How do you log your food? Noob here.
cmentis182
Posts: 36 Member
I have never used MFP up until yesterday. I make my own food. I am Canadian Indian and most of my food consists of a lot of spices. I also make them quite differently each time. Meaning, not always the same spices or same proportion for that matter.
For example, if I am making a curry today, I will use 350 gm of pumpkin with half a can of coconut milk, with 100-150 gm of cabbage and 25-30 gm of tofu and 30-50 gm of some sort of legumes. The other day I will not use oil at all and will have 100 gm of pumpkin and 200-300 gm of cabbage, very little coconut milk, maybe no soy product and 100 gm of beans. It varies very much.
Now how do I log them? Do I add all raw ingredients or everytime I cook something I make a recipe of it? Also, do you count the spices? I mean I kind of use mustard seed, poppy seed, cumin seed in many curries. And they have quite a bit of calories. Not sure if you also count garlic, coriander, black pepper, paprika and all other spices as such.
I also make nut milk in home. I dont like the store bought ones. Those are too liquid-y. How do I count it? Like after blending the nuts, I strain them and use the fiber portions later in cooking. It is very confusing and quite overwhelming lol. I am in awe how do you guys do it?
For example, if I am making a curry today, I will use 350 gm of pumpkin with half a can of coconut milk, with 100-150 gm of cabbage and 25-30 gm of tofu and 30-50 gm of some sort of legumes. The other day I will not use oil at all and will have 100 gm of pumpkin and 200-300 gm of cabbage, very little coconut milk, maybe no soy product and 100 gm of beans. It varies very much.
Now how do I log them? Do I add all raw ingredients or everytime I cook something I make a recipe of it? Also, do you count the spices? I mean I kind of use mustard seed, poppy seed, cumin seed in many curries. And they have quite a bit of calories. Not sure if you also count garlic, coriander, black pepper, paprika and all other spices as such.
I also make nut milk in home. I dont like the store bought ones. Those are too liquid-y. How do I count it? Like after blending the nuts, I strain them and use the fiber portions later in cooking. It is very confusing and quite overwhelming lol. I am in awe how do you guys do it?
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Replies
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Yes, add all raw ingredients in gram, and make sure the database entries are correct. And don't forget cooking oils. The first few times it will take a bit longer because finding the right entries. When you reuse those then they will show up at the top of the list. For example my oil, onions, garlic, commonly used veggies, rice and chicken are always super quick to log for me. Logging a whole meal takes about 1 minute for me now.
If you use the app and you eat the same again the next day then you can simply copy the entry over from pervious day. Just make sure the amount is the same.
You can also safe complete meals as meals or recipes. Then you can still adjust ingredients if they change. What works best for you depends a lot on how you cook.
btw, your curry sounds delicious!4 -
I don't have a good answer for nut milk, but as for a different recipe each day-
What I do with my recipes is weigh the finished in grams, and then set the serving size of the recipe to be 1 gram. That way I can weigh my portion and know that the calorie count is accurate. With recipes I don't make the same every time, I put the date I made the recipe in the recipe title. That way, I know which leftovers I'm eating and what their calorie count is.
If you make a similar, but not the same, thing, you can save it as a meal, and then swap out what you don't use or replace with something else. Just log every individual thing in your food diary, then click "Quick Tools" and "remember meal." It will allow you to name the meal, save it, and then when you go to log the meal again, it will show up as that same list of ingredients, which you could then swap or replace ingredients as you need.
I hope this helps!2 -
Honestly, go into the recipes and add the dishes as a recipe, and then you can add it in the future without having to do each ingredient each time.2
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Thank you all so much. I think I will add the recipes. It is a little daunting but I think I can get used to it. And its the best way to be accurate. After all, when I am taking break from work, I am doing nothing but binging on youtube funny videos. Its much better to make good use of that time and add recipes. No more excuses. Thank you again XD2
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I add each ingredient but skip spices. I use "oil" for any type of oil since the calories and nutrients are the same. I also use the recipe function.
