MyFitnessPal Add Recipe: Step-by-Step Guide
MyFitnessPal’s recipe importer lets you add a homemade dish once, then log it forever with accurate nutrition. You can paste a URL, enter ingredients manually, or sync from a saved meal. This guide walks you through every method, how to fix common errors, and how to make sure the calorie count is right.
Ingredients
- MyFitnessPal account (free or premium)
- Recipe URL (from a food blog or website) – optional
- Ingredient list with quantities (from your own recipe or the website)
- Nutrition label or package info for any odd ingredients (optional but helpful)
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups (for accurate portions)
Instructions
- Open the MyFitnessPal app on your phone or go to the website on a computer. Log in to your account.
- Tap the More tab (bottom right on mobile) or click Apps on the web. Then select My Recipes.
- Tap the + icon or the Add Recipe button. You’ll see two options: Enter Recipe Manually and Import from Web.
- For manual entry: give your recipe a name (e.g., “Chicken Stir-Fry”). Set the number of servings – this is how many portions the whole batch makes. Be realistic: if you eat half the pan, that’s 2 servings, not 1.
- Start typing each ingredient in the search bar. Pick the closest match from the database. If the exact brand isn’t there, choose a generic version – you can adjust the quantity later.
- For each ingredient, enter the amount you actually used. Use grams or milliliters when possible – they’re more accurate than cups or spoons. If the serving size in the database is “1 cup” but you used 200 g, change the unit to grams and type 200.
- After adding all ingredients, review the list. Tap Save Recipe.
- For import from web: copy the recipe page URL from your browser. Paste it into the import field. MyFitnessPal will try to pull the ingredients automatically. Check every line – it often misses units or misreads quantities.
- Edit the imported ingredients: fix any wrong amounts, delete duplicates, and add anything that was missed (like salt or oil). Then set the number of servings and save.
- To log the recipe: go to your diary, tap the meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), search for your recipe name, and select it. It will add the calories for one serving.
Tips
- Use grams for accuracy. Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) vary by ingredient. A food scale costs little and makes your entries far more reliable.
- Weigh the finished dish. If you’re logging by weight (e.g., 150 g of casserole), weigh the whole cooked dish and divide by the number of servings to get grams per serving. Then log that weight.
- Don’t forget cooking oil, butter, and sauces. These are calorie-dense and easy to overlook. Even a tablespoon of oil adds ~120 kcal.
- Check the serving size before saving. MyFitnessPal sometimes guesses wrong. If your recipe makes 4 portions but it says 8, every log will be half the real calories.
Serving Suggestions
Use your saved recipes for meal prep: cook a big batch on Sunday, divide into containers, and log each one instantly. You can also share a recipe with friends or family – they’ll see it in their own app if you send them the link. For recipes with many ingredients, try the web importer first – it’s faster than typing everything by hand.
Variations
- Copy a recipe: If you make a similar dish often, duplicate an existing recipe and change just a few ingredients (e.g., swap chicken for tofu).
- Use the meal builder: For simple combos like rice + beans + salsa, create a “meal” instead of a recipe – it works the same way but is quicker.
- Adjust servings after cooking: If you cut a lasagna into 6 pieces but the recipe says 8, edit the recipe’s servings to 6 before logging.
- Add a recipe from a photo: Some versions let you take a picture of the ingredient list – the app tries to read it. Always double-check the result.
Storage and Reheating
Your saved recipes stay in your account indefinitely – they’re stored on MyFitnessPal’s servers, not your device. You can edit them any time: change ingredients, fix serving sizes, or delete old ones. If you switch phones or use the web, your recipes are still there. There’s no limit on how many you can save, but if you have hundreds, use the search bar to find them quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the calorie count seem too low? The database entries are averages. If you used a larger portion of an ingredient than the database assumes, or if the entry is for a different brand, the total will be off. Check each ingredient’s serving size and adjust to match what you actually used.
Can I import a recipe from any website? Most food blogs work, but some sites block the importer. If it fails, copy the ingredients manually – it takes a few minutes. You can also paste the entire ingredient list into the manual entry field; MyFitnessPal sometimes parses it.
How do I change the number of servings after saving? Go to My Recipes, open the recipe, tap the edit (pencil) icon, and change the “Servings” number. Then save. This updates the per-serving nutrition for all future logs.
What if an ingredient isn’t in the database? Search for a similar item (e.g., “almond flour” vs. “ground almonds”). If nothing works, create a custom food: go to My Foods, tap Add, enter the name, calories, and macros per serving (from the label). Then use it in your recipe.
Does the recipe include cooking loss or water absorption? No. The app calculates based on raw ingredients. If you boil pasta, the water adds no calories, but the pasta absorbs water and weighs more – so logging by cooked weight will undercount. Use the raw weight for accuracy.
Can I share a recipe with a friend? Yes, but only if they’re also MyFitnessPal users. Open the recipe, tap the share icon, and send the link. They can add it to their own recipes.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.