Weighing meals?

hannat5017

So I'm trying to figure out how to weigh and figure out portions for meals I find online. Like I get its say 5 servings but how do you figure out how much it is per serving? Can you weigh those kind of things to get it as accurate as possible? Also how do you find it best to weigh things like lasagna, peanut butter and sauces? I'm pretty new to the whole food scale thing and mostly use it to weigh granola, almonds and meat. Thanks!

2011rocket3touring

Look it up on the MFP database and that will give you serving sizes and then YES and ABSOLUTELY weigh!
Good luck!

capaul42

If the recipe is for a one pot meal or casserole, I put all the ingredients into the recipe builder, weigh the finished dish (minus pot) and use the weight as servings. So a lasagna might be 700 grams and I would enter it as 700 servings. When I go to serve it I would weigh my portion, probably 125 grams and enter that as my serving.

For things like peanut butter, margarine, jelly, mayo...place the jar on the scale and tare it to 0. Take out what you need and the negative weight should equal what you used.

ugofatcat

capaul42 wrote: »

If the recipe is for a one pot meal or casserole, I put all the ingredients into the recipe builder, weigh the finished dish (minus pot) and use the weight as servings. So a lasagna might be 700 grams and I would enter it as 700 servings. When I go to serve it I would weigh my portion, probably 125 grams and enter that as my serving.

For things like peanut butter, margarine, jelly, mayo...place the jar on the scale and tare it to 0. Take out what you need and the negative weight should equal what you used.

@capaul42 gives great advice.

hannat5017

capaul42 wrote: »

If the recipe is for a one pot meal or casserole, I put all the ingredients into the recipe builder, weigh the finished dish (minus pot) and use the weight as servings. So a lasagna might be 700 grams and I would enter it as 700 servings. When I go to serve it I would weigh my portion, probably 125 grams and enter that as my serving.

For things like peanut butter, margarine, jelly, mayo...place the jar on the scale and tare it to 0. Take out what you need and the negative weight should equal what you used.

Thanks! Often I make enough food for me and my husband for 2 to 3 nights so with that much how would you weigh it? My food scale is quite small and you said without the pot or whatever. Sorry just trying to make sure I understand.

CyberTone

hannat5017 wrote: »

capaul42 wrote: »

If the recipe is for a one pot meal or casserole, I put all the ingredients into the recipe builder, weigh the finished dish (minus pot) and use the weight as servings. So a lasagna might be 700 grams and I would enter it as 700 servings. When I go to serve it I would weigh my portion, probably 125 grams and enter that as my serving.

For things like peanut butter, margarine, jelly, mayo...place the jar on the scale and tare it to 0. Take out what you need and the negative weight should equal what you used.

Thanks! Often I make enough food for me and my husband for 2 to 3 nights so with that much how would you weigh it? My food scale is quite small and you said without the pot or whatever. Sorry just trying to make sure I understand.

If the batch is more than my food scale can handle in one weighing, I weigh portions of the batch into one or more lightweight storage containers. Place the lightweight container on the scale, tare the scale, then scoop in some of the food and note the weight. If another container is needed, repeat. Then add the total weights.

capaul42

CyberTone wrote: »

hannat5017 wrote: »

capaul42 wrote: »

If the recipe is for a one pot meal or casserole, I put all the ingredients into the recipe builder, weigh the finished dish (minus pot) and use the weight as servings. So a lasagna might be 700 grams and I would enter it as 700 servings. When I go to serve it I would weigh my portion, probably 125 grams and enter that as my serving.

For things like peanut butter, margarine, jelly, mayo...place the jar on the scale and tare it to 0. Take out what you need and the negative weight should equal what you used.

Thanks! Often I make enough food for me and my husband for 2 to 3 nights so with that much how would you weigh it? My food scale is quite small and you said without the pot or whatever. Sorry just trying to make sure I understand.

If the batch is more than my food scale can handle in one weighing, I weigh portions of the batch into one or more lightweight storage containers. Place the lightweight container on the scale, tare the scale, then scoop in some of the food and note the weight. If another container is needed, repeat. Then add the total weights.

This. I have to do this when I make stew. 2 containers last time, 750grams each container.

hannat5017

Awesome thanks everyone!

SeagalDeeDee

If it can fit in the palm of my hand I'm good. Who told me this trick escapes my memory but it works(for me) Not that I actually measure it in my hand..:) But I can pretty much after a few weeks of doing this figure out how much I actually need.