Hello to All:

By some convoluted method I managed to stumble on a system that figures up nutritional information (calories, carbs, protein, etc.) for different foods. I think it's based on the USDA figures. It's run by the University of Illinois. You can open an account and save your searches there (I think).

I was leary of using FitDay because of the amount of personal info they ask for. Call me anal, but I work for a PI firm and I know how that stuff can start to float around through the wires and end up in the wrong hands! So I try not to do that, even if it seems benign on the surface.

They also include some specific brands (i.e., Kraft Mozarella string cheese) and if you do MyNAT (i.e., opening an account) you can somehow type in information from any nutrition label. I haven't used it extensively yet, so I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge/thoughts about it.

The URL is http://www.nat.uiuc.edu/
Tal

hi Tal,

Thanks for posting the link to this tool, I'm sure some folks will find it useful. Do be aware that it's based on USDA Handbook #8, whereas our Carb Counter, which you can access from Low Carb Tools on the orange menu bar at the top of the page, is based on the most recent USDA issue #14, from July 2001.

p.s. - I've edited the link you posted to open at the N.A.T. site rather than the UIUC homepage.

Doreen

Thanks Doreen!

I didn't realize it was an older version. Do you think this is significant for the content of things like basic staples, i.e., eggs, veggies, fats, etc.? Or is it more a matter of the range of foods you find? I'm thinking I'll depend on NAT for the basics and look at the labels for specific products, i.e., the particular brand of tofu I like.

Thanks again.

Tal

Hi Tal,

I used to use NAT before I started using FitDay.com. But now I am a nutridiary.com fanatic. I came across the URL of the site, totally by chance, in another bulletin board (nothing to do with low carb, dieting, nutrition, or anything else related) and I think it's great. Although I have registered there, I know you can actually use the whole application anonymously, without registering, you can log foods and exercises, track weight, body fat (i haven't seen this elsewhere), carb, other nutrients, set goals, etc. I have used it as a "guest" (anonymous) user for a couple of days and then I decided to register (they claim they do not sell data). Anyway, it has more features than fitday, and a whole lot more than NAT (including the USDA #14 data), so you might want to check it out.

James