Recipe Maker - Measure in grams instead of number of servings

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AMRROL
AMRROL Posts: 168 Member
edited July 2016 in Food and Nutrition
Is there any way to create a recipe using the MFP recipe maker, so that instead of number of servings, you can indicate portion size in grams. For example, if I created a personalized recipe for Tuna salad, instead of 3 servings, can I just indicate calories and nutritional values based on 100 grams? I like to put a scant teaspoon on a cracker for a snack, which is only about 25 grams and other times I may make a half sandwich which is about 125 grams. It is hard to easily convert that into servings without using an Excel spreadsheet.

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  • LTB1234
    LTB1234 Posts: 38 Member
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    After I enter all the ingredients I weigh the whole recipe in grams (for example a pot of soup can weigh 2300 grams) then I call that the total servings. Then I measure in grams each time I take a portion.
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
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    To make things easier, I also have a list of all of my pots and pans and how much they weigh in grams. So if I weighed a pot of soup (like RandiGrn), I can then subtract the weight of the pot. That's good for things like if you're adding ingredients midway through cooking, so you can't just set the pot on the scale and hit tare to weigh your food.
  • AMRROL
    AMRROL Posts: 168 Member
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    Such an easy and simple answer. Thanks to all. It worked like a charm. You people are awesome.
  • Linzon
    Linzon Posts: 294 Member
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    AMRROL wrote: »
    Such an easy and simple answer. Thanks to all. It worked like a charm. You people are awesome.

    I love the forums, so much useful stuff! I had the same problem and also found the answer here :)
  • LTB1234
    LTB1234 Posts: 38 Member
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    I sort of do the same thing Michelle but I usually transfer the recipe to the serving/storage dish (after hitting tare to measure the contents). I find my scale can't handle to weight of the pot and the contents of the recipe. It's so funny because my family knows not to touch the food until I've measier the whole recipe. :smile:
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
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    RandiGrn wrote: »
    I sort of do the same thing Michelle but I usually transfer the recipe to the serving/storage dish (after hitting tare to measure the contents). I find my scale can't handle to weight of the pot and the contents of the recipe. It's so funny because my family knows not to touch the food until I've measured the whole recipe. :smile:

    We used to use the bathroom scale for this. I'd step on to get my current weight, then step on again holding the pot of food, LOL. But last time we bought a new food scale my husband specifically bought one that can weigh up to 30 pounds so it wouldn't be a problem.
  • LTB1234
    LTB1234 Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm jealous! A scale that can weigh up to 30 lbs sounds wonderful. I need to order one. That's now my project for tonight.
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
    edited July 2016
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    RandiGrn wrote: »
    I'm jealous! A scale that can weigh up to 30 lbs sounds wonderful. I need to order one. That's now my project for tonight.

    This is the one we have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D63SH3Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    The only thing I don't love is that it's totally flat, so weighing anything big covers the display. So I put a coffee cup down first, and set things on top of it.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 667 Member
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    I have a list of my pot and pan weights as well. I use this scale to weigh out my recipes: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016N99T1M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 it weighs up to 86 lbs because it's actually a postal scale. It's overkill, but I was frustrated by getting error messages on my scales that say they'll weigh up to 12 lbs. I wasn't even up to their limit before they were no longer working so I ordered one that I knew I would never have that problem with again.

    I hadn't thought of making the gram weight the # of portions. I've been dividing each recipe weight by 100 & putting that in as the # of 100g servings. I just round up to make it even. A 1 gram serving is better.
  • runshonyrun
    runshonyrun Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi
    so glad I found this thread but have already assembled lasagne
    would adding the weighed raw ingredients give the same result (ie 600g beef + 200g kale + 400g tomatoes 200g cheese + 200g lasagne noodle etc) total 3000g then serve per 1g?
  • paints5555
    paints5555 Posts: 1,228 Member
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    runshonyrun wrote: »
    Hi
    so glad I found this thread but have already assembled lasagne
    would adding the weighed raw ingredients give the same result (ie 600g beef + 200g kale + 400g tomatoes 200g cheese + 200g lasagne noodle etc) total 3000g then serve per 1g?

    Just remember that when the lasagna is cooked, it will lose weight (water) so your end result will not weigh quite as much as what you started with.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    runshonyrun wrote: »
    Hi
    so glad I found this thread but have already assembled lasagne
    would adding the weighed raw ingredients give the same result (ie 600g beef + 200g kale + 400g tomatoes 200g cheese + 200g lasagne noodle etc) total 3000g then serve per 1g?

    Simply calculating the calories in the weight of the ingredients won’t really give you any sort of meaningful calorie count for a finished dish like Lasagne. Too many cooking processes involved that change the physical state of the ingredients - release of fat, evaporation of water, increase in weight of the pasta sheets etc etc.

    If I were you I think I’d accept defeat on an accurate calorie count this time and make a best guess and move on. Next time, now you’ve seen how to do it so you can make the recipe creation more accountable you’ll have better results.

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