Do you track condiments, drinks, creamer, etc?

vivakatie
vivakatie Posts: 10 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So I haven't been tracking condiments, creamer, salt etc. do you guys tend to track these things? I haven't so far because I haven't had access to a food scale to get exact measurements to track with and have just been 'eye balling' things trying to do the least amount possible. Yay or nay for tracking every-single-thing that goes into our bodies?
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Yes. Condiments, creamer, and drinks can be major sources of calories for some people. Even if you don't consume much at a time, if you have a smaller deficit or if you eat them regularly, it can add up to something significant.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    Indeed. Packets of condiments can be hundreds of calories. I count/measure the half and half in my coffee every morning. Sometimes I forget to log my coffee, but I always log the half n half.
  • casiobarnes
    casiobarnes Posts: 78 Member
    Echoing everyone else - I count all that stuff, as it's usually quite calorie dense. When I do wiff my numbers, it's usually on things like salad greens, but 3 extra grams of arugula isn't going to hurt me :p

    I know not everyone can run out and buy a bunch of supplies, but I recommend measuring spoons that aren't on a ring. Mine have magnets on the handles and I keep them on the side of the fridge. Makes it very easy to measure out coffee creamer in the morning, rinse the spoon and let it dry on the fridge for the next time I need it.

    I used to use the kind on a ring and was making myself nuts having to dig the whole set out of the bottom of the sink a million times a day. Maybe you keep a more tidy kitchen than me though, haha.

    And of course a digital food scale. Tare is my best friend!
    (I'm a person who wants to wash as few dishes as possible)
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited February 2017
    Yep. Ketchup alone is like 20 calories for 17g/1 tbsp. That's actually a very small amount of ketchup...likely most people consume 3-4 times that much in a single setting. Same goes for sauces, creamers, cooking oil, and butter. They all count. If you use 1 tbsp of oil to cook, that alone is 120 calories unaccounted for.
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
    Everything. They add up quickly. Even little tastes of things.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Personally I don't as I use them very sparingly, have a high TDEE and a big enough deficit to account for them.
  • dmwh142
    dmwh142 Posts: 72 Member
    I track anything with calories. I don't track diet coke as it has none but I measure and track my creamer.
  • vivakatie
    vivakatie Posts: 10 Member
    casiobarnes wrote: »
    Echoing everyone else - I count all that stuff, as it's usually quite calorie dense. When I do wiff my numbers, it's usually on things like salad greens, but 3 extra grams of arugula isn't going to hurt me :p

    I know not everyone can run out and buy a bunch of supplies, but I recommend measuring spoons that aren't on a ring. Mine have magnets on the handles and I keep them on the side of the fridge. Makes it very easy to measure out coffee creamer in the morning, rinse the spoon and let it dry on the fridge for the next time I need it.

    I used to use the kind on a ring and was making myself nuts having to dig the whole set out of the bottom of the sink a million times a day. Maybe you keep a more tidy kitchen than me though, haha.

    And of course a digital food scale. Tare is my best friend!
    (I'm a person who wants to wash as few dishes as possible)

    I'm scared of my coffee creamer calories :( but alas, those calories definitely do add up!
    & that is a good idea of keeping your measuring spoon on the fridge! I'll bring mine to work with me to measure out my creamer and girl, I am right there with you digging that thing out of the sink every time!
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Yeah I like milk and sugar in my morning coffee, comes to about 50 cals. Over a week that's a meal's worth of calories I'd be eating and pretending I didn't.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    If you don't have a food scale yet I would guesstimate the calories. For sure, they're more than 0 calories (which is how it seems now since you aren't logging them at all).

    There are going to be other times when maybe you didn't prepare the food or you eat out at a restaurant that doesn't have nutritional information available so it's good to get in the habit and practice of guesstimating now and try to get as accurate as possible with it.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    I count mayo and salad dressing (I need the fat grams to count!), but no other condiments. I've had success losing weight and don't feel the need to worry myself with strict counting.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Yep.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Of course! 5 or less calories of mustard is one thing but I could easily use a 100 calories of creamer in a coffee If I wasn't measuring or bothering to count and at a couple cups a day and that adds up!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    When I'm losing weight yes. In maintenance I'm a bit more laid back with condiments, but calorie drinks yes all the time.
  • brendadonnelly26
    brendadonnelly26 Posts: 2 Member
    If you add a Turkey burger with cheese for 290 calories, does that include the bun?
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    brendadonnelly26 wrote: »
    If you add a Turkey burger with cheese for 290 calories, does that include the bun?

    Typically, but it's better to track all the components individually so you can be sure. A user who created that entry may have different bun choices than you.
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    Depends on the calories. Mustard, probably not. I mean, youd have to pour it on to make a dent and then the sandwhich is eww.. creamer.. YEAH.. 1tbs of my favorite hazelnut creamer is 60 cal.. I take 4. I HATE less than that and cant drink the coffee without it. So pretty much my breakfast consists of coffee and yogurt or coffee and grapefruit. Mayo is VERY loaded.. but its also nasty so I dont have to worry about ever touching that. Dressing is nasty. I do have fat free italian for when I feel like it needs more flavor and I even track that. 1tbs is 15cal and its all I can stand.
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    brendadonnelly26 wrote: »
    If you add a Turkey burger with cheese for 290 calories, does that include the bun?

    Use the recipe builder to build your own recipes with what you use and then plug it in. Just used it today on my sister in laws crockpot chicken chili. Made it easier than doing it by hand each time as she uses the same items and amounts every time she makes it. Wish she would drop a can of chili beans though.. man those calories add up! ANd the sodium is aweful!
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    Yes and it's useful. My bloodwork suggests too much saturated fat. Well my dairy suggested several tablespoons of heavy cream might be the problem.
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