fruits and veggies

chantalemarie
chantalemarie Posts: 65 Member
in Food and Nutrition
i don't have a food scale yet, but have ordered one and am patiently waiting for it to get here. what i'm curious about is, how do you know how many calories a piece of fruit is or some veggies are? sure i can have the weight but what's the actual calorie count?

Replies

  • knoxalex0326
    knoxalex0326 Posts: 3 Member
    Search for it in the MFP app and just track what amount you're eating.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Weigh it. Search for a USDA entry in the database and verify that it's correct. Log the weight.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Weigh it. Search for a USDA entry in the database and verify that it's correct. Log the weight.

    And don't forget to subtract the inedible parts (the core of an apple, peach, pear, etc., the peel of a banana, the skin/pit of an avocado, etc.
  • chantalemarie
    chantalemarie Posts: 65 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Weigh it. Search for a USDA entry in the database and verify that it's correct. Log the weight.

    And don't forget to subtract the inedible parts (the core of an apple, peach, pear, etc., the peel of a banana, the skin/pit of an avocado, etc.

    Oh ok, so then once I'm done do I weigh the scraps and subtract them that way?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    chantalemarie wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Weigh it. Search for a USDA entry in the database and verify that it's correct. Log the weight.

    And don't forget to subtract the inedible parts (the core of an apple, peach, pear, etc., the peel of a banana, the skin/pit of an avocado, etc.

    Oh ok, so then once I'm done do I weigh the scraps and subtract them that way?

    I just weigh them sliced, cored, peeled, whatever.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    edited February 2018
    chantalemarie wrote: »
    Oh ok, so then once I'm done do I weigh the scraps and subtract them that way?

    For something like an apple in the MFP database, look for an entry like "apple slices" and use that rather than a whole apple in the MFP database.

    An avocado in the USDB database will refer to the flesh, not the skin or pit; use the Standard Reference dropdown in your search. If you look at "Apples, raw, with skin" in the Standard Reference, you'll see the comment "Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion." so you don't have to worry about deducting the weight of the core.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,162 Member
    Use and entry that says USDA and has the serving size set as 100 grams. You can verify on the USDA website that the MFP entry is correct. Then weigh the portion you eat and that is your serving size. So if it is 83 grams you have .83 servings. You can either cut the fruit and weigh only what you will eat, or weight the fruit and then weigh the scraps after you are done whichever is easiest at the time. I usually cut first, but I rarely eat apples unless they are sliced.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    The USDA search page is here, by the way:

    https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    To search for USDA entries in the MFP database, put in "apple usda", "avocado usda", etc.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    chantalemarie wrote: »
    Oh ok, so then once I'm done do I weigh the scraps and subtract them that way?

    For something like an apple in the MFP database, look for an entry like "apple slices" and use that rather than a whole apple in the MFP database.

    An avocado in the USDB database will refer to the flesh, not the skin or pit; use the Standard Reference dropdown in your search. If you look at "Apples, raw, with skin" in the Standard Reference, you'll see the comment "Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion." so you don't have to worry about deducting the weight of the core.

    "and weights" means you're only supposed to weigh the edible portion, so, yes, you do have to deduct the weight of the core (unless you're one of those people who eats the core).
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited February 2018
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    vingogly wrote: »
    chantalemarie wrote: »
    Oh ok, so then once I'm done do I weigh the scraps and subtract them that way?

    For something like an apple in the MFP database, look for an entry like "apple slices" and use that rather than a whole apple in the MFP database.

    An avocado in the USDB database will refer to the flesh, not the skin or pit; use the Standard Reference dropdown in your search. If you look at "Apples, raw, with skin" in the Standard Reference, you'll see the comment "Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion." so you don't have to worry about deducting the weight of the core.

    "and weights" means you're only supposed to weigh the edible portion, so, yes, you do have to deduct the weight of the core (unless you're one of those people who eats the core).

    Well, I mean, technically you don't *have* to deduct the weight of the inedible parts - but you're screwing yourself out of some calories if you don't, and I ain't about that life. He who eats the most calories and still loses weight wins! :)

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