Calorie difference between the same recipe

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semperfly
semperfly Posts: 28 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I get a lot of recipes off yummly.com and when I import them to MyFitnessPal, there is always a difference in calorie count.
Can anyone explain why there is a difference and which one may be more accurate?
Thanks

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Most likely cause: the database entries MFP is using to create your recipe are different than the calorie values Yummly is using to calculate calories. Without looking at how they create theirs and what database entries your recipes are pulling, it's impossible to tell which is more accurate.

    Since I double-check my recipes for accuracy and correct database entries when I create them, I trust my values more than those of a third party. But if someone was just accepting the first matches from the database, it's possible to create a recipe that is much less accurate than a third party count.
  • guacamole17
    guacamole17 Posts: 109 Member
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    The individual items that pull from MFP are different than Yummly (like stated above). When using MFP, you want to make sure the entries match what you actually use when making the recipe.

    E.g., if it calls for "1/2 cup of milk" - make sure you log the exact milk you use (whole, skim, 2%, what have you). another example is "one pound chicken thighs" - if you are weighing your food on a food scale, make sure to use the exact measurement for the chicken thighs with the correct MFP entry.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Most recipes I've made were WAY off the calorie count once I entered the ingredients myself. I never trust website nutrition information for that reason.

    Also, MFP doesn't always match ingredients properly, so you really want to double check the entries that they use.

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