Tips for entering recipes in MyNetDiary

To stay on top of health goals and track more accurately in MyNetDiary, look to our tips for entering recipes in MyNetDiary. Get the most out of using MyNetDiary’s Recipes feature–learn how to enter your favorites like a pro!

Tips for entering recipes in MyNetDiary

If you cook often from scratch or use recipes from blogs, then it is time to learn how to enter and import recipes in MyNetDiary. Applying these tips for logging or importing your recipes will improve the accuracy of calories and nutrient intake. It also allows you to create a personalized recipe database that includes recipe instructions, photos, and print options.

Recipe Import tool

The fastest and easiest way to import an existing recipe from the web is to use the Recipe Import tool on the Me tab in the mobile app, where you can enter the recipe website URL, then tap the "Import" button and follow the steps.

MyNetDiary also integrates with other recipe apps you may already use, such as The New York Times Cooking app or AllRecipes. Open the recipe app on your device, choose the recipe you want to import, tap "Share," and select "MyNetDiary Recipe Import." The recipe will populate in the MyNetDiary app, where you can adjust ingredients or directions.

Importing recipes from social media

The easiest way to import a recipe is by entering the website URL. However, a recipe on social media may only exist on the post’s page. In that case, you would want to use the "Paste Ingredients and Cooking Directions" option.

Tips for entering recipes manually in MyNetDiary

You can also enter a new recipe manually. Here is one straightforward method for entering new recipes.

1. Start with an empty meal.
2. Enter food items as used as ingredients in the recipe (e.g., raw vs. cooked, peeled vs. whole, etc.). Weigh or measure each food ingredient for greater accuracy.
3. Go to your dashboard, tap "View All Meals," select the meal you want to turn into a recipe, then tap the 3-dot icon at the top right of the screen, tap "Save as Recipe" (iPhone app) or "Create Recipe" (Android app). For the web app, tap "Add" (located on the blue meal bar), tap "Custom," and then tap "Recipe" from <Meal> Foods.
4. Complete each field as indicated in the recipe screen. See tips on how to complete those fields below.
5. Tap "Save" to save your new recipe.

You can also create a new recipe by going to the "Manage My Foods" tab under "Me" and selecting "Create New Recipe." From there, type a recipe name, add ingredients, cook and prep times, and directions.

Tip: If you’ve made the recipe before or are making it as you enter it in MyNetDiary, consider weighing the total amount of all cooked food. This increases the accuracy of the macronutrient, vitamin, and mineral totals for the recipe and each serving.

Recipe name

Give your new recipe a unique name to save it. A detailed name helps you remember it, especially if you have different versions of similar recipes.

Tip: Consider including at least 3 initials or a clue word in the recipe name to make it easier to find your own recipes when searching. Searches need at least 3 characters in a word to bring up that word.

Recipe icon

To add an icon to your recipe, tap the recipe, then scroll to the bottom and select "View This Recipe." Click the 3-dot icon at the top right, tap "Edit," then hit "Select Recipe Icon." This icon will appear to the left of the recipe name in your food log.

It doesn’t matter which icon you choose, but members find it helpful to use an icon that looks like the recipe or reflects a main ingredient. If you don’t, the system will choose a default image.

Ingredients

Be sure to enter the most accurate food items and quantities into the recipe so that the recipe analysis is accurate. For instance, did you use a cooked rotisserie chicken breast with skin or a cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breast?

Do all of your ingredients have a weight? Adding ingredients by weight provides the most accurate nutrition information. Most staples have weights for their serving sizes, but not all branded foods do, especially for spices, oils, and liquids. Choose the correct raw or cooked version of your ingredient, as food preparation affects food weight.

If one of your ingredients has 0 calories, double-check it. Water and many spices will have 0 calories, but other ingredients should have calories. If the nutrition profile still seems off, feel free to reach out to our support team to investigate further.

Tip: Use basic non-branded foods as ingredients to get the most complete nutrient and weight information. These basic food items ("Staple Foods") also have more serving-size options, making it much easier to enter ingredients.

Can I add a recipe as an ingredient in another recipe?

Yes! You can add a recipe as an ingredient in another recipe. You can also use a Premium recipe as an ingredient in another recipe.

