Is a cup of cooked pasta the same as 8 oz?

vlr59
vlr59 Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I made some mac and cheese tonight. The serving size says it's 2.5 ounces, or about a cup cooked. I am using a food scale to measure my foods, so is one serving size 2.5 oz on my scale, or do i get a 1 cup measuring cup and forget weighing? (That came out to about 5.5 oz.
Maybe I'm a bit thick when it comes to the math, but pasta servings are the hardest for me to figure out, and I really don't want to overeat.

Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    Weighing it will be much more accurate. Volumetric measurements should only be used for liquids.

    And if you think pasta serving sizes are hard to figure out, try logging microwaved popcorn. You really do need an advanced degree in mathematics to figure out some of those popcorn labels... ;)
  • vlr59
    vlr59 Posts: 10 Member
    I buy the 100 calorie bags of popcorn for that very reason.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    vlr59 wrote: »
    I buy the 100 calorie bags of popcorn for that very reason.

    Smart!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,072 Member
    I would think the 2.5 oz is 2.5 oz dry weight, so weighing the cooked product isn't going to work for you. If it were me, and I knew from the package how many total servings it was supposed to make, I would divide the total cooked weight by the number of servings, and treat that weight as the serving size (e.g., if the total cooked package is 560 g, and it was supposed to make 4 servings, a serving = 140 g).
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    Weighing it will be much more accurate. Volumetric measurements should only be used for liquids.

    And if you think pasta serving sizes are hard to figure out, try logging microwaved popcorn. You really do need an advanced degree in mathematics to figure out some of those popcorn labels... ;)

    PopSecret has a thing on the side of the box that tells you the nutrition value for "Full bag popped". I love it! lol
  • NoAnalHere
    NoAnalHere Posts: 97 Member
    1. I really love my food scale but I'd just use the measuring cup today and go with the 5.5oz

    Or option two!


    2. You can put all the Mac and cheese in a bowl and weigh it and divide by number of servings its supposed to give then you know how much to eat accurately.
  • ChristopherLimoges
    ChristopherLimoges Posts: 298 Member
    Generally you should count the products dry weight when it comes to items like pasta. Unless you're incorporating other ingredients than water into the process of hydrating, dry weight should be your consern. If you're adding other foods like sauces, salts, et cetera, then just take their measurements and add them to the finished serving. Unless you're making or receiving freshly made noodles, the weight shouldn't be too much of a worry. Wet, or dry, with the exclusion of ingredients other than water and excess seasoning, the nutritional data will be accurate enough.

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