Funny math probelm

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skinnyjingbb
skinnyjingbb Posts: 127 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I brought a carton of marscarpone cheese and was eating 1 tbsp everytime, finished the whole thing in
8 tbsp and bit more. The nutritional data had seving size of 2 tbsp for 120, 8 serving total. That should be 16 tbsp then? What did I do wrong?

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited December 2017
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    The serving size was in grams actually - reread label.

    The tbsp is given as convenience factor - and very inaccurate potentially.

    Even more so the number of servings, which is merely grams in package divided by grams in serving. But allowed to be rounded greatly.

    And that's assuming the grams in package was accurate - though manufacturers try not to give away free product, nor get caught shorting product - that's usually better assumption as being correct.
  • HellYeahItsKriss
    HellYeahItsKriss Posts: 906 Member
    edited December 2017
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    No, those guesstimates like "2 tablespoons" are basically suggestions to get you around the average serving for the average consumer... however, look at the gram weight.. when you scoop out a tablespoon, there is a good chance that the gram weight of your tablespoons were higher then the gram weight on the package and thus you probably ate the rest unknowingly as most people who use measuring spoons for things other then liquids, scoop out more then they are supposed to. People do it with peanut butter also.
  • skinnyjingbb
    skinnyjingbb Posts: 127 Member
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    The total weight of the carton is 8 oz(227g) since I ate it in 8 setting, that means it's each time I had about 1oz of cheese. For cream cheese, it's usually 2tbsp per oz, don't know why I got the full oz in 1 tbsp.
  • HellYeahItsKriss
    HellYeahItsKriss Posts: 906 Member
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    Perhaps this cheese is denser then cream cheese.. unless you weigh it on a scale, you will never know, thats why its recommended to have one, teaspoons and measuring cups are supposed to be for liquids only.

  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    This is why food scales rock. Small bowl of some kind and spoon out the servings in GRAMS and i got the proper serving compared to just scooping which is guessing really.

    The only other thing I would say is if you ate the whole container during a week, then basically if you stayed under your CICO goal no problem. I think people who meal prep do the same thing. mass produce things then split them up by EYE. The calories probably vary each day, but overall the week is set to a certain calorie goal.

    I really think sometimes people really over think things. the important part is eating healthier as well. i can have that slice of Costco Combo Pizza, just not half the pizza as I did before. B)
  • HellYeahItsKriss
    HellYeahItsKriss Posts: 906 Member
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    @pogiguy05 -- Pro tip but you don't always need a small bowl :tongue: Put the whole container on the scale, if the container is 285g and you want 15 grams just scoop right from the container until you see 270g on the scale.

    might save you a few dishes.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »
    @pogiguy05 -- Pro tip but you don't always need a small bowl :tongue: Put the whole container on the scale, if the container is 285g and you want 15 grams just scoop right from the container until you see 270g on the scale.

    might save you a few dishes.

    Or put the whole container on the scale, tare to zero, and scoop until the scale reads -15 (negative 15), if you want 15 grams.
  • HellYeahItsKriss
    HellYeahItsKriss Posts: 906 Member
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    So many nifty ways to not dirty anything hahaha... well besides the spoon.. don't be gross and scoop that out with your mouth hahaha
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited December 2017
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    HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »
    @pogiguy05 -- Pro tip but you don't always need a small bowl :tongue: Put the whole container on the scale, if the container is 285g and you want 15 grams just scoop right from the container until you see 270g on the scale.

    might save you a few dishes.

    Sorry I left out some steps and you guys always pull thru :D:D:D
  • whosshe
    whosshe Posts: 597 Member
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    I bought burger buns today. The package said one bun (43 grams) was 130 calories decided to actually weigh it (I don't usually) and it was 53 grams. Only a 17 calorie difference but still not what the package said.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    eliciaobrien1 wrote: »
    I bought burger buns today. The package said one bun (43 grams) was 130 calories decided to actually weigh it (I don't usually) and it was 53 grams. Only a 17 calorie difference but still not what the package said.

    Another reason why when you see APPROX ??? cup means margin of error and they dont really know for sure.

    Weigh everything, but then again i am not that crazy about doing that myself. i am eating much healthier then before and slowly losing weight so i am happy
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    eliciaobrien1 wrote: »
    I bought burger buns today. The package said one bun (43 grams) was 130 calories decided to actually weigh it (I don't usually) and it was 53 grams. Only a 17 calorie difference but still not what the package said.

    Your arithmetic is off. It's a 30 calorie difference, not a 17 calorie difference.

    53/43 X 130 = 160
    160 - 130 = 30
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »
    So many nifty ways to not dirty anything hahaha... well besides the spoon.. don't be gross and scoop that out with your mouth hahaha

    I live alone. I can do whatever I want. ;)

    Obligatory on-topic (sorta): Have you tried fromage blanc? Lotsa yummy creamy mouth-feel (spoon first or no) and deliciousness, at 20 calories per ounce (and 3g protein, more than typical mascarpone).

  • whosshe
    whosshe Posts: 597 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    eliciaobrien1 wrote: »
    I bought burger buns today. The package said one bun (43 grams) was 130 calories decided to actually weigh it (I don't usually) and it was 53 grams. Only a 17 calorie difference but still not what the package said.

    Your arithmetic is off. It's a 30 calorie difference, not a 17 calorie difference.

    53/43 X 130 = 160
    160 - 130 = 30

    Yea you're right I didn't log the right brand, I logged the bun I thought I was going to buy which is 120 cals for 43 grams but went with the 130cal a bun brand. Welp lol what's 13 calories. Thanks for that I would have never noticed!
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
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    Yuuup. My favorite rice crackers say a serving size is 8 crackers. But by weight it’s always only 7. It was a total bummer of a discovery.
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 403 Member
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    As others have already said, going by weight is more precise. I learned early on that for sticky foods - like cream cheese or peanut butter - what a standard tablespoon should be, and how much I can fit on a tablespoon, are two entirely different things. I could probably carefully balance a whole jar of peanut butter on a spoon!

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