Why does Cronometer consistently tell me about 40% of my water intake comes from food?

I’ve started using Cronometer about a week ago to track my Calories and water intake. Recently, I’ve realized that Cronometer is consistently telling me that about 40% of my daily water intake comes from food, but according to WebMD, “Approximately 80% of our water intake comes from drinking water and other beverages, and the other 20% comes from food.” 

I’ve been tracking most of my food based on the nutrition info given by NCCDB, and I don’t think the foods I’m eating have an especially high amount of fluid in them. I’ve posted below a screenshot of my water intake data from yesterday, according to Cronometer. I apparently drank 4004.7mL total, only 64% of which came from pure water (Spring Water and Tap Water combined). Also, I only ate 1829 Calories.


I’m worried that Cronometer is vastly overestimating my water intake from food, and that I’m actually not getting enough. If the website is overestimating my water intake from food, I don’t believe incorrect nutrition info from any particular food item is at fault, as plenty of different foods are contributing to my overall water intake. Thank you to anyone who can give any helpful info.

Answers

  • I would not take too much notice of WebMD. Mainstream. Depends entirely on what you are eating of course. Pick out some individual items and see if you think they are over-estimated. Many commercial preparations have quite a bit of added water in addition to any water them may be in the individual ingredients. I can say I have ever had cause to question the water content of items in the database on Cronometer. In fact I usually have a job getting the intake up to the right level!

  • @pie_addict

    The added water used to cook oatmeal and rice would contribute to your daily total water intake (some is lost in steam but I don't know to what extent the database accounts for this).

    Generally, the more fruits, vegetables, and home-cooked meals you consume, the more water your diet will provide. A highly processed diet lacks water as this makes packaged food less shelf stable.

    Kind regards,

    Susan Macfarlane, MScA, RD
    Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
    cronometer.com
    As always, any and all postings here are covered by our T&Cs:
    https://forums.cronometer.com/discussion/27/governing-terms-and-disclaimer

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