Weighing Food (grams/ounces)

terlasmil_
terlasmil_ Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I bought a food scale to more accurately be able to calculate my intake and I'm running across some trouble.
Today I was weighing some canned beans and the can tells me that 1/2 cup is 130 grams and that there are 3 portions per can.
I weighed out 130 grams and there was NOT 3 portions per can and it looks bigger than 1/2 cup. So I zeroed out my scale and tried it again, got the same thing.
Just curious on if you all have ran across this issue and what you do? Do I just measure out 1/2 cup and make sure there are 3 portions per can? Or do I just go with 130 grams no matter what?
The same thing happened when I measured another canned item.
Thanks.

Replies

  • keithwp99
    keithwp99 Posts: 83 Member
    well... have you zero'd out your scale to take in to account what you are weighing the beans in? This is called tare weight. Sorry you caught an engineer here. :)

    I use a scale rather than what in on the can or package. Not sure it's more reliable but you'll be more consistent in what you are measuring.

  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 597 Member
    Go by the gram measurement, it's the most accurate.
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    Grams. And congrats, you've realized why people stress weighing their food so much. Packages can be incorrect...actually they're usually incorrect.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    gamerbabe14 wrote: »
    Grams. And congrats, you've realized why people stress weighing their food so much. Packages can be incorrect...actually they're usually incorrect.

    This.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    Always by the grams. I can make many different weights of items fill a measuring cup depending on how much I push or don't push them into it.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    terlasmil_ wrote: »
    I bought a food scale to more accurately be able to calculate my intake and I'm running across some trouble.
    Today I was weighing some canned beans and the can tells me that 1/2 cup is 130 grams and that there are 3 portions per can.
    I weighed out 130 grams and there was NOT 3 portions per can and it looks bigger than 1/2 cup. So I zeroed out my scale and tried it again, got the same thing.
    Just curious on if you all have ran across this issue and what you do? Do I just measure out 1/2 cup and make sure there are 3 portions per can? Or do I just go with 130 grams no matter what?
    The same thing happened when I measured another canned item.
    Thanks.

    The bolded text a 1/2 cup is an estimate of what the grams might be in a volume serving. Basically, ignore it. Assuming your scale was tared properly then the 130 grams is what will be accurate whether it is a 1/2 Cup or not. Also, the portions per can is again an estimate, it is not precises.

    TLDR -- Go with the grams and ignore the rest.
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    Usually something like the can of beans will be relatively accurate. The weight probably includes all the water accumulated at the bottom.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited July 2017
    I suspect that the nutrition label on beans is for the beans + pot liquor in the can. If you're like me (and most normal people I'd like to think), you drained the pot liquor because the commercial stuff is super gross due to the amount of salt and/or stabilizing preservatives contained therein and rinsed the beans briefly under water before using.

    I have not opened a new can of beans to test this hypothesis, though. If I remember, I'll report back when I do open some white beans later this week.

    In the meantime, I would just look up the nutrition info for whatever type beans with USDA that are the cooked 'bean only' entry and use what is listed in the 'per 100 grams' column for ease in calculating for the amount you eat. That's what I did recently with a can of black beans.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    Food labelers are legally allowed to be wrong by a crazy percent. I think it's like 30% or something. Plus for canned items, they count syrup and liquids, that you often drain before serving. So yeah, always go bty the scale and not tne container.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited July 2017
    Just did a can of white beans (15 oz/425 grams).

    Label as 1 serving = 1/2 cup (130 grams), About 3.5 servings/can

    Beans with pot liquor: 428 grams = about 3.3 servings
    Beans alone: 244 grams = about 1.9 servings, based on label (now not accurate info as labeled info based on inclusion of pot liquor)

    So, yeah, if just using the beans out of a can will have to figure out nutrition info per gram based on USDA entry for beans alone. Mystery = solved, lol. :wink:

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