Weigh everything.
oolou
Posts: 765 Member
I like to think that I'm pretty accurate with my calorie counting. I've been following the advice about using a scale, double checking entries in the database for accuracy and using the recipe builder. One area I've been lax about is when the food is processed, rather than home made, a nice calorie total and weight already worked out for you. This evening, as I was about to pop my pizza into the oven, I decided to weigh it to see if it corresponded to the 400g claim of the packaging. Nope! 439g instead, pushing the calorie total of the pizza up by 70 calories.
This may not matter so much for those who are able to eat a lot and still lose, but for us short, sedentary types it can make a difference!
Has anyone else come across a marked difference between the claims on packaging for what they were about to eat and the reality?
This may not matter so much for those who are able to eat a lot and still lose, but for us short, sedentary types it can make a difference!
Has anyone else come across a marked difference between the claims on packaging for what they were about to eat and the reality?
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Replies
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I like to think that I'm pretty accurate with my calorie counting. I've been following the advice about using a scale, double checking entries in the database for accuracy and using the recipe builder. One area I've been lax about is when the food is processed, rather than home made, a nice calorie total and weight already worked out for you. This evening, as I was about to pop my pizza into the oven, I decided to weigh it to see if it corresponded to the 400g claim of the packaging. Nope! 439g instead, pushing the calorie total of the pizza up by 70 calories.
This may not matter so much for those who are able to eat a lot and still lose, but for us short, sedentary types it can make a difference!
Has anyone else come across a marked difference between the claims on packaging for what they were about to eat and the reality?
I had a package of sausages once that listed the nutrition facts per 1 sausage/82 grams. Not one sausage in that package weighed less than 100 grams. Now I always check at least the first couple out of a pack until I get a feel for how close that particular brand is to their stated serving size.6 -
I eat packaged yogurt cups. I used to just put 5.3 ounces on the diary. About 2 months ago I decided to weight the contents and cup, etc... I found out that I was actually jipped as the amount in the cups did not correspond with serving.. So yeah weigh everything.. It all can add up and be a big difference when the deficit is small.
Also things like spring rolls where it says eat two as your serving.. better weigh those..
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The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend. 2 -
Bacon. 2 slices (suggested serving on package) can be anywhere from 4g under or 10g over the weight listed. When you have a small deficit, that can seriously cut into it.3
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Slices of bread, and tortillas/wraps..I've never had a single one match the package weight.5
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A bit off topic, but thought I'd mention something else I've noticed about food nutrition labelling and portion sizes.
If you're comparing something like two different cereals, for example, make sure that the serving size on both is identical.
Can't tell you how many times I've picked up two boxes of cereal and looked at the calories per serving on both of them, found that one was higher than the other. The natural instinct if you're trying to watch your calorie intake would be to buy the box with the lower number of calories per serving.
But here's where you need to go one step further: Make sure you also compare what it is that actually constitutes a serving size on both packages. Many times the one that was higher in calories was because the serving size was based on a cup of the cereal, whereas the other was based on half a cup. And when I doubled the calories on the half cup so that it was comparable to the one that was based on a full cup, turns out that it wasn't the best bang for my calorie buck as it first appeared.
Sneaky marketing tactic? Probably. But it just takes a second and a wee bit of knowledge to overcome that.5 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well.a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
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The FDA allows calories counts to be off by 20%. Same for menu calorie counts This is why I agree not to eat back too many exercise calories. We are all eating more than we think.4
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snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.3 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
If that's what was said, next time tell them that what they're doing is illegal. By law, the package has to contain - at minimum - the net weight as indicated on the package or label.
When settling may be an issue, most labels will also include this:
"This package is sold by weight, not by volume. Packed as full as practicable by modern automatic equipment, it contains full net weight indicated. If it does not appear full when opened, it is because contents have settled during shipping and handling."1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
This ^^^
@CharlieBeansmomTracey:
Let me give you an example that might clarify this for you.
Let's say you put an empty bucket outside overnight. It snows, and next morning the bucket is now filled to the top with snow.
You weigh the bucket and let's say it weighs two pounds.
If you were to then pack the snow down, the bucket may then appear to be only half full.
But if you were to weigh it again, it would still weigh two pounds.
That's because by packing the snow down, you changed the volume of snow in the bucket, but since you didn't actually remove any of the snow, it would still weigh the same as when the bucket appeared to be full.
Clear as mud?
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
I know the difference Im just telling you what they said to me . maybe they didnt want to hear a complaint?0 -
Someone mentioned bacon.. I bought some that was 80 calories for 3 slices cooked, but when I weighed my 2 cooked slices, it was more than what 3 slices supposedly is. That was a pretty big calorie difference right there, I'm guessing 3 slices would have been twice the calories!
