Adding instructions in manually entered recipe?
janalo55
Posts: 50 Member
I can't figure out how to add the instructions in a recipe. If I upload one, it puts the link to the website, which I don't really want because I often make changes and want those listed. But if I enter it manually, I can't even see where to put them. This particular one I tried to upload but it said "no recipe found" probably because people blog so much the recipe is lost as far as MFP detecting it. That's OK if I could add the instructions!
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Replies
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It's not a recipe function in the sense that you use it to cook from. It's simply a way to determine the nutritional breakdown of recipes you cook.
You'd have to save the recipes somewhere else.7 -
Darn. I was hoping there was at least a place for notes. Thanks.
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That would be a really useful feature, actually. I wish it did exist.7
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I use PepperPlate to manage my recipes and just keep the basics in MFP so I know the nutrition profile.
~Lyssa3 -
Darn. I was hoping there was at least a place for notes. Thanks.
As a work-around, after creating the "recipe" in the recipe builder, you could copy and paste the ingredients to the blog space that MFP allots you and add your directions and notes there. Not great, as it would just be listed chronologically, but you could search it when you wanted to make a particular recipe again.
I did this early on in my MFP life for a few recipes I made up and didn't want to forget.1 -
On the app (android, anyway) if you create a meal you can add instructions for making it. That could be an option if it's a simple recipe and easily broken down into single serve amounts (in which case it's probably best entered as a meal anyway, as it is much easier to amend the individual weights of the ingredients).
It's bizarre that you can do this for a meal but not for a recipe.4 -
I can't figure out how to add the instructions in a recipe. If I upload one, it puts the link to the website, which I don't really want because I often make changes and want those listed. But if I enter it manually, I can't even see where to put them. This particular one I tried to upload but it said "no recipe found" probably because people blog so much the recipe is lost as far as MFP detecting it. That's OK if I could add the instructions!
When you enter a recipe manually on a desktop computer, at the bottom there is an option "Would you like to submit this recipe to the MyFitnessPal recipe database?"
That's where you can add instructions0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I can't figure out how to add the instructions in a recipe. If I upload one, it puts the link to the website, which I don't really want because I often make changes and want those listed. But if I enter it manually, I can't even see where to put them. This particular one I tried to upload but it said "no recipe found" probably because people blog so much the recipe is lost as far as MFP detecting it. That's OK if I could add the instructions!
When you enter a recipe manually on a desktop computer, at the bottom there is an option "Would you like to submit this recipe to the MyFitnessPal recipe database?"
That's where you can add instructions
They've never put that function into operation. You're just wasting your time if you add the instructions; there's no way to access them later. At least, that has been my experience. I'd be interested if you've been able to access instructions that you saved for the MFP recipe database.0 -
If you add it as a meal instead you can add the ingredients and instructions to it. at least in the app.1
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Dreamyriver wrote: »On the app (android, anyway) if you create a meal you can add instructions for making it. That could be an option if it's a simple recipe and easily broken down into single serve amounts (in which case it's probably best entered as a meal anyway, as it is much easier to amend the individual weights of the ingredients).
It's bizarre that you can do this for a meal but not for a recipe.
Agree!0 -
And we are in 2021, but MyFitnessPal still have not added the option to record instructions for recipes, only for meals... Ridiculous!
So, our current options are - for recipes you get ingredients automatically from the website with a recipe, but you are not able to add instructions, nor are you able to share the recipe with friends or other users. Or, you can create a meal where you have to manually add ingredients and search for them in the database one by one, and then you also have an option to add instructions, and share the meal with friends/public. This does not make sense at all.
Why is it so difficult to just merge these three functions (i.e. automatic scrapping of ingredients, ability to record instructions, and sharing with friends) together either in recipes or meals? I am not getting this, really...1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »I can't figure out how to add the instructions in a recipe. If I upload one, it puts the link to the website, which I don't really want because I often make changes and want those listed. But if I enter it manually, I can't even see where to put them. This particular one I tried to upload but it said "no recipe found" probably because people blog so much the recipe is lost as far as MFP detecting it. That's OK if I could add the instructions!
When you enter a recipe manually on a desktop computer, at the bottom there is an option "Would you like to submit this recipe to the MyFitnessPal recipe database?"
That's where you can add instructions
They've never put that function into operation. You're just wasting your time if you add the instructions; there's no way to access them later. At least, that has been my experience. I'd be interested if you've been able to access instructions that you saved for the MFP recipe database.
Oops, my bad for assuming that worked - I've never wanted to share so never tried it.
When I remake a simple recipe that I found online, I have MFP open in one tab and the site with the recipe in another, and go back and forth.
If it's more complicated, or my prep varied considerably from the original, I put it in a doc and print it out.
