When I started blogging and recording family recipes, I knew that a lack of nutritional information for these recipes was a weakness.
There were plug-ins available, but they cost money; and I didn’t have a WordPress business account, so I couldn’t use the plug-ins, anyway.
Well, you know how every once in a while the light bulbs goes on, and you wonder why it took you so long to figure something out? That’s what happened to me.
I should just do an Internet search for “nutrition information calculator!” I thought. Oh, and I should type in the word “free.”
This amazing website from the USDA is what I found. All you do is add in the recipe ingredients and number of servings, and, violá, You get a complete nutritional analysis! If you create an account, you can save your recipes, too.
It is so cool, the only thing that is stopping me from posting this info for all of my recipes is TIME.
Here is the link:
https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx
So, if you’ve ever wondered how much fiber and sodium are in your dad’s homemade pretzels, or how much fat is in Granny’s turkey tetrazzini, now you can find out.
Another cool thing about this recipe analyzer is that you can use it to explore how to change ingredients to get a healthier result.
I was messing around with a homemade granola recipe. I wanted it to be healthier than those commercially available, but still taste good. The USDA Supertracker let me see how reducing the amount of sugar and increasing olive oil would affect the nutritional profile.
That’s a great thing to be able to do, before you actually mix all the ingredients together.
Maybe you will never need this tool. After all, if you are the cook, you know what is going into the pot. However, it’s always nice to know these kind of feel tools are available.
Knowledge is power, and it’s time to take the power over our health back.
UPDATE: The USDA Supertracker site contains a notification that it will be discontinued on June 30, 2018!
Ugh! I hope that some of the wonderful features are kept, like the nutrition profiles and recipe calculator. Time will tell.
I found another site that will also provide nutrition information for your personal recipes. It is a bit trickier to use, but still fairly easy. Plus, it gives you an embed code so that you can easily add the nutrition info to your own web page without screenshots, photo editing, etc.
The site is called Verywell Fit.com
Have a great day!
Featured photo: Olive Oil Potato Salad (link)
? – Jo
This post is not intended to offer medical advice. Check with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
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Pam, there is another ap that I have on my phone called My Fitness Pal that coordinates with exercise on your Fitbit. You can put your own recipes in, calculate their caloric value and save them for future times. I’ve been using it off and on for several years and really like it.