CRON-O-Meter: Free nutrition counting sofware

[beforewisdom]

Do you want to get the most nutrition for the particular amount of calories you consume?

CRON-O-Meter is cross platform ( Java! Yay! ) software that will make achieving that goal easier. Just type in what you are eating or plan to eat. CRON-O-Meter will show you how much nutrition you will get for the calories you will allow yourself to consume.

CRON-O-Meter is free software. That is, "free" as in "freedom" software, more commonly known as "open source" ( the freedom to see and alter the source code ). CRON-O-Meter is also free as in "free of charge".

It was made by a programmer who is also into CRON ( calorie restriction with optimum nutrition ). Those people believe that life can be extended by eating fewer calories while still getting the same amount of nutrients.

You don't have to cut back on your calories to use this tool, but it is very useful to see if you are getting a good amount of nutrition for the calories you consume.

Jeff Novick RD who told me about this software encouraged to try two interesting experiments. One was to try typing in various meal plans, including several low fat ( ~ 20% calories from fat ).

The other experiment was to type in 500 calories ( about the calories in a big mac ) of vegetables and compare the nutrition you get there as opposed to 500 calories of other foods.

I tried it with broccoli ( 9 cups cooked ) and was blown away by the amount of protien in broccoli.

Anyway, you can get the software for free of charge here:

http://spaz.ca/cronometer

[beforewisdom]

bump

[Fallen_Horse]

Benefits over Fitday or Nutritiondata?

[beforewisdom]

Privacy.

Your data isn't on somebody else's computer.

[xrodolfox]

downloaded it. I am trying it out.

[fredrikw]

interesting, thanks for the info.

[furioso]

[quote="beforewisdom"]I tried it with broccoli ( 9 cups cooked ) and was blown away by the amount of protien in broccoli.

[beforewisdom]

Almost all nutrition software free and non-free as well as most nutrition sites all use the same database: the USDA nutrition database.

Have you tried looking at the numbers for broccoli by volume ( the original post was by cup ) instead of weight?

[furioso]

[quote="beforewisdom"]Have you tried looking at the numbers for broccoli by volume ( the original post was by cup ) instead of weight?

[Fallen_Horse]

The percentage is off. 800g having 23g protein is 20% of calories from protein.

The software is calculating 23/800=2.8%, which is simply the amount of protein per mass, and a useless number.




(this last part was sarcasm, sorry for the confusion)

[furioso]

9 cups of broccoli contain 1155 kJ of digestible energy. 392.7 kJ (23.10 g * 17 kJ/g) or 34 % of this energy is protein.
Sure, if you disregard that broccoli is 90 % water, you will find its protein content impressive, but on the other hand, you'd have to eat ~ 1.5 kg broccoli to gain ~ 500 kcal energy.
I don't understand why you consider mass percentage to be useless.

[xrodolfox]

I am using it. I am enjoying it. I have had to add like 20 new items and 30 new recipes to it. I rarely eat anything that is on the USDA database.

[ninearms]

[quote="Fallen_Horse"]The percentage is off. 800g having 23g protein is 20% of calories from protein.

The software is calculating 23/800=2.8%, which is simply the amount of protein per mass, and a useless number...

[Fallen_Horse]

Guys you are getting confused. Using a protein-mass system won't allow us to argue against omni's who say we can't get enough protein on a vegan diet!

I won't be able to show people I get enough protein if I don't tell them my broccoli has more protein per 100cals than their steak!

[xrodolfox]

I have loved this program! . I started this program eating A LOT of fats. I have gone down to about 2500 for a week, managing to keep up my intake healthy carbs and proteins, while upping my intake of fiber and lowering my fat intake (which was HUGE). In the process, I have done more training, slept better, and lost some needed mass for racing.
On Feb 1st, I ate 5262.2 calories
Vitamin D Vegan tablet 1 Serving 0.0
Heart Thrive Apple Bar 2 Serving 312.0
Heart Thrive Apricot Bar 2 Serving 322.0
Bananas, raw 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) 105.0
homemade seitan 50 g 62.6
Bananas, raw 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) 105.0
Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt 1 2 tbsp 188.2
homemade seitan 100 g 125.2
Tofu, hard, prepared with nigari 1 0.25 block 178.1
Vital wheat gluten 5 g 18.5
Koeplingers Natural Wheat Bread 1.5 lbs 0.5 Serving (slice) 45.0
Earth Balance Soy Garden 0.5 Serving 50.0
Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%) 2 tsp 79.6
Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 0.3 stalk, large (11"-12" long) 29.4
Spinach, raw 1 cup 6.9
ume plum vinegar 2 Teaspoon 0.0
Clementines, raw 0.5 fruit 17.4
creamy pasta 0.9 Serving 355.1
Sauce, pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve 0.9 serving 1/2 cup 100.2
Spaghetti, dry, enriched 1 2 oz 211.5
SILK Plain soy yogurt 1 container 149.8
spinach seitan sandwich 2.5 full recipe 845.5
potato leek soup 1 full recipe 1890.8
Oranges, raw, Florida 1 fruit (2-5/8" dia) 64.9

This is what I ate yesterday (2273kcal):
Clementines, raw 3 fruit 104.3
Trader Joes Organic Raisin Bran Clusters (cereal) 1 cup 190.0
SILK Plus Omega-3 DHA, soymilk 1 cup 109.4
Bananas, raw 0.4 large (8" to 8-7/8" long) 48.4
Oil, flaxseed 0.3 tbsp 36.1
Vitamin D Vegan tablet 1 Serving 0.0
Trader Joes Organic Raisin Bran Clusters (cereal) 0.75 cup 142.5
Bananas, raw 0.3 cup, sliced 40.0
SILK Plain, soymilk 0.75 cup 74.7
Oil, flaxseed 0.12 tbsp 15.0
homemade seitan 1 Serving (100g) 125.2
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt 0.75 cup 169.3
Rice, brown, medium-grain, cooked 0.75 cup 163.8
Bananas, raw 0.12 large (8" to 8-7/8" long) 15.1
Oil, flaxseed 0.5 tbsp 60.1
Carrots, baby, raw 8 medium 28.0
Water, tap, drinking 32 fl oz 0.0
Clementines, raw 1 fruit 34.8
Clementines, raw 1 fruit 34.8
Spaghetti, cooked, enriched, with added salt 0.25 cup 55.0
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt 1 cup 225.7
Rice, brown, medium-grain, cooked 1 cup 218.4
Bananas, raw 1 large (8" to 8-7/8" long) 121.0
Nuts, walnuts, english 0.33 cup pieces or chips 261.6

It has been a great program.