ARCHIVED Ask A Dietitian 2/21/13 - 2/7/14 Topic

Alvin.Clarke 11/24/18
I prefer to avoid eating manufacturer prepared foods and prefer to cook my own. But I need clarification on teh nutrient value of raw and uncooked foods.
I am getting confused about the nutrient value of dry foods that are cooked in water. For example the nutrient label for baby lima beans indicates 210 calories for a 64 gram serving. Does the serving size reflect the dry weight of the beans or the cooked weight of the beans after they have absorbed the water from cooking?
I am also confused when trying to determine the nutrient value of dry cereals (oat meal, cream of wheat, red river cereal, etc.).
I am also wondering if cooking changes the nutrient value of raw foods?

Dietician 11/26/18 replied to Alvin.Clarke
Hello Alvin- That is great that you are striving to eat as little unprocessed foods as possible. Good for you!
By focusing on intaking whole foods, you are getting the most bang for your calories from a macro and micronutrient perspective. When searching for foods, I would suggest specifying in your search if you are eating a raw or cooked food. This will increase the accuracy. For beans, I would specify cooked in your searching, since that is how they are ingested. As for dry cereal, I would also specify cooked vs. dry. These articles should also shed light on your searching and how to enhance the accuracy of your tracking:

https://www.mynetdiary.com/4-tips-for-searching-finding-basic-food-items.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/why-is-my-potassium-and-other-minerals-so-low.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/supportArticle.do?articleId=6901

As for foods differing nutritionally being cooked vs. raw. Yes, there is a difference. Sometimes the difference is small. Other times a bit more. Most people are healthy enough to withstand a smaller intake of nutrients when foods are cooked a certain way. In some cases certain nutrients are enhanced by cooking such as lycopene in tomatoes. Vitamin C can diminish by up to 30% when broccoli is steamed or boiled. Roasting broccoli diminishes the vitamin c lost. Do you have a specific vegetable that you are curious about in regards to the impact of cooking?
All the best! Joanna (Dietician)

Gmasheila 01/31/19
My weight management Dr. wants me to have between 10 & 15 teaspoons of sugar daily. How do I figure how many carbs that would be?

Dietician 01/31/19 replied to Gmasheila
Hi Gmasheila,

Thanks for your question. Can I get a little clarification? Are you saying that your doctor wants you to limit your added sugar intake to 10-15 teaspoons per day? For example, the US Dietary Guidelines suggest we consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars. So for a 1200 calorie diet, that 10% would equate to less than 30 grams added sugar daily. 1 tsp of sugar has 4 grams of carbohydrate.

Here is an article that explains the difference between carbohydrates and sugar and how carbs are a big category that includes both starch and sugar. Some carbohydrates are naturally found in foods(oats or fruit) while others are added (ex: honey).

https://www.mynetdiary.com/carbs-in-weight-loss.html

Please let me know if that answers your question or if not, give me additional clarification.

Hope this helps! Brenda (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

Pauline9 02/24/19
why did my budget calories go down for today?? Previous logging said i shuld have 1200 calories?

Dietician 02/25/19 replied to Pauline9
Hello Pauline9- It sounds like your calorie budget suddenly changed on you. I am sorry for the unplanned frustration! There are several reasons this may have happened. Basically the app is trying its best to get you to your weight loss goal or ensure you manintain. Here are some reasons that it may have gone down:

-Current Weight goes up - this means more weight to lose by Target Date
-You move your Target Date closer - this means less time to achieve Target Weight
-You choose a higher Weekly Rate - e.g. lose 2 lb instead of 1 lb per week
-You decrease or remove Exercise Plan - this means fewer planned exercise calories burned
-You choose a lower Activity Level - e.g. sedentary instead of light active
Do you any of those reasons explain the problem? If not, we have an awesome support staff who can look up your account and see further into what has gone on. You can reach them by email at support@mynetdiary.com Let me know if this answers your question, or if other questions remain. Best, Joanna (Dietician)

Rstray8622 03/21/19
How do I log in on Android to be able to sync FitBit

Dietician 03/21/19
Hello Rstray8622,

Here is a link with instructions on linking with FitBit. If you are still having difficulty, please email support at support@mynetdiary.com. They can help you most quickly with your specific account. Take care! Brenda (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

Dietician 03/23/19 replied to Rstray8622
Hi Rstray8622- It appears the link did not come through.
Here it is: https://www.mynetdiary.com/calorie-counter-fitbit-integration.html

Rmeisel 04/08/19
How do I calculate my calorie needs when recuperating from a medical procedure or operation? I had day surgery today & Dr. says I shouldn't lift anything over 12 pounds, avoid straining, etc., leaving me unable to exercise for a week. I was going to limit my calories to allow for inactive lifestyle, but on-line info (www.hss.edu/conditions_nutrition-for-healing.asp) says calorie requirements should increase to support healing, even with reduced activity. Please advise.

ARCHIVED Ask A Dietitian 2/21/13 - 2/7/14