I recently stumbled across NutritionData.com – a site that allows users to calculate the nutrition facts for their original recipes. I try to watch what I eat, and I have been to countless calorie counting sites in the past. So, when I came across this one, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give it a try, but I wasn’t expecting much.
As you may have guessed, since I am taking the time to post this on my blog, I was pleasantly surprised as I explored the NutritionData.com site. Once I signed up for a free account, I immediately started entering recipes. The site allowed me to search for each ingredient in the recipe and proved to have an impressive food database – better than most I have seen. In addition, when I came across foods that were not in their database, I was able to enter them directly from the label. Once I entered my own custom foods, they were stored in the database so that I can continue to reference them in future recipes – fantastic!
Once all of the ingredients for the recipe were entered, I was able to enter the preparation instructions as well. Once the recipe was complete, I simply indicated the number of servings for the recipe and clicked Save and Analyze. The site then displayed my completed recipe along with a detailed analysis of the nutrition information, including a nutrition facts label image like you would see on packaging in the store. In addition to the nutrition facts label, the nutrition analysis also included a Nutritional Target Map, Caloric Ratio Pyramid, and a detailed listing of all of the vitamins, minerals, and proteins contained in the recipe. It also indicating whether or not the recipe would promote weight loss, weight gain, or overall health.
As with all calorie counting and nutrition sites, the information is only as good as what you enter – and should be used as an estimation tool only. Regrettably, the site’s licensing agreement for the images generated for the recipe indicates that the images can be used in print only, not online. So, you will have to try it for yourself if you want to see the food labels. I did use it to generate the nutrition information for a few of my recipes, though, so I will summarize my findings:
(Recipe yields 6 jumbo muffins – one muffin per serving)
Calories: 434; Fat: 18g (6g Sat. Fat); Cholesterol: 7mg; Sodium: 140mg; Total Carbohydrates: 63g (Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 31g); Protein: 8g
(Recipe yields 4 sandwiches – one sandwich per serving)
Calories: 497; Fat: 24g (8g Sat. Fat); Cholesterol: 72mg; Sodium: 1047mg; Total Carbohydrates: 35g (Dietary Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 6g); Protein: 36g
(Recipe yields two burgers – one burger per serving)
Calories: 588; Fat: 28g (8g Sat. Fat); Cholesterol: 95mg; Sodium: 928mg; Total Carbohydrates: 50g (Dietary Fiber: 11g, Sugars: 5g); Protein: 39g
That’s pretty neat! I’m going to check this site out.
Thanks for the site link; I have bookmarked it and will put it to use!
A great tool to use, though I think I’m afraid most times to know the real calorie-count of something I truly love to eat. ;)