My spouse makes a nice chicken salad with canned chicken breast. I put the recipe in the app. When I made the same chicken salad with fresh cooked chicken thigh, I logged his recipe and added oil to account for the added fat in the chicken thigh. I am mostly concerned with my macros.2 -
I add each ingredient but skip spices. I use "oil" for any type of oil since the calories and nutrients are the same. I also use the recipe function.
My spouse makes a nice chicken salad with canned chicken breast. I put the recipe in the app. When I made the same chicken salad with fresh cooked chicken thigh, I logged his recipe and added oil to account for the added fat in the chicken thigh. I am mostly concerned with my macros.
Speaking of macros, its really difficult for me to get enough protein. No, not because I am vegan. There's many vegans who eat protein packed meal. But its because the way I eat. I don't feel satiated without rice, and I can not digest legumes all that well compared to carbs. I have heard to build muscle protein is very important.1 -
cmentis182 wrote: »I add each ingredient but skip spices. I use "oil" for any type of oil since the calories and nutrients are the same. I also use the recipe function.
My spouse makes a nice chicken salad with canned chicken breast. I put the recipe in the app. When I made the same chicken salad with fresh cooked chicken thigh, I logged his recipe and added oil to account for the added fat in the chicken thigh. I am mostly concerned with my macros.
Speaking of macros, its really difficult for me to get enough protein. No, not because I am vegan. There's many vegans who eat protein packed meal. But its because the way I eat. I don't feel satiated without rice, and I can not digest legumes all that well compared to carbs. I have heard to build muscle protein is very important.
Can you use seitan (which is gluten, can be home-made)? How about soybeans - do they affect you like other legumes: Edamame, black soybeans? Are processed soy foods an option, i.e., more digestible (you mention tofu, but there's also edamame pasta and tempeh)? Would you find quinoa or chickpea "rice" (if those are available where you live, and don't disturb your digestion) to be satiating alternatives to rice (they have more protein)? What about other grains with slightly more protein (teff, amaranth, etc.)? Would you like peanut butter or almond powder/flour (defatted) as an ingredient in curries?
It's useful for best health (including muscle building) to get enough protein. For most people losing weight, something like 0.6-0.8g per pound of healthy goal weight is a good minimum (it's roughly equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass).
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cmentis182 wrote: »I add each ingredient but skip spices. I use "oil" for any type of oil since the calories and nutrients are the same. I also use the recipe function.
My spouse makes a nice chicken salad with canned chicken breast. I put the recipe in the app. When I made the same chicken salad with fresh cooked chicken thigh, I logged his recipe and added oil to account for the added fat in the chicken thigh. I am mostly concerned with my macros.
Speaking of macros, its really difficult for me to get enough protein. No, not because I am vegan. There's many vegans who eat protein packed meal. But its because the way I eat. I don't feel satiated without rice, and I can not digest legumes all that well compared to carbs. I have heard to build muscle protein is very important.
Can you use seitan (which is gluten, can be home-made)? How about soybeans - do they affect you like other legumes: Edamame, black soybeans? Are processed soy foods an option, i.e., more digestible (you mention tofu, but there's also edamame pasta and tempeh)? Would you find quinoa or chickpea "rice" (if those are available where you live, and don't disturb your digestion) to be satiating alternatives to rice (they have more protein)? What about other grains with slightly more protein (teff, amaranth, etc.)? Would you like peanut butter or almond powder/flour (defatted) as an ingredient in curries?
It's useful for best health (including muscle building) to get enough protein. For most people losing weight, something like 0.6-0.8g per pound of healthy goal weight is a good minimum (it's roughly equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass).
