How do I change serving sizes to grams

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  • mynj2323
    mynj2323 Posts: 1 Member
    For some items, when you scan the bar code, it only shows the serving size in volume (cups, spoons, etc...) Even if the package shows the number of grams per serving. If it is something I use frequently, I'll scan the bar code and create my own food item, and enter all the information in manually, so I can enter it in grams. It then saves my created for future use. If I make recipes or meals, I weigh each individual item (dry pre-cooked weight) enter that data, mix all together and then get the total weight of the finished product in grams, after it is cooked. I then will set the number of servings in the recipe equal to the total number of grams. This way, I can weigh whatever I eat of it and enter the number of grams I ate as the number of servings, so the app calculates everything correctly, without me having to do any math, eliminating the need to come up with a decimal value for the serving size. As long as you enter the weight of each ingredient and have the total finished weight, you can be pretty accurate with your calories / macros by weighing your portion and letting the app calculate the fraction of individual ingredients you ate.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    srecupid wrote: »
    rileysowner wrote: »
    srecupid wrote: »
    CyberTone wrote: »
    If you want to use that entry, change your quantity input method from fraction to decimal, then enter 0.906 (29 divided by 32 equals 0.90625). It's clunky and irritating, but welcome to MFP!

    That's what I do. So freaking stupid. I think it has to do with the people who enter the info in the first place though. If it has the option for 32g just have the stupid thing figure out how much 1g is. Can myfitnesspal please add a popup calculator or something to the app? And please people when entering info in the database please use grams as the serving size. Most packages have it on them.

    That is what I end up doing quite often as well, although I have stumbled across entries that have serving size of say 1 Cup/80 grams, and then in the drop down it actually has a 1 gram option. Maybe they are going through the database to make that a possibility when the information it there. I have the same struggle with things that have the main measure as cups rather than ml since all labels for liquids in Canada are in ml not even listing fluid oz.

    And how about measuring liquids on a food scale? Mine has a ml option but, is that accurate? I'm curious

    If the liquid is the same density as water, it's pretty accurate. The further away in either direction from water, the less accurate. The more calorie-dense the liquid, the more important that accuracy is.

    I wouldn't use the scale ml estimate for oils/fats: Less dense than water, very high calorie. It's probably close enough for vinegar: Close density to water, not high calorie. There exist web sources that give the specific gravity of various liquids that you can use to make your own food DB entries for grams of liquids, or there are a bunch for common liquids in grams already in the DB.

    Like someone else said: Check the serving size drop down; grams may be there, just not the default. This is especially true for green-checked foods whose default serving is in cups but that it would be dumb to measure in cups (apples, hard-boiled eggs, etc.). Those often have a long drop-down list of alternate serving sizes, usually including 1g or 100g.
  • layladrew26
    layladrew26 Posts: 111 Member
    What I do is look at the calories on the packaging for 100g say it's 176 cal. Then weigh what I'm having, say 29g and work it out from there. So 176 x 0.29 = the total will be the correct calories and you can either quick add the calories or make the product you scan to the correct cals.
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