Home cooking and guessing calories

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nero82
nero82 Posts: 27
in Health and Weight Loss
Well I've been using the site for over a week now, and it's working great. But my problem is I do a LOT of cooking. How are you meant to calculate calories when you are making things yourself? For some things I have entered my ingredients and used the recipe feature to add it up, but that only really works with simple recipes. Last nights dinner I made up as I went along, and it really wasn't possible to do more than guess at the final composition of the meal.
I know if you are going to get hardcore about it you either calculate EVERYTHING down to the last bit, or you only eat things you can calculate properly. I'm not about to do either of those things... So I was wondering what you all do? Today for example I made a chocolate cake for my brothers birthday. I only had one small slice, but trying to figure out the exact calories? Do I just choose a generic "chocolate cake" from the database and hope it all just comes out in the wash?
Thanks guys!

Replies

  • Persipan
    Persipan Posts: 85 Member
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    I pretty much always cook things and make them up as I go along, but I keep a note of what ingredients I've used and then log everything (actually, I quite often log it through my phone as I go, but the principle's the same).
  • babydull
    babydull Posts: 727 Member
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    I pretty much always cook things and make them up as I go along, but I keep a note of what ingredients I've used and then log everything (actually, I quite often log it through my phone as I go, but the principle's the same).

    Yep, I take my macbook into the kitchen and do it as I go a long. Sounds a chore, but you get used to it, plus then regular ingredients can be quickly added from the 'most used' or 'recent' tabs.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    I am pretty anal - so everything get logged - either as a recipe, or once I have logged it as a meal - remember it as one of "My Meals" - that way I can adjust the ingredients as I modify it next time....

    I also always weigh everything (if I am at home where I have my scale :-) )
  • ChrissyLu723
    ChrissyLu723 Posts: 154 Member
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    I cook all the time, I use the recipe link and *enter a new recipe* name it what I call it with my name in front of it and save it for my use only. I log every ingredient I use to make it and then enter it in my diary from there. it doesn't take a lot of time to add it and it really will help you a lot. Good luck!
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
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    Yeah, the recipe feature works pretty well! Just add in all the ingredients you used and call it 'Nero's Chocolate Cake' or something. Make the number of servings the amount of slices you'll get out of the whole cake and then 1 slice can be added as 1 serving.
  • nero82
    nero82 Posts: 27
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    Wow, so its full on then.
    Thanks for the responses everyone!
    I'll see how I go with the weighing!

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