Yes, I don't have any issue with gluten. I am a soy person. I make my own soymilk, tofu, soy cream. So all for soybean. The soy days are the days I hit a good amount of protein. I like edamame pasta. But I am Canadian Indian and rice for us Indian is a thing I guess. Or me perhaps. I would eat pasta occasionally but rice is something I like eating regularly. Sometimes twice a day. I do need to incorporate more amaranth yes. I have this obsession over peanut butter. I can finish an entire jar. So I kind of dont buy them anymore. I will try almond flour. I do eat nuts regularly, cashews more so. Peanuts too. But the protein content is not that high compared to the fat content in those nuts. The only way I can eat quinoa is with ketchup, lots of it. So not a good option.
I am at a healthy BMI, I think. I am 30F, 150cm, 113/114 lbs. I was 98-103 lbs in 2015 I remember. Life happened, I left job, started working from home, became a full time animator. For the first couple of years I barely got any sleep, ate a lot of kale chips and way too much fruit. Did not get out of home, stopped being active. I did manage to eat home cooked food the entire time though but I guess the not being active anymore induced the extra 10-15 pounds in these years. But yes, I understand the role of protein. When I was 25, I looked leaner. Now I look skinny fat. I mean you would not know I have a belly and I am this squishy but well you can not fool yourself. I mean I do want to lose some weight and possibly gain some muscle. I have been reading up on it, and all places suggest(including MFP forums/community) to up the protein intake and about resistance training. I wont be going to the gym since its not a sustainable long term process for me since I work 17-18 hours a day on most days (dont get me wrong, I love my work and I happily spend all the time drawing), so home based resistance training, learning skills like handstand, pull up bar skills, occasional yoga classes are the way for me to build muscle if thats possible. Now protein is something I have to make sure I get enough.
Sorry for the rant. I just realized I am still writing. And thank you millions. All of you MFP people are amazing. You guys have provided me with so much of knowledge in just three days. Thank you, thank you. 🙏2 -
Please note that I was suggesting defatted peanut powder (or almond powder) not peanuts, peanut butter, etc. Sometimes it's called defatted peanut flour or defatted almond flour. The defatted flours/powders are lower in calories per gram of protein, but still have peanut (or almond) flavor. I like them mixed into sauces of various sorts. I've never used them in curry-type preparations (I should
) , but it seems like they'd be good. I don't know where you live (still Canada?), but they're widely available in the US, many different brands available. I would think they would be available in Canada - online if nothing else - if that's still where you are. 2 -
Please note that I was suggesting defatted peanut powder (or almond powder) not peanuts, peanut butter, etc. Sometimes it's called defatted peanut flour or defatted almond flour. The defatted flours/powders are lower in calories per gram of protein, but still have peanut (or almond) flavor. I like them mixed into sauces of various sorts. I've never used them in curry-type preparations (I should ) , but it seems like they'd be good. I don't know where you live (still Canada?), but they're widely available in the US, many different brands available. I would think they would be available in Canada - online if nothing else - if that's still where you are.
Hard to find (PB2 etc) and relatively expensive. HOWEVER, de-fatted FLOUR from peanuts may be available and as far as I can tell can be used in the same way.
Gram flour, I don't know if that would affect the OP due to being made with pulses. Please note that complete proteins are not always needed, and as long as you generally eat a good mix of stuff you will still end up taking in all the amino-acids. Even a little bit of dalh, or peas, or corn, or chickpeas, or beans or even quinoa mixed in may give you enough of your missing amino-acids. Or a mix of all these, or some other mix you prefer. I don't know that there is anything wrong with ketchup other than the fact that it actually has quite a few calories. You could also use tomatoes and tomato sauce. Buckwheat as far as I recall (soba noodles too) is also a complete protein just like quinoa.
