How to Change Food Logged in MyFitnessPal

According to a 2024 study, over 70% of MyFitnessPal users track their food daily to achieve their health goals. However, mistakes happen, and knowing how to change food logged in MyFitnessPal is crucial for maintaining an accurate record of your nutritional intake. This guide provides a complete breakdown of the process on both the mobile app and desktop website.

Quick Summary

This guide details the specific steps for editing and deleting food entries on the MyFitnessPal mobile app and website. It covers modifying single foods, correcting serving sizes, deleting individual entries, and updating saved meals and recipes across different platforms for precise nutrition tracking.

Key Points

• Mobile App Edits: Tap a food entry in your Diary to change the serving size or quantity, and swipe left on an entry to delete it.

• Website Edits: Click a food entry directly in your Food Diary to modify it, or use the red circular minus button to delete it.

• Editing Saved Meals: Access your saved meals via 'More' > 'Meals' on the app or 'Food' > 'My Meals' on the website to update them.

• Updating Recipes: Modify saved recipes by going to 'More' > 'Recipes' on the app or 'Food' > 'Recipes' on the web.

• Platform Differences: The mobile app uses gestures like swiping for quick actions, while the website offers a more comprehensive, menu-based editing process.

• Bulk Editing: Use the 'Copy Day' feature to replicate and then quickly adjust entire days of food, speeding up the logging process.

Editing Food Entries in the MyFitnessPal Mobile App

MyFitnessPal's mobile application is the most common way to track food, and its interface makes editing your food diary a straightforward process. The method varies slightly between iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android, but the core functionality is similar.

Correcting a Single Food Item in Your Daily Diary

If you need to change the quantity or serving size of a food you've already logged, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your Diary: From the home screen, tap the "Diary" tab at the bottom.
2. Locate the entry: Scroll to the correct meal and find the food item you need to modify.
3. Tap the item: Tapping on the food entry will open a new screen with its nutritional details.
4. Adjust servings: On this screen, you can change the serving size and the number of servings. For example, if you logged 2 servings of chicken and meant to log 1.5, you can correct it here.
5. Save your changes: Tap the checkmark icon in the top right corner to update your diary.

Deleting a Food Entry from Your Diary

If you logged the wrong food entirely, deleting it is the quickest option.

1. Go to your Diary: Access your food diary from the main navigation.
2. Find the item: Locate the specific food item you want to remove.
3. Use the delete function:
   • On iOS (iPhone/iPad): Swipe the food item from right to left to reveal a red "Delete" button.
   • On Android: Press and hold the item for a few seconds until a "Delete" option appears, or tap the pencil icon at the top to select multiple items, then tap the trash can icon.
4. Confirm deletion: Tap "Delete" to confirm and remove the entry from your diary.

Editing Food Entries on the MyFitnessPal Website

The web version of MyFitnessPal provides a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate interface for managing your food diary from a computer.

Modifying a Logged Food Item

1. Log into your account: Visit the MyFitnessPal website and log in.
2. Go to the Food tab: Click on the "Food" tab at the top of the page.
3. Open your Diary: Select "Food" followed by "Diary" from the sub-navigation.
4. Click to edit: Find the food entry you wish to change. Hover your mouse over the item and click to bring up the editing options.
5. Adjust quantity: Edit the serving size and number of servings as needed.
6. Save changes: Click the green "Update" button to apply your modifications.

Removing an Entry from the Web Diary

To completely remove a food from your diary on the website:

1. Access your Diary: Follow the steps above to reach your food diary.
2. Find the item: Locate the entry you want to delete.
3. Click the delete icon: To the far right of the food entry, there is a circular red button with a minus sign. Click this button to instantly remove the item.

Updating Saved Meals and Recipes

If you frequently log the same meal or recipe but need to change it, editing the saved version saves time in the future.

