Confused as calories coming out very high

Double check the MFP entries that you've used against the package or another source, as some of them are way out. Also check the weight of the items you've used against the weight of the items in the recipe. Other than that, don't go off-plan with the recipe ;-)

SammyBoo1980 wrote: »

I get really confused with things that are spreadable like humous or vegetable spread, peanut butter etc. How many grams is an average knife spread lol?

There a few different methods for weighing. I build sandwiches on the scale, taring in between ingredients.

Anything with cheese, mayo AND humous is going to be calorie dense. Honestly, the only weigh to know is to way your food, regardless of the 'ball ache'

CurlyCockney wrote: »

SammyBoo1980 wrote: »

I get really confused with things that are spreadable like humous or vegetable spread, peanut butter etc. How many grams is an average knife spread lol?

There a a few different methods for weighing. I build sandwiches on the scale, taring in between ingredients.

I agree that a food scale is EXTREMELY useful for those hard to measure items, like mayo or shredded cheese. When I first started measuring my food, I used a food scale and was OCD about measuring everything, down to the exact gram. After a week or so, I had a pretty good idea of an accurate gram/calorie count for the things I regularly eat. Even today, after years of counting calories off and on, I still occasionally break out my food scale to keep myself honest and for new foods. I especially like to use my food scale for things like greens, such as spinach or kale, and for various fruits... when "1 cup" or "I large fruit" can vary greatly depending on if you pack the greens in the measuring cup or depending on what you consider to be a small vs. large piece of fruit. If I remember correctly, I initially bought a food scale from Walmart for 10 or 15 bucks and while I do have to change the batteries every few months, the scale has lasted for at least 5 or 6 years.

I spent 30 bucks on an Escala scale at a local kitchen gadget shop to replace my 10 dollar walmart one. ( it still worked i just got tired of having to flip it over to switch to grams every time i turned it on.) I then a few weeks later found the same scale at goodwill for 3 bucks. . i now have 2. lol

ktekc wrote: »

I spent 30 bucks on an Escala scale at a local kitchen gadget shop to replace my 10 dollar walmart one. ( it still worked i just got tired of having to flip it over to switch to grams every time i turned it on.) I then a few weeks later found the same scale at goodwill for 3 bucks. . i now have 2. lol

I hated that about the walmart Taylor scale I had. I'm pretty sure all the frustrated flips to put it on grams is why it stopped working lol. I spent just a few more dollars to get a target Taylor scale that has all controls on the front and actually stays on grams. Same manufacturer yet way different quality ... I really believe some manufacturers cheap out for anything they sell at Walmart. (Issues with other products as well)

I eat a lot of vegan sandwiches and it's just a fact of life that a sandwich with mayo, hummus, and cheese is going to have more calories that a sandwich that includes just one or two of those ingredients and makes up the rest of the bulk with vegetables. I have found a scale to be incredibly valuable when building sandwiches or any meal. I'm really bad at judging how much hummus or cheese I'm actually eating. I'm not familiar with the brand of cheese you're using (I'm in the US), but I know that Daiya cheese can add up in calories very quickly.

Once you get the hang of weighing, it stops being a "ball ache." I find that knowing how many calories I have eaten (and how many I have left for the day) far outweighs any inconvenience of weighing.