Recipe serving size confusion in MyFitnessPal

heathersundean146 wrote: »

We submit the ingredients and what we consider a serving to be, sure, but we didn't write the computer code behind the scenes that determines how that data is processed and displayed for our use. I just wish I could tell it what food I'm putting in the pot, then tell it I plan to eat 1.5 cups of said food, and have it tell me how many calories that is. It seems infinitely simpler. Anyway, I'll quit grumbling about it. It is what it is.

to tell it what you are putting in the pit and how much of those ingredients you have to weigh said ingredients and input that into the recipe builder. it will tell you how many calories a serving is. but what I do is weigh everything(its a pain at first) that Im putting ,write it down, cook said ingredients, then when its done I weigh the finished products total weight(subtracting for the container its in) .

I write that down. I then take out what I want and write that number down as that is what a serving is and divide it into the total weight. I also put on my recipe say its veggie soup I will put veggie soup-XXXg serving as the title of the recipe. this way I know what a serving is for that recipe. you can always go into the recipe and edit it down the road if you make the same thing but use more or less of the same ingredients or add or omit something. its a lot easier that way too so you dont have to keep doing it over and over.

the recipe builder will then tell you how many calories,fat,protein,etc is in a serving. providing you use adequate entries from the database which is why its best to weigh and cross reference.once you get it down it becomes easier over time. its not really that time consuming .I weigh all my food recipe of not, its the only way I can be accurate in how many calories Im eating but thats me.

iamauntbeth wrote: »

I have written a few recipes down. But I find nowhere to give direction on how to make it, or when I prefer pecans in place of the walnuts the original recipe calls for.

that when you put in your own recipe with the pecans instead of the walnuts put all the original ingredients down and then put the pecans in. as for direction on how to make it thats when you have that info aside. you can import recipes from sites to MFP recipe builder too. but you still will have to know how to make it. and if you weigh everything the recipe will says cups or spoons or what have ya

I put the serving size in the title of the recipe. For example this past week we had:

1/2 C mac n cheese
1 C white chili
4oz Italian roast
1/2 C sauce and vegetables

There are four in my house who are counting calories, one other using MFP and two use a different app. I do the majority of the meal planning, grocery shopping, calorie counting, and cooking so I need to make it as easy as possible FOR ME 🤣

I know weight is far more accurate BUT with four people using a scale at dinner (which is usually 8pm or later due to work and class schedules) it is much simpler to just use a measuring cup as a serving spoon and call it close enough for most things. I have the lowest calories/day so I am more careful with weighing portions at less hectic meals.

Oh, estherdragonbat beat me to it! Should have read all the comments.

heathersundean146 wrote: »

I can't just measure out two cups of soup like a normal person and enter that I ate two cups of soup.

Cup is not "normal". Normal people use scales.

It would be simplest if it just had a spot for serving size. For example, you make a recipe that serves 10. So it has 10 servings and MFP does the math. Then there is another box where you can put serving size (1 cup, 6 ounces, whatever) MFP would just display it.
That way you don't have to remember the serving size or put it in the title.

Came here because I have the same issue as the original post. I have a scale and use it. All I want is the ability to note in the recipe, "One serving is 2 tablespoons or 30 grams." It would make the app a lot more convenient and easier to use.

I use this app to make it more convenient to track calories and nutrition. Memorizing or writing down serving sizes for every recipe I make, and then looking up those serving sizes every time I eat them, is not convenient.

The best solution I've seen in this thread is to make the recipe's number of servings the weight of the total finished recipe in grams. But that's still a workaround that's more mental overhead than just being able to type in our own serving amounts. I'll probably use it though, so thank you to those who suggested it.

If I could enter in my own serving amounts, it would make me able to log my recipes the same way I do other foods. I'm able to say that I had "one serving of 56 grams" of a canned food, so why not one serving of 56 grams of my own recipe?

Sidenote, pretty disappointed at the number of people telling OP she's wrong or "it's not that hard." This is supposed to be a helpful community. Please don't be snarky, and if you don't have anything helpful to add, just click/tap away. Particular side-eye at you, freda.

freda78 wrote: »

heathersundean146 wrote: »

I can't just measure out two cups of soup like a normal person and enter that I ate two cups of soup.

Cup is not "normal". Normal people use scales.

Let's not shame people for how they measure food, k?

Calculate the entire dish, then divide by how many servings you decide to make out of it.

I often make the total weight the number of servings. A pot of soup that weighs 2234 grams is 2,234 servings.

I eat 326 grams? I just hast 326 servings.

Yes, please sort this feature out. I am new to myfitnesspal app, I have come from Easy Diet Diary which does this feature no worries. Your other features was why I came over, of copying recipes from sites and Friends. As I am not the cook these features are great for who is. But when I am asked how many grams I am going to eat I have to do a convoluted not accurate method. So at the moment I am having to use both apps and check the KJ per grams are correct Anyone reackon this will get sorted or do i cancel my sub and look for another app?

Put the serving size or weight in the recipe title.