Measuring Cup or Food Scale??

FuzzyScribbles
FuzzyScribbles Posts: 4 Member
edited February 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just curious with what everyone thinks is more accurate when you want your calories to be as accurate as possible.

Which is better: Measuring Cup or Food Scale??


I used a measuring cup most of the time but I feel I might not have been accurate enough since I didn't lose as much weight as I had hoped for even though I exercised properly.
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Replies

  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
    Scale. No contest.
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
    Food scale for everything except measuring cup for liquids
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Food scale. Absolutely.

    Digital is best.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    This is an actual question??? Digital scale.

    /End thread
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,235 Member
    Food scale for solids, 100%. I can pretty much fit a whole block of grated cheese into a cup measure if I try hard enough.
  • blancoms
    blancoms Posts: 165 Member
    Scale. And I've found a lot of things I've measured with spoons amounts to less than what the scale gives me (so I get to eat more). Super big plus.
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    blancoms wrote: »
    Scale. And I've found a lot of things I've measured with spoons amounts to less than what the scale gives me (so I get to eat more). Super big plus.
    My experience too.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Best? Do you mean most accurate, or most practical? Scales are definitely most accurate. Most practical too, by the way.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    edited February 2016
    Another vote for a scale, no question.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk
  • zira91
    zira91 Posts: 670 Member
    Digital food scale
  • zira91
    zira91 Posts: 670 Member
    blancoms wrote: »
    Scale. And I've found a lot of things I've measured with spoons amounts to less than what the scale gives me (so I get to eat more). Super big plus.

    This too.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Scale.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Food scale for the most accuracy.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Scale
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    You're going to be more accurate with a scale, but if you can measure consistently and aren't filling cups to the brim (no heaping cups!) you can be quite successful with cups and spoons.

    Just be ready for everyone to say "weigh your food!" if you get stalled.
  • daremightythings
    daremightythings Posts: 247 Member
    digital scale for solid food, liquid measuring cup for liquids. read the label of your food and it will tell you whether to measure in grams or milliliters.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    Scale for solids, measuring spoons and cups for liquids.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    How to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients for Baking
    http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/how-to-measure-wet-dry-ingredients-for-baking-accurately-best-method.html

    This is a great article that may help clear up your understanding.
  • FuzzyScribbles
    FuzzyScribbles Posts: 4 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    How to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients for Baking
    http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/how-to-measure-wet-dry-ingredients-for-baking-accurately-best-method.html

    This is a great article that may help clear up your understanding.

    Thank you!!! It does help clear up my understanding.

    Thank you everyone.
    I was just wondering on what has helped you most since a nutritionist friend of mine and my husband were saying to just measure out the food in cups, etc. I heard food scale was better though and just wanted to hear the community's input since a lot of your have been pretty successful with your food intake to lose weight :smiley:
  • Yisrael1981
    Yisrael1981 Posts: 132 Member
    Calories are actually based upon mass measurements (i.e. gram protein is about 4 calories...)not volume so scale is always more accurate
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Think about having to measure two teaspoons of cashews, or 1/2 cup of an apple or of any irregularly shaped food item, and it seems a little silly to think that you can get an accurate calorie count if you are using cups and spoons. The digital scale is far more accurate. Plus, if you use a plate or bowl into which you are going to put the food, you can weigh it in that and save yourself some washing up!
  • Jack_NYC
    Jack_NYC Posts: 64 Member
    Scale for solids
    Cup for liquids
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Since weight loss depends entirely on caloric intake, a scale is going to be the most accurate because, like someone stated above, calories are based on weight, not volume.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,231 Member
    Not only is a scale more accurate, IMO it's also easier & less-time consuming.

    Make sure your scale has a "tare" or "zero" function, will display negatives, and will weigh weights up to at least several pound.

    Three tips that helped me:
    1. If making something like a salad, or a dish where you put several things in a pot before cooking, put the container on the scale & tare/zero it. Add the first ingredient. Note it. Tare again. Add the 2nd ingredient. Note it. Repeat until everything's added.
    2. If dipping something out of a container, like peanut butter or jam: Put the open jar on the scale. Tare/zero. Dip out your quantity with a utensil. The scale should display a negative weight. Use the number as your quantity (positive, of course), and note it.
    3. If weighing out a bunch of fiddly little stuff that doesn't all go in a pan at once, I like to have a few recycled plastic yogurt lids at hand. Put a lid on the scale, tare, put some little messy ingredient on it (olives, say), note the weight. Put up another lid, tare, weigh the onion slices, note it. Repeat.

    Easier, and no washing cups. (The yogurt lids just rinse, mostly.)
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Scale every time!
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Food scale for solids, 100%. I can pretty much fit a whole block of grated cheese into a cup measure if I try hard enough.

    This. It's amazing what you do when you are hungry. Food scale is definitely an eye opener.
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    Scale.

    You would be amazed at how many honey-roasted cashews I could cram into a 1/4 cup.
  • hectorh82
    hectorh82 Posts: 110 Member
    scale if you really need to use either.. packing is what ruins the idea of cans/containers..
  • CelesseBoo
    CelesseBoo Posts: 20 Member
    Scale. It also really annoys me when recipes are done in "cups".... What's wrong with just telling me how many grams to use?!
  • katiebean
    katiebean Posts: 110 Member
    CelesseBoo wrote: »
    Scale. It also really annoys me when recipes are done in "cups".... What's wrong with just telling me how many grams to use?!
    Same. And I hate coming across mfp entries in cups too. Im British, so I have very little idea what size a "cup" is anyway.

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