MyFitnessPal is a fantastic tool for helping you achieve your fitness goals. With millions of food options from around the world and an accurate calorie-tracking feature, it is a valuable app for those who want to stay on top of their health. However, what if a particular food you eat isn’t listed in the app or doesn’t have your preferred serving size? Don’t worry, here’s how to change the serving size in MyFitnessPal.
Changing Serving Sizes in MyFitnessPal
When a food is entered into the app, it comes with specific serving sizes attached. MyFitnessPal staff creates these serving sizes, or users can create their own sizes when adding new foods. However, if the serving size you need isn’t there, it’s essential to be able to adjust the serving size to align with your diet.
Adjusting Serving Size Manually
You can use the available food and increase the number of servings you had. For instance, if you had two servings, increase the number to two. If you consumed less than a whole unit, use fractions to adjust the serving size. Saving a modified item as a new meal can also speed up the process.
Using Other Foods
You won’t be able to change the serving unit for the exact item you want to consume if the unit isn’t what you prefer. In this case, you should look for the same food item with portions displayed in units you prefer.
Creating a New Food
Suppose the food you want to consume doesn’t exist in the app or has unique serving sizes or units. In that case, you can create your own food.
- Open your MyFitnessPal app and go to the main menu and click on “Food”.
- Select “My Foods” and click on the “Create Meal” button.
- Enter the brand name and description of the food. You may add “Generic” if the food is from an unknown brand. Confirm the entry by clicking the “Continue” button.
- If the app already has similar entries in its database, it will offer you options to choose from. Suppose this is a new food break. In that case, you can click “No, this is not a duplicate” to continue.
- The next screen will allow you to define the serving sizes and enter nutritional information for your meal.
- Once you enter all the details, click “Save” or “Save and create another.”
Note that you can opt to allow other MyFitnessPal users to use the food you’ve created, which will make it part of the app’s database.
The Bottom Line
MyFitnessPal provides you with an accurate and diverse list of food options. However, it’s not uncommon to encounter a food with a serving size that isn’t what you prefer. The good news is that with this guide, you can tweak the serving size to align with your diet and maintain your health goals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I add serving sizes that are not currently available in MyFitnessPal?
Yes. When adding a food to your meal, you can use the pre-existing food and multiply your servings. If the serving unit is one and you ate two of those, increase the number to two. If you ate half a banana, add 0.5 banana servings. If you drank three-quarters of your favorite shake, enter 0.75 servings to adjust.
How do I create a new meal on MyFitnessPal?
Creating a new meal on MyFitnessPal is simple. Open your MyFitnessPal app, choose “Food” from the main menu, select “My Foods,” and click on the “Create Meal” button. From there, you can enter the brand name and description of the food, enter serving sizes, and input nutritional information.
