Do you input meat weight BEFORE or AFTER it is cooked?

SherbAliciouS

I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but I waffle back and forth, and want to do it properly. For example, when I broil salmon, I weigh it and input it as the weight it was before it was cooked. When I eat a baked turkey thigh, I weigh and enter after it's cooked. When I eat ground beef, say for tacos and such, I weigh and input the meat after it's cooked. I know that the water weight is cooked out of the meat, but again, I have no idea if I am actually doing this correctly.
Which is the proper way?

socioseguro

I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but I waffle back and forth, and want to do it properly. For example, when I broil salmon, I weigh it and input it as the weight it was before it was cooked. When I eat a baked turkey thigh, I weigh and enter after it's cooked. When I eat ground beef, say for tacos and such, I weigh and input the meat after it's cooked. I know that the water weight is cooked out of the meat, but again, I have no idea if I am actually doing this correctly.
Which is the proper way?

You do whatever you like with your food. You are the eater.

I only weigh and measure my food before cooking.

Good luck in your journey

MercenaryNoetic26

I weigh after. It's easier (for me) and I didn't see much of a difference as I've tried it both ways.

Cortneyrenee04

I do mine after just because its less messy but I don't know which is right.

dynamitegalxo

I weigh everything raw/uncooked. Meat, vegetables, produce, pasta, etc.

Birder150

I find the entries which say 'raw' and weigh my meat before cooking. If none are in the database, I use my digital scale's nutrient info which gives me the raw weight calories and make my own entries.

SherbAliciouS

Hi guys! All of your replies have been enlightening and very appreciated!! Thank you for your responses!

LuvDarkChocolate

Before...you lose approx 25% after cooking meat.

Pandorian

Raw is the only way for a person to get the same "calorie count" for your meat (or pasta) depending on how you cook it.

Take the steak out of a pack, weigh it (if it wasn't when you opened it) cook to blue-rare which you may consider "cooked" it will weigh something less than purely raw... keep cooking it until it's medium... weigh it... it weighs less but still same calories as it's "just water" cooking out. Keep cooking until it's well-done.. .it weighs even less... each of those is "cooked" to someone but you can't tell which version of "cooked" they used.

Pasta is the same in reverse, the more you cook it the more water weight it's absorbing, so starting from raw is easiest.

Check out the menu next time you're out, they all specify "weight indicates PRE-cooked weight" as in you order a 1/4 lb burger, that's what it was raw, it'll be less when you get it to eat.