While recipes and saved meals will work fine for your logging with changes... the nut infusions (milks) are much harder to quantify and I draw a blank on how you could accurately evaluate their calories!1 -
I know of defatted peanut powder. I mean I have seen them in the mall. There's a few I have seen in the mall, Protein Plus, Trim Healthy something but I never bought them or used them before. I will get them in the next grocery shopping day. I have just checked, the protein is so much higher than the fat percentage per gram for them. I had no idea of those. Thank you XD
PB2 have the same effect on me. I feel like having the entire container. I think Peanut butter/PB2 powder is my trigger food. I used to dip everything in it. Weird things like celery, oreos, eggplants even. I am always mixing dahl, peas, chickpeas, beans with my veggies. Curry is the easiest solution for me. Mix everything, mix herbs, simmer, and eat with rice. Voila. Today is my third day of logging, I had 135g : 28g : 21g on 10th and 150g : 44g : 29g on 11th Carb : Fat : Protein ratio.
I also just realized that I eat not enough food. Less than 1200 calories which I have always heard is detrimental to health to eat less than 1200. But its not intentional. I know I eat more on days when I have more work or I have the pressure of deadlines. But if what I have read in may places including MFP forums about VLCD ruining/slowing metabolism, who knows if I have damaged my metabolism eating less than 1200 for years. But then again, I have always eaten like this. And I have never went to bed hungry.
About the nutmilk, I think I will add the amount of nuts I have used and then the next day when I use the nut fiber/left over I wont log it the second time. I make food for myself only. And I seldom eat out. So the day to day logging can be easier this way.
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Hmmm.... you may want to plan your meals around protein.
The mix of sources (eg rice with Dahl, chickpeas with wheat (bread/naan/roti/pita) depending on ethnicity of food) ensures that all the amino acids are present as some items are deficient in those that others have in abundance. These combos have become traditional dishes almost/standard ways of serving the food; in part probably because of this.
That said, your total amounts seem very low and in fact below RDI
If your logging is accurate (by weight and correct database entries) you may want to seriously plan your meals a little bit ahead of time so that you can ensure sufficient nutrients!!!!!
Seen some higher protein / lower carb flatbreads (extra gluten and oat hull fiber). Kodiak cakes/products seem to be higher protein too
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Hmmm.... you may want to plan your meals around protein.
The mix of sources (eg rice with Dahl, chickpeas with wheat (bread/naan/roti/pita) depending on ethnicity of food) ensures that all the amino acids are present as some items are deficient in those that others have in abundance. These combos have become traditional dishes almost/standard ways of serving the food; in part probably because of this.
That said, your total amounts seem very low and in fact below RDI
If your logging is accurate (by weight and correct database entries) you may want to seriously plan your meals a little bit ahead of time so that you can ensure sufficient nutrients!!!!!
Seen some higher protein / lower carb flatbreads (extra gluten and oat hull fiber). Kodiak cakes/products seem to be higher protein too
I went to a local gym today and weighed myself. (The last time, 10th of June, I weighed myself was at my mother's, she has an old bathroom scale which she hasn't used for a long time) and surprisingly I am 101 pounds, not 113 pounds. I was skeptical and bought a scale on the way and it also shows 100 pounds. Now this makes sense of the extra 5 pounds I have gained over the past five years was due to stopping sports and sitting on the computer 15 hours a day even if I was eating less food. Not only that, I also realized, I make up for the fewer calorie days by eating twice the amount when I have projects or deadlines to meet.
However, this small journey just made me think of how imbalanced my food choices are. I am going to have to learn to meal prep beforehand and find recipes with more calorie dense protein packed food. Thank you millions. This really is an eye opener to a better health.1 -
@cmentis182 - As an Asian, I, too, feel like rice (& noodles) are staples that I don't think I can give up. However, I've found that cauliflower rice has been a decent substitute. Especially when I'm eating the cauliflower rice with flavorful protein, stew, stir-fry or curry, I don't miss the actual rice. Since it's so much lower in calories, I can also eat more of it (compared to limiting myself to .5 or 1 cup of grain rice). Shirataki noodles have also been a game changer.
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cmentis182 wrote: »Hmmm.... you may want to plan your meals around protein.
The mix of sources (eg rice with Dahl, chickpeas with wheat (bread/naan/roti/pita) depending on ethnicity of food) ensures that all the amino acids are present as some items are deficient in those that others have in abundance. These combos have become traditional dishes almost/standard ways of serving the food; in part probably because of this.