Editing Saved Meals

To change a saved meal, such as a lunch you often eat:

1. Find your saved meals: On the mobile app, go to "More" > "My Meals, Recipes & Foods" > "Meals". On the website, navigate to the "Food" tab and then "My Meals".
2. Select the meal: Tap or click on the meal you want to edit.
3. Make modifications: You can add, remove, or change the quantity of ingredients within the meal.
4. Save the new version: After making your changes, save the meal to overwrite the old version.

Editing Saved Recipes

Recipes are often more complex than standard meals, and MyFitnessPal provides tools for detailed editing.

1. Access your recipes: Go to "More" > "My Meals, Recipes & Foods" > "Recipes" on the app, or "Food" > "Recipes" on the website.
2. Choose the recipe: Tap or click the specific recipe to edit.
3. Edit ingredients: You can add new ingredients, change quantities, or remove existing ones.
4. Save the updated recipe: Confirm your changes by saving the recipe.

Mobile vs. Website Editing: A Quick Comparison

Feature	Mobile App (iOS & Android)	Website (Desktop)
Editing Logged Food	Tap the item and adjust servings.	Click the item in the diary and update details.
Deleting Logged Food	Swipe left (iOS) or tap and hold (Android).	Click the red minus sign button next to the entry.
Editing Saved Meals	Found under 'More' > 'Meals'.	Found under 'Food' > 'My Meals'.
Editing Saved Recipes	Found under 'More' > 'Recipes'.	Found under 'Food' > 'Recipes'.
Speed of Deletion	Very quick, typically a single swipe or tap.	A single click removes the entry instantly.
Best for Quick Changes	Ideal for on-the-go logging and minor corrections.	Best for reviewing detailed entries and bulk editing.
Interface	Optimized for touch screen, simple gestures.	Classic, menu-driven interface, easier for complex edits.

Conclusion

Understanding how to change food logged in MyFitnessPal is a core skill for any user seeking accurate and reliable nutrition tracking. Whether you need to fix a quick mistake on the mobile app by swiping an entry or perform a more detailed edit on a saved recipe via the website, MyFitnessPal offers intuitive tools to manage your food diary effectively. By mastering these simple steps, you can ensure your daily calorie and macro counts are always precise, empowering you to stay on track with your health and fitness goals.

Advanced Tip: Using the Copy Feature

For days where your meals are similar, you can use the copy function to duplicate an entire day's worth of food, then make minor adjustments. This is an excellent way to edit your log efficiently and save time. Simply find the "Copy Day" option in your diary settings on either the app or the website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change the serving size of a food I already logged?

On the mobile app, tap the food item in your diary to open the edit screen, then adjust the serving size and number of servings. On the website, click the item in your diary to access the same edit options.

Can I delete a food entry from a previous day?

Yes. Navigate to the specific date in your food diary using the date selector. Once on that day's log, use the standard delete method for your platform (swipe on the app, minus button on the web) to remove the entry.

Is there a way to edit a saved meal?

Yes, you can edit saved meals. On the app, go to the 'More' tab, then 'My Meals, Recipes & Foods' to find and edit your saved meals. On the website, go to the 'Food' tab and click 'My Meals'.

What is the difference between editing a food and deleting it?

Editing a food involves correcting the serving size, quantity, or other details of an existing entry. Deleting a food removes the entry entirely from your diary.

How can I edit a recipe I've created in MyFitnessPal?

To edit a recipe, navigate to 'Recipes' from the main menu (app or web). Select the recipe you want to change, and you will be able to edit or remove ingredients. Remember to save your changes.

Can I edit multiple food entries at once?

While there isn't a simple 'bulk edit' function for individual foods, you can delete multiple entries at once on the mobile app by tapping the edit icon (pencil), selecting the items, and then tapping the trash can.

What if I accidentally delete the wrong food?

MyFitnessPal does not have an 'undo' feature for deletions. If you accidentally delete the wrong food, you will have to re-add it manually to your diary.