn't even count the side dishes.

When you face a situation like that how do you log it? Just find a "generic" and log that? Please don't say you don't log it, I'm trying to be really, really good about logging my food - even if it's just an approximation.

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  • rainydayboys
    rainydayboys Posts: 79
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    I find a generic and log that. Better than nothing, right?
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    I look up similar stuff and add up what I think it is in my head... Then I use Quick Add Calories and put in the day's notes what it was that I ate. It's never going to be 100% accurate, but at least I have an idea of what I ate a couple of weeks down the track.
  • Liz915
    Liz915 Posts: 123
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    I find a generic and log that. If there are several in the database, I usually choose the one with the highest amount of calories... just to be safe ; )
  • JennMuc
    JennMuc Posts: 70
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    I find a few entries, compare cals to get an idea of what I should be seeing...and generally take the higher in the average range...
  • flyawaybyebye
    flyawaybyebye Posts: 250
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    I don't eat at events like that anymore, mostly thanks to my food allergies, but if I did, I'd do my best to estimate it using generics, and overestimate by a healthy amount to make sure I wasn't eating too much. And I'd be super careful tomorrow.
  • Moonbeamlissie
    Moonbeamlissie Posts: 504 Member
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    I find a generic and log that. If there are several in the database, I usually choose the one with the highest amount of calories... just to be safe ; )


    This is what I do as well!!!! Yesterday I had cabbage but I know it wasn't plain so I ended up just putting it under the highest which was like 70 cals. I know that it was most likely no where near that but... oh well.
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 707 Member
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    I went to a spaghetti dinner at church tonight and I have no idea how they made the sauce or even what type of spaghetti noodles they used. That doesn't even count the side dishes.

    When you face a situation like that how do you log it? Just find a "generic" and log that? Please don't say you don't log it, I'm trying to be really, really good about logging my food - even if it's just an approximation.

    I tend to go with a higher-than-average generic or commercial number--I'd rather overestimate than under. If I go to a local steakhouse and they don't have nutritional information, I'll look to another, similar steakhouse, find a like cut and style, and hope that their numbers are close.

    I always log. Even the 14 almonds I had today :-)

    Kris
  • MyJourney11
    MyJourney11 Posts: 97
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    If I were to eat pasta somewhere like that I would probably look up the same dish for like Olive Garden or somewhere similar. That way I feel like I'm logging enough calories and fat and everything else.
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
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    go generic and use the higher amount of calories
  • Janelle_Teaches
    Janelle_Teaches Posts: 155
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    If I were to eat pasta somewhere like that I would probably look up the same dish for like Olive Garden or somewhere similar. That way I feel like I'm logging enough calories and fat and everything else.

    I do that too! I find the 'resturant' version of what I ate..that way I know I am prob. over est. the calories :) I'm glad I'm not the only one!! :)...of course..sometimes it looks like all I do is eat out! lol
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
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    I find a generic and log that. If there are several in the database, I usually choose the one with the highest amount of calories... just to be safe ; )


    This is what I do as well!!!! Yesterday I had cabbage but I know it wasn't plain so I ended up just putting it under the highest which was like 70 cals. I know that it was most likely no where near that but... oh well.
  • emfoley2
    emfoley2 Posts: 30 Member
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    Me too. I get lunch at work and have to log generic/approximations of the chicken and other toppings - with some practice on what the portions sizes look like at home, I got the hang of it after a few weeks, and while the counts will never be exact, I agree that it is definitely worth the effort to estimate as best you can.
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    I find a generic and log that. Better than nothing, right?


    pretty much what she said
  • barnettbest
    barnettbest Posts: 2
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    i usually log the generic and choose the one with the highest amount of calories just to be on the safe side.
  • Shua456
    Shua456 Posts: 211
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    Thanks everyone. I did log a generic of everything I ate, I just wondered if there was a better way and it seems there's not. I appreciate the feedback.

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