Graze snacks - those flapjacks are always 60-70 calories more than what the package says.
Some frozen waffles ended up 370 calories each instead of 280.
The yogurt cups I've weight have always been under though so I just don't bother and log the whole thing.2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
This ^^^
@CharlieBeansmomTracey:
Let me give you an example that might clarify this for you.
Let's say you put an empty bucket outside overnight. It snows, and next morning the bucket is now filled to the top with snow.
You weigh the bucket and let's say it weighs two pounds.
If you were to then pack the snow down, the bucket may then appear to be only half full.
But if you were to weigh it again, it would still weigh two pounds.
That's because by packing the snow down, you changed the volume of snow in the bucket, but since you didn't actually remove any of the snow, it would still weigh the same as when the bucket appeared to be full.
Clear as mud?
I get it,I know the difference between volume and weight.Im just stating what they said. and even if I were to tell them what they are doing is illegal, do you think they would care? The FDA doesnt care much either.which is sad. like yogurt drinks from kroger, they say 10 oz(that cant include the bottle it comes in because its usually less than an oz empty-but the drink come out usually around 8-9 fl oz(measuring cup). which is why they can and do sell food with less product in them. they will tell you it happens and they will look into why that happened. some will send coupons and others just dont care. I also dont have the money to start a class action lawsuit either. they can and have gotten away with things for years.
aside from food. lets take toilet paper(wont say what kind),the double rolls state they are septic safe,but a few years ago they caused issues with our septic(the single rolls break down in water the double rolls not so much). I called to let them know and they basically told me their toilet paper was in fact septic safe and there is no difference in the rolls(hubby did a water test on both kinds) and he told them he would send them the bill. They basically laughed and said go ahead as their tests would prove otherwise and their product was safe. so a lot of companies dont care about their consumers,make false claims and do illegal stuff all the time. its just you as a consumer who have to prove them wrong and to do that you need moolah and the time to fight it. They were reported to the FDA and a few other places but nothing happened.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
This ^^^
@CharlieBeansmomTracey:
Let me give you an example that might clarify this for you.
Let's say you put an empty bucket outside overnight. It snows, and next morning the bucket is now filled to the top with snow.
You weigh the bucket and let's say it weighs two pounds.
If you were to then pack the snow down, the bucket may then appear to be only half full.
But if you were to weigh it again, it would still weigh two pounds.
That's because by packing the snow down, you changed the volume of snow in the bucket, but since you didn't actually remove any of the snow, it would still weigh the same as when the bucket appeared to be full.
Clear as mud?
I get it,I know the difference between volume and weight.Im just stating what they said. and even if I were to tell them what they are doing is illegal, do you think they would care? The FDA doesnt care much either.which is sad. like yogurt drinks from kroger, they say 10 oz(that cant include the bottle it comes in because its usually less than an oz empty-but the drink come out usually around 8-9 fl oz(measuring cup). which is why they can and do sell food with less product in them. they will tell you it happens and they will look into why that happened. some will send coupons and others just dont care. I also dont have the money to start a class action lawsuit either. they can and have gotten away with things for years.
Fluid ounces (volume) and ounces (weight) are two different things. Water happens to be about 1 fl oz = 1 oz but other substances generally aren't. It sounds like the yogurt drink was sold by weight rather than volume.
I'm sure that some things occasionally weigh low. However, most things I've encountered weigh close or high.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
This ^^^
@CharlieBeansmomTracey:
Let me give you an example that might clarify this for you.
Let's say you put an empty bucket outside overnight. It snows, and next morning the bucket is now filled to the top with snow.
You weigh the bucket and let's say it weighs two pounds.
If you were to then pack the snow down, the bucket may then appear to be only half full.
But if you were to weigh it again, it would still weigh two pounds.
That's because by packing the snow down, you changed the volume of snow in the bucket, but since you didn't actually remove any of the snow, it would still weigh the same as when the bucket appeared to be full.
Clear as mud?
I get it,I know the difference between volume and weight.Im just stating what they said. and even if I were to tell them what they are doing is illegal, do you think they would care? The FDA doesnt care much either.which is sad. like yogurt drinks from kroger, they say 10 oz(that cant include the bottle it comes in because its usually less than an oz empty-but the drink come out usually around 8-9 fl oz(measuring cup). which is why they can and do sell food with less product in them. they will tell you it happens and they will look into why that happened. some will send coupons and others just dont care. I also dont have the money to start a class action lawsuit either. they can and have gotten away with things for years.