There are some things I always vary so don't bother to print that. For example, recipes often over simply, and I know the correct way to do it.1 -
Two comments:
1) For the last two months at least, I've been unable to get MFP to parse any online recipe. (Android app). And even when I copy and paste it makes the craziest guesses. (Like 2 Tbsp chili powder = 27 servings of 1 cup chili.)
2) I really like the Whisk app (free) for recipes! I can add both online and my own recipes.
Here's an example of a recipe that was saved to my Whisk:
https://whi.sk/an0Om0 -
Yes, a year later and functionality has been removed, not added. Thinking specifically of the share meal function. DH & I used that every day for dinner. We miss it. I also would use notes/instructions on recipes if it were available.0
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bold_rabbit wrote: »Two comments:
1) For the last two months at least, I've been unable to get MFP to parse any online recipe. (Android app). And even when I copy and paste it makes the craziest guesses. (Like 2 Tbsp chili powder = 27 servings of 1 cup chili.)
2) I really like the Whisk app (free) for recipes! I can add both online and my own recipes.
Here's an example of a recipe that was saved to my Whisk:
https://whi.sk/an0Om
I can import recipes via desktop. (I only do this for the link to the recipe and the thumbnail.) It does make the craziest guesses, EVEN WHEN I USE SYNTAX THAT I KNOW EXISTS IN THE DATABASE.
I put in syntax from the USDA, MFP "matches" them all incorrectly, then I use Replace, copy and paste, and THEN it finds the right entry.
Last time, the importer got 6 of 6 ingredients wrong, but all but one of them were in fact in the MFP database.0 -
This website is a bit of a nightmare! I'm coming off 12 years with SparkPeople which is shutting down next month. I had to create PDF files of the almost 500 recipes I created over the course of that 12 years because they offered NO way to export them! Now I decide to try MFP and I cannot even enter instructions for a recipe???? That is INSANE!!! That is something that should be standard for every site like this! I cannot import the recipes from Sparkpeople. It simply doesn't work. Says the page doesn't exist. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!1
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The only suggestion I've ever seen acted on was to stop delivering pornographic ads, which was happening by mistake anyway, so not really an adopted suggestion.
Oh, and we did have a "woo" button for a while, but that was rolled out with two allowable and conflicting meanings, and was a complete disaster. Perhaps getting rid of the Woo button was an adopted suggestion, but it took many of us complaining about it, over a long time, and in multiple threads, and perhaps my aggressively flagging posts that misused this reaction had something to do with it as well.
I think of the "MFP Suggestions/Feedback" forum more of a place to vent than to accomplish anything tangible.0 -
ExBrooklyn98 wrote: »This website is a bit of a nightmare! I'm coming off 12 years with SparkPeople which is shutting down next month. I had to create PDF files of the almost 500 recipes I created over the course of that 12 years because they offered NO way to export them! Now I decide to try MFP and I cannot even enter instructions for a recipe???? That is INSANE!!! That is something that should be standard for every site like this! I cannot import the recipes from Sparkpeople. It simply doesn't work. Says the page doesn't exist. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
In your situation I would save the pdfs in Google drive.0 -
The first post about this was way back in September 2018. It's now January 2024 and we STILL cant add a note to a recipie.
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theonlyandyt wrote: »The first post about this was way back in September 2018. It's now January 2024 and we STILL cant add a note to a recipie.
I suggest you get a notebook and create your own recipe book. You also could create documents in a word processor like Microsoft Word and then if you're really inspired create a database that linked to recipes so you could easily search for them.
The recipe feature on MFP is strictly a way for you to easily log the calories and nutritional information in recipes that you make frequently or from time to time. It's not an instruction book.
What kind of notes do you want to add?0 -
theonlyandyt wrote: »The first post about this was way back in September 2018. It's now January 2024 and we STILL cant add a note to a recipie.
Yes, and if people keep posting about it in the sections of the Community that the MFP staff don't read, all that does is irritate other MFP users who have no more power to fix it than do the people who are posting to complain about it.
If you want a feature, post about it here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/feature-suggestions-and-ideas
The MFP staff don't have the time to read every flippin' post in the whole Community, but they do read and reply to the items there.
Even posting there, I'd give low odds that the feature will be added, but at least it might be less irritating to other powerless people.
This is a calorie counting site, not a recipe management site. Adding instructions to recipes will not be a selling point for more people to join a calorie counting site. MFP will be busy adding things that will help grow the user base, and that change is unlikely to do that.
There are some good recipe management apps in the world. Several people have posted that Paprika recipe manager works well with MFP. Maybe take a look at that one, or others? I don't use one, because I don't generally use recipes: I know how to cook.
