Not sure I'm using my food scale right

cchhiipp22

In order to better measure what I'm eating, I got a food scale. But I'm not sure I'm using it right.

1) For example, I made a peanut butter sandwich the other day and weighted the jar before and after I made the sandwich to see how many ounces of PB I put on the bread. Fine, great. But when I go to add the food in my tracker, I'm not sure I'm calculating properly.

If you do a search in the MFP for Jif Creamy, it's 190 calories for 1 fluid oz. But if I'm weighing the PB on a scale, that's not fluid ounces, is it? The scale is a weight measure.

But if you look on the MFP portion options for Jif Creamy, they're all volumetric measures - fluid ounces, tablespoons, milliliters. No weight-based measures.

So how can I accurately enter how much PB is on my sandwich using my food scale to measure?

2) If I'm measuring pasta or rice on the scale, do I measure it before or after cooking, in order to match the measurements in MFP's database?

3) 1 cup of rice in MFP, is that before cooking or after?

kimny72

The "servings of" box is a drop down box. Find a data entry where when you hit the drop down box it has grams or ounces as a choice. If there is not an entry in there that has a weight measure, you can create your own.

kimny72

And for #2, if the nutrition info on the package does not specifically say "cooked", weigh it dry.

When you search for something in the database, always include either "raw" or "dry" or "cooked" in the search box. It's more accurate to weigh stuff raw, but if you have to or prefer to weigh something cooked, make sure you choose an entry that specifically says cooked or grilled or roasted or what have you.

French_Peasant

Or....search for "jif peanut butter 100 grams" and it will bring up an entry you can easily prorate.

mysticlizard

Pasta and rice are usually weighed raw. Since the water content of cooked can vary.

cchhiipp22

kimny72 wrote: »

The "servings of" box is a drop down box. Find a data entry where when you hit the drop down box it has grams or ounces as a choice. If there is not an entry in there that has a weight measure, you can create your own.

These are all volume, right?

How can I create a weight measure if I don't know the information to make the conversion? I guess, scoop out a tablespoon and weight it, then convert? Would that be accurate enough?

jlemoore

use grams. Its easier to figure out. Also, PB would be a fluid. Although it isn't thought of as one. It is!

kimny72

cchhiipp22 wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

The "servings of" box is a drop down box. Find a data entry where when you hit the drop down box it has grams or ounces as a choice. If there is not an entry in there that has a weight measure, you can create your own.

These are all volume, right?

How can I create a weight measure if I don't know the information to make the conversion? I guess, scoop out a tablespoon and weight it, then convert? Would that be accurate enough?

Yes, so are there other entries that show grams? When I have PB (different brand) the jar says a serving is 33 grams or 2 tablespoons. So I measure out 33 grams and log 2 tablespoons, since I know the calories etc it will log are correct for the amount I weigh out.

seska422

cchhiipp22 wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

The "servings of" box is a drop down box. Find a data entry where when you hit the drop down box it has grams or ounces as a choice. If there is not an entry in there that has a weight measure, you can create your own.

These are all volume, right?

How can I create a weight measure if I don't know the information to make the conversion? I guess, scoop out a tablespoon and weight it, then convert? Would that be accurate enough?

If you are really attached to using that entry, you can use the 2 Tbsp entry (the jar should say how many grams are in 2 Tbsp since that's the serving size) and then do the math. My Jif Reduced Fat Crunchy says that 2 Tbsp = 36 grams so 25 grams would be 0.7 servings of 2 Tbsp or 1.4 servings of 1 Tbsp.

Rather than mess with that, I just make an entry in My Foods (without sharing with the database) for each food that I eat and choose grams for the unit (from the servings in the nutritional info so I would use 36 grams for my peanut butter) and then choose 1 gram increments when I log the food.

kimny72

Put the jar on the scale and tare it to zero. Scoop out PB until your scale says -33 grams. Log 2 tablespoons. Enjoy the yummy goodness

ritzvin

For a lot of items, you'll have to quickly use a calculator. The food label on the actual container usually lists the serving size as ____ (___ g)..

so you can divide by that info to get the number of tablespoons (for instance, 64g *2T/32g = 4T). You can also opt to edit the listing and change the serving size from "2 Tbsp" to "2 Tbsp (32 g)" and MFP will add a 1g option.

CafeRacer808

I started out doing this:

seska422 wrote: »

If you are really attached to using that entry, you can use the 2 Tbsp entry (the jar should say how many grams are in 2 Tbsp since that's the serving size) and then do the math. My Jiffy Reduced Fat Crunchy says that 2 Tbsp = 36 grams so 25 grams would be 0.7 servings of 2 Tbsp or 1.4 servings of 1 Tbsp.

...and now I do this:

seska422 wrote: »

Rather than mess with that, I just make an entry in My Foods (without sharing with the database) for each food that I eat and choose grams for the unit (from the servings in the nutritional info so I would use 36 grams for my peanut butter) and then choose 1 gram increments when I log the food.

Using My Foods entries is much more efficient than constantly searching through the database for an entry that provides grams as a unit of measure , IMO.

guacamole17

Food labels will have the serving size in grams. You can measure out that particular serving size in grams on your scale so you don't need the grams in the drop down (just enter a serving size). If you want say 1.5 servings, then do the math for the gram figure, and log 1.5 servings.

You can also do it backwards - if you want 62 grams of PB but the serving size is 32g for a 2 tbsp. serving, just divide how much you served yourself by the serving size and enter that (so 62/32 = X serving size to log).

For pasta - I know that 2oz dry pasta is approx. 4oz cooked pasta (very generally, I don't eat it enough to matter), so I go by that. I know that 2oz dry is usually the serving size on the box, so I log that because its the same.

Rice should say whether the generic entry is cooked or dry (or whatever package of rice you are using). Just make sure to log the correct one based on how you measure.

cchhiipp22

seska422 wrote: »

If you are really attached to using that entry, you can use the 2 Tbsp entry (the jar should say how many grams are in 2 Tbsp since that's the serving size) and then do the math. My Jif Reduced Fat Crunchy says that 2 Tbsp = 36 grams so 25 grams would be 0.7 servings of 2 Tbsp or 1.4 servings of 1 Tbsp.

Rather than mess with that, I just make an entry in My Foods (without sharing with the database) for each food that I eat and choose grams for the unit (from the servings in the nutritional info so I would use 36 grams for my peanut butter) and then choose 1 gram increments when I log the food.

Thanks, it's not so much that I'm attached to it. I just know the green check marks are more accurate. I'll probably do like you and make an entry into My Foods.

Thanks!

Queenmunchy

@cchhiipp22 I found another entry that seems accurate, a few entries down. The one that says (32g) is a great one to use.

cchhiipp22

Thanks, everyone! I hope I haven't made everyone too hungry for peanut butter!

CafeRacer808

cchhiipp22 wrote: »

Thanks, everyone! I hope I haven't made everyone too hungry for peanut butter!

I'm actually eating some right now. Not because of you, though!

jkwolly

A lot of shiz I just made my own entries vs. trolling through an inaccurate list.

Now I want PB.