Fluid ounces (volume) and ounces (weight) are two different things. Water happens to be about 1 fl oz = 1 oz but other substances generally aren't. It sounds like the yogurt was sold by weight.
yes, but there still was not 10 fl oz in the container(I poured it out into a measuring cup). labels can be off by 20% or more LEGALLY,thats my whole point. and I know there is a difference between fl and oz. maybe Im not making myself clear with how Im wording it. if something says fl oz it should be that much,a lot of things are not.0 -
Someone mentioned bacon.. I bought some that was 80 calories for 3 slices cooked, but when I weighed my 2 cooked slices, it was more than what 3 slices supposedly is. That was a pretty big calorie difference right there, I'm guessing 3 slices would have been twice the calories!
Graze snacks - those flapjacks are always 60-70 calories more than what the package says.
Some frozen waffles ended up 370 calories each instead of 280.
The yogurt cups I've weight have always been under though so I just don't bother and log the whole thing.
That was me. And I'm glad my bacon has raw weight listed. Cooked weight would vary too much for me.
And yeah, my packaging says 56g (raw) for 2 slices. That's usually off anywhere from 5g under to 8g over. At 210 calories a serving, that's a big chunk to be off when you have a small deficit.0 -
I never weighted pre-package food such as sliced cheese, raw bacon (something that I don't eat very often), breads, etc. in a consistent way while I was loosing, and I don't do it now on maintenance either. For me it was/is an overkill, even being a very short older lady, and too time consuming. But we are all different and it may be necessary for somebody that has a lot of weight to lose.
Once in a while I do it just to see how accurate the information in the label is, and if it is not, I figure that it will balance out because some days it will be more and others less. That's is why "saving" daily exercise calories are very handy. 1 -
Quest bars dude, those delicious mofos are never the package weight -_-1
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JessicaMcB wrote: »Quest bars dude, those delicious mofos are never the package weight -_-
Make that ALL protein bars. The weights are so variable.0 -
I weigh my bread slices now. I suspected they were not equal but the weight varies between 30 and 41g per slice.
Also I don't have a mesuring cup for liquids. I don't really need it. The only liquid I wanted to mesure was the whisky I drink Saturday night.
I didn't want to use the baby bottle so I decided to weigh it and check on internet how to convert grams of whisky in ml.
For weeks I thought each drink was 25 ml and 55 calories. Today I realised I was taking 39 ml per drink and 86 calories.
I started mfp about 7 weeks ago. I try to be accurate. Not sure about some entries but my weight is going down.1 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »A bit off topic, but thought I'd mention something else I've noticed about food nutrition labelling and portion sizes.
If you're comparing something like two different cereals, for example, make sure that the serving size on both is identical.
Can't tell you how many times I've picked up two boxes of cereal and looked at the calories per serving on both of them, found that one was higher than the other. The natural instinct if you're trying to watch your calorie intake would be to buy the box with the lower number of calories per serving.
But here's where you need to go one step further: Make sure you also compare what it is that actually constitutes a serving size on both packages. Many times the one that was higher in calories was because the serving size was based on a cup of the cereal, whereas the other was based on half a cup. And when I doubled the calories on the half cup so that it was comparable to the one that was based on a full cup, turns out that it wasn't the best bang for my calorie buck as it first appeared.
Sneaky marketing tactic? Probably. But it just takes a second and a wee bit of knowledge to overcome that.
In Australia this sneaky tactic cannot be done as they legally have to have calories per 100g/100ml - depending on if solid or liquid food.
They can also have serving size if they want but they must have the standardised 110mg/ml information.
Much better system for customers.
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I like this. Though it would take some getting used to for most Americsns to think in grams.paperpudding wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »A bit off topic, but thought I'd mention something else I've noticed about food nutrition labelling and portion sizes.
If you're comparing something like two different cereals, for example, make sure that the serving size on both is identical.
Can't tell you how many times I've picked up two boxes of cereal and looked at the calories per serving on both of them, found that one was higher than the other. The natural instinct if you're trying to watch your calorie intake would be to buy the box with the lower number of calories per serving.
But here's where you need to go one step further: Make sure you also compare what it is that actually constitutes a serving size on both packages. Many times the one that was higher in calories was because the serving size was based on a cup of the cereal, whereas the other was based on half a cup. And when I doubled the calories on the half cup so that it was comparable to the one that was based on a full cup, turns out that it wasn't the best bang for my calorie buck as it first appeared.
Sneaky marketing tactic? Probably. But it just takes a second and a wee bit of knowledge to overcome that.
In Australia this sneaky tactic cannot be done as they legally have to have calories per 100g/100ml - depending on if solid or liquid food.
They can also have serving size if they want but they must have the standardised 110mg/ml information.
Much better system for customers.
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Well I guess it wouldn't have to be in metric. Could just as easily have a standardised measure of, say, 10 ounces.0
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paperpudding wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »A bit off topic, but thought I'd mention something else I've noticed about food nutrition labelling and portion sizes.
