SparkRecipes FAQs

Learn More about Your Favorite Healthy Cooking Site

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These instructions assume you are on the SparkRecipes site. To get to SparkRecipes from SparkPeople, click on Articles & Videos at the top of the page and select SparkRecipes.com from the dropdown menu.

How do I become a SparkRecipes member?
SparkRecipes is linked to SparkPeople, so that any recipe you find here can be added to your daily meal plan on SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker. Sign up for one site, and you'll have access to both. If you are a SparkPeople member, you can share recipes immediately. If you need to sign up for an account, click here.
 
Do I need to be a member to calculate nutrition info or search for recipes?
You can calculate nutrition info in any recipe and search for recipes on our site without being a member. However, you cannot save any recipes without becoming a member. Joining is easy and free, so we recommend signing up.
 
How do I add a recipe to your site?
  • Click the "Add/Calculate Recipe" tab at the top of any page on SparkRecipes.
     
  • Enter the ingredients, nutritional information and cooking instructions for your recipe.
     
  • At the bottom of the page, above the "Save Recipe" button are two checkboxes: "Submit My Recipe to SparkPeople's Shared Recipes Database" and "I want an email to be sent to me when anyone comments on this recipe."
     
  • Leave the top box unchecked to keep it from being shared or check the box to submit to SparkRecipes' Shared Recipes Database. Click the bottom box if you want to receive an email when someone comments on your recipe. Then click "Save Recipe."
     
  • Click on "My Recipe Box" at the top of the page (under the "My Recipes" tab), and your recipe will now appear there.
 
How do I calculate the nutritional information for my recipe?
  • Click the "Add/Calculate Recipe" tab at the top of any page on SparkRecipes.
     
  • Click "Add An Ingredient."
     
  • Search for your ingredients one at a time, click on the food you'd like to add in the dropdown menu, then enter the amount.
     
  • Click "Add Food" then continue entering your recipe information.
 
I want to share a recipe I found. Am I allowed to do so?
You are only allowed to share recipes that you created yourself. Please do not share any recipes you found on a blog, in a cookbook, in the newspaper, or anywhere else.
 

How do I edit or delete my recipe, or change the shared status of my recipe? How do I unsubscribe from receiving comments when someone comments on my recipe?
  • Click on "My Recipes," then "My Recipe Box" at the top of the page.
     
  • Next to each recipe are four orange buttons: Share/Unshare, Subscribe/Unsubscribe, Edit and Delete.
     
  • Click "Share/Unshare" to either submit your recipe to SparkRecipes' Shared Recipes Database or keep it private.
     
  • Click "Subscribe/Unsubscribe" to either receive emails when someone comments on your recipe or stop receiving emails when people comment on the recipe.
     
  • To update or edit your recipe (including changing serving size), click the "Edit" button.
     
  • To delete your recipe, click "Delete."
 
I want to see recipes that I have reviewed/rated. How do I find them again?
  • Click on "My Recipes," then "My Recipe Box" at the top of the page.
     
  • Your saved recipes are listed at the bottom of the page under "My Reviewed Recipes." You can also change your ratings on each recipe.
 
How do I save a recipe that I like?
  • When viewing a recipe that you like and want to save, click the blue "More" tab at the top of the page, then click the “Save” button in that drop-down menu.
     
  • Once you save a recipe, you can find it by clicking on "My Recipe Box" at the top of the page (under the "My Recipes" tab), and your recipe will now appear there in the “My Favorite Recipes” section.
 
How do I add a recipe to my meal planner?
  • Above the nutritional info on each recipe is a button that says "Add this recipe to my nutrition tracker."
     
  • Click on the link; it will open a small calendar. Select the date you'd like to add the food.
     
  • Select the serving size, the meal you'd like to add it to, and check the box if you'd like to save to your favorites for future use.
     
  • Click on "Add Food to Today" and the recipe will now show up in your tracker.
 
How do I add a recipe to a Recipe Collection?
  • Click the button marked "Add this recipe to a recipe collection" to the right of the recipe photo. You will have the option to either add the recipe to an existing recipe collection or create a new one.
     
  • Select a recipe collection, then check or uncheck the box next to "Make this a public recipe collection." You can add a comment if you want, then click "Add Recipe."
 
How do I find my Recipe Collection?

How do I get my recipes to show up on my SparkPage?
  • Click on "My Recipes," then "Account Preferences."
     
  • Under Account Settings, check the box that says "Show Recipes I've Shared."
     
  • Click Save & Submit.
 
How do I change my email address, username, or password?
 
I submitted my recipe to be shared and it is not showing up in the search. Why is this happening?

It might take up to 24 hours for your shared recipe to show up in the shared database, but it will appear in your Recipe Box as soon as you enter it.

How do I add ingredients and foods shared by other members?
  • From the "Add/Calculate Recipe" tab, click "Add An Ingredient." 
     
  • When the new window opens, type in the food you'd like to add. 
     
  • Set "Search shared foods" below the large white search box. 
     
  • Click "Search," then select the food you'd like to add. 
     
  • Select the serving size and click "Add Food."
How do I add ingredients I've saved to my SparkPeople Favorites?
  • From the "Add/Calculate Recipe" tab, click "Add An Ingredient." 
     
  • Underneath the large white search box is a pull-down menu that says "Add From Favorites." 
     
  • Select a food from the list, then select the serving size and click "Add Food."
 
I entered the serving size or nutritional info incorrectly. How do I fix my recipe?
  • Click on "My Recipes," then "My Recipe Box" at the top of the page.
     
  • Click the "Edit" button to the right of your recipe.
     
  • Edit the recipe as desired, then click "Save Recipe."
 
I created a recipe makeover. How do I share it?
Recipe makeovers are not able to be shared.
 
The nutritional info of a particular ingredient is incorrect. What do I do about it?
Many foods have been added my members and therefore can't be verified. Either enter a food using nutrition info from a package label or search the database for another entry.
 
I can't find a certain ingredient in the database. Why don't you have certain foods in the database?
  • Our database is quite comprehensive, but we understand there are times when you can't find the food you're looking for. Here are some tips:
     
  • Check your spelling. Our search function will not correct misspellings.
     
  • Search for the singular version of a food rather than plural, or vice versa. Our site uses info from the U.S.D.A. nutrition database, so some basic foods are entered as singular and others as plural.
 
I still have questions. What should I do?
Please contact support@sparkpeople.com for more assistance.