Cooking meals at home is healthier because you have more control over ingredients used, but it can be difficult to determine the nutritional content of your own recipes. Using the nutrition data panel on the foods you are cooking with is a good way to calculate this information, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, it is possible to come up with some totals in regards to fat, calories and nutrients by using computer software or books to look up your recipe ingredients. This will help you choose recipes that are healthier and more nutrient dense.
Step 1
Use the nutrition data panel on the various ingredients. Remember to look at serving size first because many foods actually contain more than one portion in the package. Use this information to determine calorie count for each item you are cooking with and then add them together. For example, if one ingredient contains 45 calories, one has 175 calories and still another weighs in at 150 calories, your completed recipe will end up with 370 calories per serving.
Step 2
Repeat the process in Step 1 to determine other nutrient information. This will include sodium, cholesterol, fiber, sugar and vitamins and minerals. Removing the labels from the ingredients can make it easier to keep them all together for easier calculating.
Step 3
Refer to software and books for ingredients that lack nutrition labels. You can purchase computer programs and books that list the nutritional data for foods that don't provide that information. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and some items that are too small to fit the panel on the packaging. Several websites will also help you with this process.
Step 4
Find a recipe calculator online. A number of websites allow you to input the ingredients and amounts for a specific home recipe and will calculate the nutritional data for you that you can then print out and keep with the recipe for future reference.
Step 5
Write down your findings with paper and pen. Include the numbers you calculate for each nutrient on the recipe so you have it the next time you prepare that recipe. You can write it on the back of the recipe or print it off the computer and staple it to the recipe page. This prevents having to repeat the process each time you prepare the recipe.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember to include herbs and spices in your calculations because many contain salt, while others are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Cooking oils are also important to factor in because they are typically high in calories so forgetting them can skew your calorie counts.
Things You'll Need
- Nutrient-counting books and software
- Nutrition data panels
- Calculator
- Recipes
- Paper
- Pen
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