How to Manually Enter Calories in MyFitnessPal?

According to research published in the National Institutes of Health, while food database apps like MyFitnessPal are generally accurate for tracking energy and macronutrients, knowing how to manually enter calories in MyFitnessPal is a key skill for tracking specialty foods and home-cooked meals. This ability ensures precision and prevents inaccuracies from user-generated entries or missing items.

Quick Summary

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for manually entering calories in MyFitnessPal using different methods. Learn how to log quick totals, create custom food items, and save complex recipes for more accurate food tracking.

Key Points

• Quick Add for Speed: Use the "Quick Add" feature when you only know the total calorie count for a meal and need to log it quickly.

• Custom Foods for Accuracy: Create a new custom food entry for homemade or specialty items not accurately represented in the MyFitnessPal database.

• Recipes for Repeated Meals: Save complex, multi-ingredient dishes as recipes to easily and accurately log them later with a single tap.

• Manual Entry is Versatile: Use manual logging for restaurant food, unique ingredients, or when a barcode scan fails to provide reliable data.

• Prioritize Accuracy: Weighing ingredients and using manual entry ensures more precise nutritional data than estimating portions, leading to more consistent results.

Why Manually Enter Food in MyFitnessPal?

MyFitnessPal's large food database is a powerful tool, but it is not infallible. Several scenarios make manual entry a necessity for maintaining accurate calorie and nutrition logs. One common issue is that a significant portion of the database is user-generated, which means data can be incomplete or incorrect. By manually entering the nutritional information from a reliable source—like the food label itself—you eliminate the guesswork and ensure the accuracy of your food diary. Another key reason is logging homemade meals. A complex recipe with multiple ingredients will not be in the database, and estimating the calories can lead to inaccuracies. Manually creating a recipe ensures every component is accounted for correctly.

Other Scenarios for Manual Entry

• Restaurant Meals: While some chain restaurant items are listed, many smaller establishments or specials are not. Instead of guessing, you can use available nutritional information to create a custom food item.
• Missing Barcodes: The barcode scanning feature is highly convenient, but sometimes a product isn't in the database. Knowing how to manually create a new food entry is the next best solution.
• Specialty or Local Foods: If you're tracking a meal with unique or regionally sourced ingredients, manual entry is often the only option.

Method 1: Using the Quick Add Feature

The "Quick Add" feature is your best friend when you have a known calorie total for a meal and don't need to log individual macros. This is perfect for when you've pre-portioned a meal or received nutritional info from a restaurant.

Here’s how to use it on the mobile app:

1. On the Home screen, tap the blue + button.
2. Select Log Food.
3. Choose the appropriate meal category (e.g., Lunch or Dinner).
4. On the search screen, scroll the horizontal options below the search bar (Recent, Frequent, etc.) to the left until you see Quick Add. Tap it.
5. Enter the calorie amount in the field provided.
6. Tap the checkmark or Add button to save the entry.

This method is fast, but be aware that it only tracks calories. For detailed macro tracking, you may need a Premium subscription to add macronutrient values via Quick Add.

Method 2: Creating a Custom Food

This is the most precise method for logging items not in the MyFitnessPal database, such as unique products or items for which you have the nutritional label.

Step-by-step on the mobile app:

1. Tap the More button (three dots) in the bottom-right corner.
2. Go to My Meals, Recipes & Foods.
3. Tap the Foods tab at the top.
4. Scroll to the bottom and select Create a new food.
5. Fill in the brand name (if applicable) and a clear description.
6. Enter the serving size and servings per container, preferably using grams for accuracy.
7. Input the detailed nutritional information from the food label, including calories, fat, carbs, and protein.
8. Save the new food. It will now be available in your personal My Foods list and can be logged easily in the future.

Method 3: Saving a Recipe

If you frequently eat a complex homemade meal, like a big batch of chili or a weekly stir-fry, saving it as a recipe saves time and improves accuracy.

How to create and log a recipe:

1. Start by logging all the individual ingredients into your food diary for that meal, as you would normally.
2. Once all ingredients are entered, tap the ... menu under that meal in your diary.
3. Select Save as Meal.
4. Give the recipe a name and specify the number of servings it makes.
5. The recipe is now saved under My Meals for future use.
6. To log the meal again, tap Add Food, go to the My Meals tab, and select your saved recipe. The serving size is easily adjustable.

Comparison: Manual Entry vs. Barcode Scanning

Deciding between manual entry and barcode scanning depends on your priorities: speed, accuracy, or detail. The right approach depends on the food and situation.

Feature	Manual Entry (Custom Food/Recipe)	Barcode Scanning (Premium)
Accuracy	Highest, using data from a verified label.	Varies; relies on the data associated with the barcode.
Time Commitment	Higher initially, but saves time for repeat entries.	Fastest for pre-packaged goods already in the database.
Best For	Homemade recipes, unique products, restaurant meals, dietary restrictions.	Standard, pre-packaged foods with a clear barcode.
Database Reliance	Creates a personal entry, not reliant on the public database.	Dependent on the item being in the database.
Premium Feature	Most manual entry is available in the free version.	Barcode scanning is a Premium feature.

Troubleshooting Manual Calorie Entry

• Accidental Duplicates: If you find multiple versions of the same custom food, navigate to More > My Meals, Recipes & Foods > Foods to edit or delete duplicates. This cleans up your personal database.
• Incorrect Recipe Servings: When creating a recipe, ensure the total number of servings is accurate. You can always edit the recipe later if you adjust your portioning.
• Manual Adjustment for Exercise: MyFitnessPal can add exercise calories to your daily total. If you need to manually adjust this, you can create a custom cardio exercise with a specific calorie burn amount. However, be cautious as exercise calorie estimates can be inaccurate.

Conclusion: Master Your Calorie Tracking

Learning how to manually enter calories in MyFitnessPal is a valuable skill that enhances the accuracy and reliability of your food tracking. While automated features are convenient, manual entry gives you complete control over your nutritional data, especially for homemade meals, custom portions, or unique products. By mastering the Quick Add, Custom Food, and Recipe features, you can turn MyFitnessPal into a personalized and highly precise tool for achieving your health and fitness goals. For more in-depth nutritional guides and tips, consider visiting the official MyFitnessPal Blog at blog.myfitnesspal.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manually add macros with Quick Add?

Yes, but this feature is only available for MyFitnessPal Premium users. Free users can only input a total calorie amount using Quick Add.

How do I create a custom food on the mobile app?

To create a custom food, tap 'More' > 'My Meals, Recipes & Foods' > 'Foods' > 'Create a new food'. Then, enter the nutritional information from the food label and save it.

What is the best way to track a homemade casserole?

The most accurate method is to create and save the entire casserole as a recipe. Log each ingredient, define the total number of servings, and then log your individual portion from the saved recipe.

Is it better to scan a barcode or enter manually?

Barcode scanning is faster for standard pre-packaged items, but manual entry is more accurate for homemade meals, restaurant food, or items with potentially inaccurate user-generated data.

Can I use the manual Quick Add for exercise?

No, Quick Add is for food calories only. However, you can create a custom cardio exercise to manually log calories burned by going to the 'Exercise' section of your diary.

What if I can't find a brand in the database?

If an item isn't in the database, create a new custom food entry. This process allows you to save the food to your personal list for future use, and for some items, you can even link it to the barcode for other users.

How can I correct an incorrect calorie amount for a logged item?

If you are logging an exercise, you can manually override the calories calculated by the app. For food, if the item is from the public database, your best bet is to find a more reliable entry or create your own custom food item.