Freestyle cooking

Mish2032
Mish2032 Posts: 9 Member
edited November 18 in Recipes
How does everyone keep track of their recipes for entering into myfitnesspal? I find I am a freestyle cook - where I measure very little unless following a recipe. So, unless I start measuring, how can I keep track of food? For instance, I made a kind of rectangular pizza tonight and ended up eating 2 square slices, so I tracked it as sicilian pizza - but I know it's probably completely different.
As I'm writing this, it seems my only options are to get on board with measuring OR purchase pre-packaged items.
Same question for eating food out of the house (restaurant or prepared by others).
Anyone have any helpful hints or suggestions?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,342 Member
    I measure by having my scale on all the time and utilising the tare function, usually sitting a container on it and taring to zero and noting how much i remove. I jot it on my white board and add it as a recipe after.

    I freestyle cook too, and this works for me by tracking what i put in, however much that is.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I also freestyle cook, and do it basically like Alatariel75. I use my scale when chopping and have a pen and the back of an envelope handy to jot down amounts. Then during a break I walk over to my computer and enter the ingredients. Usually I cook for just one or two people, so I list the ingredients and the amount my portion will contain (if not all of it, then half or a third or whatever). If it's more complicated or more servings, I might create a recipe, but I usually do not. (If I'm lunch prepping and make a bunch of portions for me to eat I don't care if my portions are a little off, since I will eat them all eventually.)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,098 Member
    Do you mise en place before you start cooking? I cook "freestyle" most of the time except when baking. As I prep my ingredients, I put the container(s) I'm going to place each ingredient on the scale, tare it, chop/peel/slice/dice or whatever each ingredient the same I would have before logging, pop the container back on the scale, jot down the weight, and move on to the next ingredient. It takes at most 10 extra seconds for each ingredients while I'm prepping.

    For ingredients that don't need prepping (fats and oils for cookings; liquids of various kinds; canned, frozen, or leftover veggies, beans, meats; etc.) just weigh the container they're already in, tare the scale, toss however much you want to use in your pot, skillet, mixing bowl, etc., and put the container back on the scale to see how much you used. Jot the number down. Again, maybe an extra 10 seconds per ingredient.
  • Mish2032
    Mish2032 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions! I really don't even do any mise en place. I should, but don't. I guess I need to change those habits and be more aware of what goes into my recipes. @lynn_glenmont Thanks for the idea of measuring the container first, then again after I use some! Never thought of that!
  • thewindandthework
    thewindandthework Posts: 531 Member
    I'm a freestyle cook, too, and do more or less as the above. Before I start doing anything, I get out my tools, ingredients, scale, notepad, and pen. Everything gets measured before it hits a bowl or pan, and jotted down on the notepad.

    Most things get weighed in grams, although I'll use volume measurements for things like spices and small amounts of liquid (oils, vinegars, wines, thin prepared sauces, etc). As I go along I formulate a plan for entering serving sizes in the MFP recipe. If I'm cooking for just me, that's easy, the whole thing is one serving. Done.

    If I'm cooking for more than one, I usually end up calling a serving size one gram and log my portion that way.
  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
    A lot of chefs cook by eye but they are probably not trying to lose weight. But they learn what a cup looks like or a tablespoon. I have measure a Tbsp. of seasoning then dumped it into the palm of my hand so I could see what that looks like. Next time I can measure by eye. Rachael Ray cooks like that on her show. She says a palmful of this and she counts the pour of liquids like a bar tender would. I say cook but eye with non-starchy veggies, herbs and seasonings. Measure the carbs, proteins and fats. Years ago weight watchers gave visual tips about serving size. You can probably search for them online. It was things like a deck of cards is 3 or 4 oz. of protein, your thumb is a Tbsp. The tip of your finger a tsp. All of this would be approx. but better then not measuring.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    I only track the major ingredients or high calorie items - oil, nuts, etc.- closely. I don't worry too much if I put in 1 cup of carrots or 1.1 cups of carrots.

    The more you measure, the more accurate you are. The more you estimate, the less accurate you are. It's up to you how much accuracy you need to succeed.
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