Anyone else go crazy when it comes to serving sizes?

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ninjacakegirl
ninjacakegirl Posts: 26 Member
edited August 2017 in Food and Nutrition
I created this and Tweeted it to different food companies, but I mean, really! Why can't it be by the cup size or ounce?! I found a couple of companies that do serving sizes by the cup size or volume, and I usually just use those instead of the brand I'm actually using, but it shouldn't be this tricky. What do you think?
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  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    Volume is inaccurate. Food companies label based on the local legal requirements, and usually provide a weight along with the volumetric serving size. Using the weight is the more accurate method.

    The usual recommendation is to use a food scale, because the 100 grams of broccoli is going to be pretty much the same regardless of how finely it's been broken down.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Weigh it, go by the number of ounces (grams would be better, though).
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Weight. Just about all food labels include weights on a serving size. Just get a scale. Mine was only 10 bucks. Well worth it.
  • ninjacakegirl
    ninjacakegirl Posts: 26 Member
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    I do have a scale (just purchased a brand new one, in fact - due to be here in a week-ish) and have been weighing pretty vigilantly, but I mean, if I didn't have a scale, and I looked at these packages and saw "4 pieces," that would be confusing and a little frustrating.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Serving sizes in cups for solid foods are just as useless as they serving sizes you're pointing out...
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,118 Member
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    I weigh my food in grams.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    The grams is the only trustworthy serving size. They work out the nutrition label based on the gram value, and then guesstimate a volume measurement. So your basically asking them to guess differently.

    I don't think it really can be standardized. I mean you can use tablespoons for PB or ketchup, but you can't do that for cereal. You can use half a cup for cereal but that wouldn't work for PB. I think 28 almonds is probably more accurate than say a third of a cup, but 75 cheerios would be problematic.

    I have never seen broccoli labeled with a number of pieces per serving though, and I agree that seems silly due to size variation. Honestly if I saw that I would question all the labeling of that product and buy another brand in the future.
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
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    My food scale is life. I weigh all of my meats and veggies.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    No, I weigh it.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    I weigh/measure my protiens and carbs. For raw/lightly steamed veggies sans oils/butter... I eat as much as I want, and I love raw spinach. For the simple reason, no one has ever gotten fat off of raw spinach leaves or broccoli or cucumbers. So as long as I have a few cups a day of greens, I'm good. I did the math once, you'd have to eat nearly 300 gallons of raw spinach to gain a pound, I think you'd lose more than a pound simply trying to eat 300 gallons of it.

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