Serving size

rlu1028

A number of years ago, I posted a question on MFP regarding what constitutes a serving size of an item packed in water. Almost all responses said that you weigh the item as well as the water. I contend that is not true, that the water is not included. Compare 2 cans of your favorite canned fruit packed in water; the likelihood of the item weight of both is very low, but the number of servings on the product label is the same.

mtaratoot

The BEST option is to get "real" tuna that is canned in a glass jar, only cooked during the canning process, and without anything else in it. Most canned tuna is cooked first then packed in a steel can and either water or some kind of oil added. That real tuna is a lot more expensive, but it's SO good. Only thing better is to buy some tuna off the boat in season and pressure can it yourself. So good.

For tuna in a steel can, I only get the kind in olive oil. Tastes so much better. Yes, it has more calories. It also has way more joy. The cans I buy have a total weight and a net (drained) weight. Serving size is "one can, drained."

I eat the oil, so I have to estimate how much there is or weigh it and add those calories to what's on the label.

rlu1028

What you say is true, but there are so many canned products that are packed in water. Fortunately, many are labeled indicating that the serving size is qualified as "drained." It's those pesky items of which their net weight doesn't reflect the actual product weight, but even if accurate for net, likely are not accurate for estimating intake.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

A rarely eat canned fruit these days (good access to fresh, blessedly), but I did eat it more often at one time. Very convenient and tasty. So, I decided to look up the nutrition info for Del Monte "Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches - No Sugar Added." The online info lists both cases, drained and undrained, so you can take your pick:

https://www.delmonte.com/products/fruits/peaches/sliced-yellow-cling-peaches-no-sugar-added

Do we miss the days of canned fruit in heavy syrup?

rlu1028

What about all those recently packaged bowls… many specify the same net weight on the package as the weight of the serving. Weigh the box and the bowl; don't be surprised when they don't match either the net weight or the single serving weight.

cmriverside

I think if you're talking about things that are pre-prepared and you just open it and eat it (not sure what "recently packaged bowls" are…) then I wouldn't over-think it. The whole process of calorie accounting is fraught with ways to get numbers wrong. I'd just use what the package says if it's a single serve food item.

I will say that this is one of the reasons why I prepare my own meals from scratch/whole ingredients as much as possible.

sollyn23l2

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48835963#Comment_48835963

Absolutely. And even cooking at home, two new york steaks of the same weight will have two different calorie counts due to differences in fat. Two potatoes of the same weight will differ in calories due to different amounts of carbs/proteins/etc. The average of what we do overall is more important (consistency, in my opinion, is more important than accuracy. I may think I'm eating one amount of calories, but the scale will still tell me if I need to eat more or less regardless of how many calories I think I'm eating).

age_is_just_a_number

My thoughts : Don’t over think it. Just log on the high side and move on.