Simply enter the amount of this recipe ingredient needed for the main recipe. If you need to use volume units but the ingredient recipe lists "servings," you can weigh the amount of the recipe ingredient you use and enter the weight in grams or ounces.

Tip: When you print or share a recipe that contains another recipe as an ingredient, be sure to print or share both recipes.

Will the Shopping List work with recipes used as ingredients?

Yes! All ingredients will show up in your Shopping List.

Recipe totals

There are multiple ways to calculate a recipe total. The recipe ingredients you select and how you determine the end result may dictate which recipe-total option you choose.

Ways to calculate the recipe total

• Total recipe calories: A system-calculated weight for the entire recipe based on the ingredients and quantities you entered.
• Recipe weight: The recipe’s total weight, based on the weight of every ingredient used. If the recipe weight is zero, then one or more ingredients are missing a weight. To account for potential errors, choose the correct food option (cooked vs. raw) when entering the recipe. Override this feature by weighing your finished recipe.
• Total servings: The default is one serving. If the recipe yields multiple servings, then measure the yield and enter that value instead. The yield should reflect the number of servings in the final recipe.
• Single-serving weight: A system-calculated weight that cannot be overridden. However, you can edit the recipe to change the weight per serving, but it will change all other recipe components, such as the ingredients, recipe weight, and total servings.

Steps

Cooking time

Enter the total time to cook the recipe. For slow cooker recipes, use the same total time that you enter on the appliance, even if you take additional time sauteing veggies or browning meat for the slow cooker. If your recipe does not require cooking, then leave this field blank.

Preparation time

Enter how long it takes you to prepare the food before cooking. For recipes that require freezing or marinating time, include that time here.

Steps

"Steps" is a free-text area. Most people find it helpful to number their recipe instructions, but choose what makes the most sense for you.

Recipe photo

The recipe photo is optional. If you use your phone app to enter the recipe, tap the camera icon to see your options. Take a picture of your finished recipe, or choose an image from your photo library. If you use the web app, tap "Choose File" to upload an image to your recipe.

Remember to save the recipe!

One of the most crucial tips–tap "Save" in the upper right corner of the screen once you have finished entering your new recipe in MyNetDiary, or it will not save!

Searching and finding your recipes

Find your recipes saved under the "Me" tab, then tap "Manage My Foods," then "Recipes." You will see a list of your recipes, where you can either scroll to the one you want or use the search bar to find the recipe by name.

In the Web app, tap the star icon (it’s in the same row as the nutrient column names), then tap "My Recipes" in the left menu bar. You can also find your list of recipes by placing your cursor on any meal, selecting "My Foods," and then choosing "Recipes."

Deleting recipes

Perhaps you no longer use it or made it in error, then you can delete it.

Mobile app

Bring up your list of custom recipes using "Manage My Foods" as described above. Choose the recipe you wish to delete, and then tap "Delete Food."

Web app

Tap the star icon (it’s in the same row as the nutrient column names), then tap "My Recipes" in the left menu bar. You can also find your list of recipes by placing your cursor on any meal, selecting "My Foods," then choosing "Recipes." Tap the recipe you want to delete, click the 3-dot settings icon to the right of the recipe name, and then tap "Delete Recipe."

Creating recipes vs. meals

Anytime you enter food items in a meal, you have the option of saving those food items as a meal or a recipe.

Saving your recipe as a meal is the best option to use if you often eat the same meal every day but want to edit its components daily. For example, if you regularly switch up the fruit in your morning smoothie, save it as a meal rather than a recipe. Saving as a meal allows you to make slight modifications like portion sizes or ingredients. It also saves you time by not having to search and enter items for meals you eat repeatedly.

If you save meal items as a recipe, then the recipe loads as a single item. Saving as a recipe requires you to make it the same way every time.

Tip: On iOS, saving as a meal allows you to use a Siri shortcut to log that meal by name. Remember to name your meal so it is easy to pronounce, allowing Siri to interpret your command correctly. To learn more about Siri shortcuts, read Using Siri with MyNetDiary.

Related content

Tips for sharing recipes in MyNetDiary

Import recipes to your MyNetDiary account for easy and accurate tracking

Adapted from original content from Katherine Isacks, MPS, RDN

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