Food item database?

bamccook
bamccook Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
Hi. New here. Does a database exist for common items? If so, how do we access it.
TIA

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    What do you mean by common items? Nearly every food available is in the database, you just have to search for it.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,961 Member
    Click on add food in your diary, type in the foodb and click on the magnifying glass (or search if you're using the website).
  • bamccook
    bamccook Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks. I’m trying!
    I am able to create a food. Slow on the uptake here. Clearly. Thanks. I’ll keep trying!
  • bamccook
    bamccook Posts: 3 Member
    I downloaded latest update and have the food database now!
    Thanks!!!
  • jennw1110
    jennw1110 Posts: 1 Member
    I don't have the food database either, how do you see if there is an app update available?
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    This is just me...but I would be very careful using the MFP database. It consists of all the food items that all of us create. In otherwords, this database is user created. When I first started I was nothing but frustrated by the absolutely ridiculous items I found in here. Not gonna use this database....no way, no how. But, like I said, that is just me. I know that there are some entries in here that you can trust....I want to say that they are the ones with the green checks? Can someone "verify" that?
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Search for "{whatever food item} Raw USDA" and you'll typically get very accurate entries. (If there are other food regulatory entities outside of the US, you could probably do a similar search with their initials and also get good results.)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    jennw1110 wrote: »
    I don't have the food database either, how do you see if there is an app update available?

    The database is in your food log. When you put the name of your item in the search bar and search, it is pulling up possible matching entries in the database. There isn't a page with all the food entries that you can poke around in, it all happens through your log.

    As was mentioned above, there are a lot of incorrect entries, so you need to double check an entry the first time you use it.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »
    This is just me...but I would be very careful using the MFP database. It consists of all the food items that all of us create. In otherwords, this database is user created. When I first started I was nothing but frustrated by the absolutely ridiculous items I found in here. Not gonna use this database....no way, no how. But, like I said, that is just me. I know that there are some entries in here that you can trust....I want to say that they are the ones with the green checks? Can someone "verify" that?

    the green checkmark basically just says enough people looked at the entry and said yes its good - but be skeptical -there is a 3000cal entry for garlic that was verified at one stage
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »
    This is just me...but I would be very careful using the MFP database. It consists of all the food items that all of us create. In otherwords, this database is user created. When I first started I was nothing but frustrated by the absolutely ridiculous items I found in here. Not gonna use this database....no way, no how. But, like I said, that is just me. I know that there are some entries in here that you can trust....I want to say that they are the ones with the green checks? Can someone "verify" that?

    the green checkmark basically just says enough people looked at the entry and said yes its good - but be skeptical -there is a 3000cal entry for garlic that was verified at one stage

    Ha! Thank you. It has been so long since I have looked I *KNEW* that there was supposed to be something (the green check) but I still just do not trust this.....just me. Everyone is free to make their own determination. But people claim that they burn 850 calories doing 30 minutes of cardio at a 3.0mph pace (on a treadmill). Not likely....all I will say there. :-)
  • Cellby
    Cellby Posts: 29 Member
    Hey.

    I'm trying to log my food today.

    I want to use Aldi village bakery best of both bread. I want to add myself because I cut the crust of and only weighed 22g, don't really want to use the generic one slice.

    What is the best way? Do I just search best of both bread and use a generic one? Surely if people have just been adding random stuff without thought or care then it's not going to be very accurate....

    Thanks
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    Cellby wrote: »
    Hey.

    I'm trying to log my food today.

    I want to use Aldi village bakery best of both bread. I want to add myself because I cut the crust of and only weighed 22g, don't really want to use the generic one slice.

    What is the best way? Do I just search best of both bread and use a generic one? Surely if people have just been adding random stuff without thought or care then it's not going to be very accurate....

    Thanks

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
    Cellby wrote: »
    Hey.

    I'm trying to log my food today.

    I want to use Aldi village bakery best of both bread. I want to add myself because I cut the crust of and only weighed 22g, don't really want to use the generic one slice.

    What is the best way? Do I just search best of both bread and use a generic one? Surely if people have just been adding random stuff without thought or care then it's not going to be very accurate....

    Thanks

    Bread slices are annoying if there's no 1g or 100g option but the bag should say the weight ie. 80g for two slices, you just have to do the math and figure out what number to log. In that case it would be .275 of a serve.

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