That said, your total amounts seem very low and in fact below RDI
If your logging is accurate (by weight and correct database entries) you may want to seriously plan your meals a little bit ahead of time so that you can ensure sufficient nutrients!!!!!
Seen some higher protein / lower carb flatbreads (extra gluten and oat hull fiber). Kodiak cakes/products seem to be higher protein too
I went to a local gym today and weighed myself. (The last time, 10th of June, I weighed myself was at my mother's, she has an old bathroom scale which she hasn't used for a long time) and surprisingly I am 101 pounds, not 113 pounds. I was skeptical and bought a scale on the way and it also shows 100 pounds. Now this makes sense of the extra 5 pounds I have gained over the past five years was due to stopping sports and sitting on the computer 15 hours a day even if I was eating less food. Not only that, I also realized, I make up for the fewer calorie days by eating twice the amount when I have projects or deadlines to meet.
However, this small journey just made me think of how imbalanced my food choices are. I am going to have to learn to meal prep beforehand and find recipes with more calorie dense protein packed food. Thank you millions. This really is an eye opener to a better health.
Just a little food for thought:
Note that gaining 5 pounds in 5 years takes eating something around10 (yes, ten) calories per day above maintenance calories, on average. If you're logging, your daily inevitable, unavoidable error in logging and exercise estimates is a much bigger number than that.2 -
cmentis182 wrote: »Hmmm.... you may want to plan your meals around protein.
The mix of sources (eg rice with Dahl, chickpeas with wheat (bread/naan/roti/pita) depending on ethnicity of food) ensures that all the amino acids are present as some items are deficient in those that others have in abundance. These combos have become traditional dishes almost/standard ways of serving the food; in part probably because of this.
That said, your total amounts seem very low and in fact below RDI
If your logging is accurate (by weight and correct database entries) you may want to seriously plan your meals a little bit ahead of time so that you can ensure sufficient nutrients!!!!!
Seen some higher protein / lower carb flatbreads (extra gluten and oat hull fiber). Kodiak cakes/products seem to be higher protein too
I went to a local gym today and weighed myself. (The last time, 10th of June, I weighed myself was at my mother's, she has an old bathroom scale which she hasn't used for a long time) and surprisingly I am 101 pounds, not 113 pounds. I was skeptical and bought a scale on the way and it also shows 100 pounds. Now this makes sense of the extra 5 pounds I have gained over the past five years was due to stopping sports and sitting on the computer 15 hours a day even if I was eating less food. Not only that, I also realized, I make up for the fewer calorie days by eating twice the amount when I have projects or deadlines to meet.
However, this small journey just made me think of how imbalanced my food choices are. I am going to have to learn to meal prep beforehand and find recipes with more calorie dense protein packed food. Thank you millions. This really is an eye opener to a better health.
Just a little food for thought:
Note that gaining 5 pounds in 5 years takes eating something around10 (yes, ten) calories per day above maintenance calories, on average. If you're logging, your daily inevitable, unavoidable error in logging and exercise estimates is a much bigger number than that.
I have never logged or really paid attention to my food before opening this MFP account. So I am not sure about my calories or macros I have had all my life. But the logging helps me see how much of what I eat and where I need improvements. I wish I knew this before but 30 is not too late either to get myself in check I believe.
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@cmentis182 - As an Asian, I, too, feel like rice (& noodles) are staples that I don't think I can give up. However, I've found that cauliflower rice has been a decent substitute. Especially when I'm eating the cauliflower rice with flavorful protein, stew, stir-fry or curry, I don't miss the actual rice. Since it's so much lower in calories, I can also eat more of it (compared to limiting myself to .5 or 1 cup of grain rice). Shirataki noodles have also been a game changer.
I love love shirataki noodles. I haven’t tried cauliflower rice all that many times but I believe it has the same kind of texture as rice. Must try. Thank you XD0
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