(P.S. to @mtaratoot: Having read this post, do you want to retract your nice remark on that other thread? :flowerforyou: )0 -
@AnnPT77
Nice try, but you're going to have to try harder if you want me to retract my statement.
Recipes. Hmm. Here's a note:
I made more black bean soup yesterday. I put two cups of beans in a half-gallon jar the night before and covered with water. Then yesterday I drained them, put them in my pressure cooker, and put some water to boil in the kettle.
While I waited for the water to boil, I added the following to the pressure cooker:- I don't know, maybe five carrots cut into two or three inch lengths
- A half yellow onion cut into four pieces
- A glove of garlic, peeled and each clove cut in half
- An amount of salt that looked right in the palm of my hand
- Eleven dried Chiles de Arbol
- Seven bay leaves from the tree outside that have been sitting in a basket from being decorative indoor greens I cut down to put alongside a plate full of cornbread I took to a gathering last month.
- The correct amount of cumin.
- A tiny splash of sunflower seed oil for the sole purpose of preventing foam.
I added the boiling water, but it wasn't quite enough so I added some more.
I put the lid on the pressure cooker, let it come to pressure, turned the heat down, and set the timer for five minutes.
When the timer was done, I took the pressure cooker off the heat and went for a nice walk.
When I got home an hour or so later, I opened the pressure cooker, went on a search mission to find all seven bay leaves. It was driving me crazy because I could only find six of the damn things. Then I went and looked in the compost and counted seven. I actually had removed them all but missed counting one. How annoying.
I spooned out a cup or maybe less of beans, and I returned any vegetables that came out with them to the pressure cooker.
I used the immersion blender to puree the soup, then added the whole beans back for texture.
Low calorie. A little protein. A little fiber. A lot of delicious. I sprinkle on some nutritional yeast when I serve it to add protein (all nine essential amino acids) and more fiber. It's damn good. I have two quarts left.
Next soup will be butternut squash soup again, and maybe after that some vegetable barley miso mushroom soup if I get the right ingredients.1 -
What's wrong with you man? Sounds.... complicated!
I nuked a 750g bag of mixed veggies (harvest blend if you need to know, 749g 😉). And a 360 Cal frozen dinner (5g underweight 🤷♂️)
Added half the bag to the dinner and saved the other half for later.
Plus 60.5g bread. And 15g sriracha since that *kitten* tastes good with everything!!!😉0 -
Super easy. You should "Make a note of it."
Soak beans. Cook five minutes. Blitz. Eat.
I probably shouldn't NOTE the Japanese sweet potato. I sliced it into quarter-inch rounds, tossed it in hazelnut oil, sprinkled with hot chile, salt, pepper, powdered ginger, powdered turmeric, and powdered cinnamon, then put in a convection oven at 425F for 20 minutes, turned over and cooked another eight minutes and. Mmmmm.
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28 minutes?!?!?!?!?! That's like FAMILY MEAL NUKE TIME LEVEL!1
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28 minutes?!?!?!?!?! That's like FAMILY MEAL NUKE TIME LEVEL!
You're a person after my own heart! If it takes more than 10 minutes total or requires the use of something besides an air fryer or a microwave, it might as well not even exist! Frozen vegetables are one of the greatest inventions of all time, I'd probably starve without them.1 -
750g bag (transferred in a glass container) percolates in the microwave for 5 minutes while coffee brews and then goes in the fridge for later use 😉 sometimes I cry when I run into 500g shrink-flated bags. Or have to deal with the horror of re closing a 2kg bag to put back in the freezer!!!🤣 I believe I am shocked every time I discover that veggies have to be washed and cleaned when not in their natural individually frozen state! 😱
I admit, however, that I was making my own purple yam brownie-likes while losing weight!0 -
750g bag (transferred in a glass container) percolates in the microwave for 5 minutes while coffee brews and then goes in the fridge for later use 😉 sometimes I cry when I run into 500g shrink-flated bags. Or have to deal with the horror of re closing a 2kg bag to put back in the freezer!!!🤣 I believe I am shocked every time I discover that veggies have to be washed and cleaned when not in their natural individually frozen state! 😱
I admit, however, that I was making my own purple yam brownie-likes while losing weight!
If I eat non-frozen produce, I just buy it pre-washed and cut. Takes even less time than frozen! Cucumbers are pretty much the only thing I peel and cut myself and that's just because I like to snack on cucumbers marinated in rice vinegar and chile flakes.1 -
I haven't owned a microwave in over three decades. It's not that I'm a Luddite. Lately I have found times that having one would be very handy. I don't have the counter space anywhere near an electric outlet. One of the woes of living in an "affordable" house built in 1948.0
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