If food data sometimes looks incorrect, it’s usually because the app shows values for raw foods, while many people compare them to cooked portions. Cooking changes the water content and density of food, which affects calorie and macro counts. Here are some common examples:
Meat and fish 🥩🐟 (steak, chicken breast, pork, salmon) – calories per gram increase after cooking due to water loss.
Rice, pasta, oatmeal 🍚🍝– calories per gram decrease when cooked because they absorb water.
Vegetables 🥦🥕 – some lose water and nutrients when boiled or roasted, slightly changing their nutrition values.
For the most accurate tracking, it’s usually recommended to weigh foods in the state you plan to log:
Raw – if you follow standard nutrition labels or track calories precisely.
Cooked – if your goal is practical portion tracking or meal prep.
To find accurate data for cooked foods, try adding the cooking method (like “boiled rice” or “grilled chicken”) to your search. This ensures the nutritional values match the actual state of the food you eat.