If you're comparing something like two different cereals, for example, make sure that the serving size on both is identical.
Can't tell you how many times I've picked up two boxes of cereal and looked at the calories per serving on both of them, found that one was higher than the other. The natural instinct if you're trying to watch your calorie intake would be to buy the box with the lower number of calories per serving.
But here's where you need to go one step further: Make sure you also compare what it is that actually constitutes a serving size on both packages. Many times the one that was higher in calories was because the serving size was based on a cup of the cereal, whereas the other was based on half a cup. And when I doubled the calories on the half cup so that it was comparable to the one that was based on a full cup, turns out that it wasn't the best bang for my calorie buck as it first appeared.
Sneaky marketing tactic? Probably. But it just takes a second and a wee bit of knowledge to overcome that.
In Australia this sneaky tactic cannot be done as they legally have to have calories per 100g/100ml - depending on if solid or liquid food.
They can also have serving size if they want but they must have the standardised 110mg/ml information.
Much better system for customers.
Ditto in France (maybe Europe?) but they also give the information for one serving.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »The label serving size and weight - as you've found out - can be incredibly inaccurate.
The actual weight of a serving cannot be less than stated on the package because then the consumer is getting ripped off. If you're paying for a 100 grams of something per serving, you have to get at least a 100 grams of it per serving. So a lot of food manufacturers tend to err on the side of caution and put a little extra in to be certain it meets the minimum standard by weight.
Another reason why a food scale is your best friend.
actual it doesnt have to be at least 100g(or whatever the number is). it can be less and a lot of things will say may contain less ingredients due to packing/settling and they will go with that as well. a lot of things have less than they state,but most are more. a lot of my bread slices have been less than the weight per slice on the package.most of the packaged food is done by machines and arent weighed out,so most things can weigh less
No, the contents settling refers to the fact that the box of cereal may not look as full as you think it should, but that's only because the contents may have settled after it was machine packed by weight and not volume. The weight of the contents inside will be equal to or greater than the stated total weight on the label, regardless of how full the package may appear when you open it.
There may be some wiggle-room for variable foods like baked goods, for example, where one batch of bread may not necessarily be identical to the previous one. But manufactured packaged and canned goods must contain at least the weight stated on the label.
I have actually called and complained about this before to companies and told them. a lot of them told me that if there is less than what the package states that its because of that.
Less volume, not less weight. The weight is what counts legally, not how full the box is of product. That's why the food scale is so important. The serving might say 1 cup (50 grams). Because of settling, 50 grams can be less than a cup. If the product gets fluffed up, 50 grams can be more than a cup. It's the 50 grams part that counts as the serving since the volume is variable.
This ^^^
@CharlieBeansmomTracey:
Let me give you an example that might clarify this for you.
Let's say you put an empty bucket outside overnight. It snows, and next morning the bucket is now filled to the top with snow.
You weigh the bucket and let's say it weighs two pounds.
If you were to then pack the snow down, the bucket may then appear to be only half full.
But if you were to weigh it again, it would still weigh two pounds.
That's because by packing the snow down, you changed the volume of snow in the bucket, but since you didn't actually remove any of the snow, it would still weigh the same as when the bucket appeared to be full.
Clear as mud?
I get it,I know the difference between volume and weight.Im just stating what they said. and even if I were to tell them what they are doing is illegal, do you think they would care? The FDA doesnt care much either.which is sad. like yogurt drinks from kroger, they say 10 oz(that cant include the bottle it comes in because its usually less than an oz empty-but the drink come out usually around 8-9 fl oz(measuring cup). which is why they can and do sell food with less product in them. they will tell you it happens and they will look into why that happened. some will send coupons and others just dont care. I also dont have the money to start a class action lawsuit either. they can and have gotten away with things for years.
Fluid ounces (volume) and ounces (weight) are two different things. Water happens to be about 1 fl oz = 1 oz but other substances generally aren't. It sounds like the yogurt was sold by weight.
yes, but there still was not 10 fl oz in the container(I poured it out into a measuring cup). labels can be off by 20% or more LEGALLY,thats my whole point. and I know there is a difference between fl and oz. maybe Im not making myself clear with how Im wording it. if something says fl oz it should be that much,a lot of things are not.
The CALORIES on the label per serving can be off by 20%. Then on top of that the serving weight can be off by 10 or 20% sometimes... That's why sometimes, when people eat a lot of packaged food, they end up not losing weight, because they can be eating 30% more calories without knowing it.
I saw a video somewhere about people analyzing the calories in random fast food/pre-packaged foods and some pre-packaged sandwiches were off by 40% or something.1
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