Someone help me out please. I have a question about ounces

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bootyrubsandtacos
bootyrubsandtacos Posts: 775 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I bought a bag of Morningstar meatless crumbles and it says on the bag that it’s 12.5 ounces, but how can it be only 12.5 ounces when I measured out TWO cups from the bag, and there was a lot left? I also weighed the cup and it was only a little bit over 4 ounces. I thought a cup was 8 ounces? I feel like I’m losing my mind lol

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  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Not to worry. This is a common mistake. A measuring cup is for liquids not for solids. Different solids will have different weights occupying the same space. You need a food scale to determine ounces for solids.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    There are two types of ounces - volume ounces (like you would measure in a measuring cup) and weighed ounces. The 12.5 oz was most likely the weight of the package, which would make sense if you are saying the 2 cups worth you took out weighed more than 4 oz each and there was more left in the bag.

    This is why I think it's easier to use grams - no confusion!
  • bootyrubsandtacos
    bootyrubsandtacos Posts: 775 Member
    edited May 2018
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    A cup is a measurement of volume and has nothing to do with weight, except for water where a cup (8 fluid ounces) actually weighs 8 ounces. This is why you should be weighing all solids.
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Not to worry. This is a common mistake. A measuring cup is for liquids not for solids. Different solids will have different weights occupying the same space. You need a food scale to determine ounces for solids.

    Ooooooh okay! I see. That makes a lot of sense. So would cottage cheese be considered a solid? I have a food scale, but I just use it for meat. I’ve just been using a measuring cup for cottage cheese. How do you even weigh something like cottage cheese and meatless crumbles on a scale that doesn’t have a bowl attachment? (I have to invest in one of those) A paper plate? Like weigh the paper plate first and subtract that amount from the food?

  • bootyrubsandtacos
    bootyrubsandtacos Posts: 775 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    bootyrubsandtacos wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    A cup is a measurement of volume and has nothing to do with weight, except for water where a cup (8 fluid ounces) actually weighs 8 ounces. This is why you should be weighing all solids.
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Not to worry. This is a common mistake. A measuring cup is for liquids not for solids. Different solids will have different weights occupying the same space. You need a food scale to determine ounces for solids.

    Ooooooh okay! I see. That makes a lot of sense. So would cottage cheese be considered a solid? I have a food scale, but I just use it for meat. I’ve just been using a measuring cup for cottage cheese. How do you even weigh something like cottage cheese and meatless crumbles on a scale that doesn’t have a bowl attachment? (I have to invest in one of those) A paper plate?

    Any solid food will give you an ounce or (usually) gram amount per serving on the label. The easiest way is to put the tub of cottage cheese on the scale, tare it, then scoop out what you want. If it says -9, you took out 9 ounces/grams depending on what setting you're using. I've never had a scale with a bowl on it...I either do that or put the plate/bowl I'm going to eat from on the scale and weigh what I'm eating on it.

    Thanks for the tip! I’m going to do that tomorrow.

  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    Does your scale have a "Tare" feature/button? I just put my bowl or plate or whatever on the scale, hit the tare button and then add the food that I'm eating.
  • bootyrubsandtacos
    bootyrubsandtacos Posts: 775 Member
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    Yeah it does! @michelle172415 That’s a great tip! Thanks! o:)
  • lalee115
    lalee115 Posts: 185 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    bootyrubsandtacos wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    A cup is a measurement of volume and has nothing to do with weight, except for water where a cup (8 fluid ounces) actually weighs 8 ounces. This is why you should be weighing all solids.
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Not to worry. This is a common mistake. A measuring cup is for liquids not for solids. Different solids will have different weights occupying the same space. You need a food scale to determine ounces for solids.

    Ooooooh okay! I see. That makes a lot of sense. So would cottage cheese be considered a solid? I have a food scale, but I just use it for meat. I’ve just been using a measuring cup for cottage cheese. How do you even weigh something like cottage cheese and meatless crumbles on a scale that doesn’t have a bowl attachment? (I have to invest in one of those) A paper plate?

    The easiest way is to put the tub of cottage cheese on the scale, tare it, then scoop out what you want. If it says -9, you took out 9 ounces/grams depending on what setting you're using.

    This is the most obviously genius thing I've heard in a while. Why it never occurred to me before to do this, I have no idea. My peanut butter consumption just got a heck of a lot easier. Thank you, food scale hero!
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    lalee115 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    bootyrubsandtacos wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    A cup is a measurement of volume and has nothing to do with weight, except for water where a cup (8 fluid ounces) actually weighs 8 ounces. This is why you should be weighing all solids.
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Not to worry. This is a common mistake. A measuring cup is for liquids not for solids. Different solids will have different weights occupying the same space. You need a food scale to determine ounces for solids.

    Ooooooh okay! I see. That makes a lot of sense. So would cottage cheese be considered a solid? I have a food scale, but I just use it for meat. I’ve just been using a measuring cup for cottage cheese. How do you even weigh something like cottage cheese and meatless crumbles on a scale that doesn’t have a bowl attachment? (I have to invest in one of those) A paper plate?

    The easiest way is to put the tub of cottage cheese on the scale, tare it, then scoop out what you want. If it says -9, you took out 9 ounces/grams depending on what setting you're using.

    This is the most obviously genius thing I've heard in a while. Why it never occurred to me before to do this, I have no idea. My peanut butter consumption just got a heck of a lot easier. Thank you, food scale hero!

    You'd be amazed how long it took me to figure this out. Sometimes it's embarrassing how slow I can be on the uptake, but this has been a very handy "trick" particularly with things like salad where I like to add a little bit of several ingredients.

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