Measuring tools

Kayzia_M

Going to buy a measuring cup today, and I was just wondering, what other measuring "tools" do you use to keep track of your food intake?

meshashesha2012

a food scale is even better.

Phrick

I would be lost without my food scale. I found that measuring cups were not very accurate. My favorite examples to use are uncooked oatmeal and frozen green beans. A serving of uncooked old fashioned oatmeal is "1/2 cup (40g)" according to the package - well, if you scoop up 1/2 cup of it and weigh it, they don't match up. 1/2 cup weighs quite a bit more than 40g actually. So if you go by the 1/2 cup you'll be accidentally eating more calories than you think.

The opposite is true of my frozen green beans though! The package of THOSE says "2/3 cup (81g)" buf if you measure 2/3 cup and weigh it you get more like 70g. If you're going strictly by weight then 81g of the beans is more close to 1 cup.

Cups and teaspoons and whatever are way more subjective. Say you want to eat some fresh strawberries. How are you going to measure them with a measuring cup? If a serving size is "1 cup/75g" say - well what if you get a really big berry and can fit only 1 in the 1-cup measure! That may or may not even equal the 75g. It's really inaccurate. I am a fan of accuracy

farway

I agree entirely with Phrick, get some digital scales & use weight not volume

Further examples often used is pasta, depending on shape of pasta depends how much you can get in a cup, same for fruit, ignore "large orange / apple / banana" etc, weigh them

Kayzia_M

I would be lost without my food scale. I found that measuring cups were not very accurate. My favorite examples to use are uncooked oatmeal and frozen green beans. A serving of uncooked old fashioned oatmeal is "1/2 cup (40g)" according to the package - well, if you scoop up 1/2 cup of it and weigh it, they don't match up. 1/2 cup weighs quite a bit more than 40g actually. So if you go by the 1/2 cup you'll be accidentally eating more calories than you think.

The opposite is true of my frozen green beans though! The package of THOSE says "2/3 cup (81g)" buf if you measure 2/3 cup and weigh it you get more like 70g. If you're going strictly by weight then 81g of the beans is more close to 1 cup.

Cups and teaspoons and whatever are way more subjective. Say you want to eat some fresh strawberries. How are you going to measure them with a measuring cup? If a serving size is "1 cup/75g" say - well what if you get a really big berry and can fit only 1 in the 1-cup measure! That may or may not even equal the 75g. It's really inaccurate. I am a fan of accuracy

Wow, thanks for the info, will definitely look for the scale!!

cbtomlin

I bought my first food scale yesterday. I can't wait to start using it. I know my husband will think I'm crazy though for using it.

farway

I bought my first food scale yesterday. I can't wait to start using it. I know my husband will think I'm crazy though for using it.

You soon get into the habit

I weigh as I go, note it down in a cheap note book, then add on MFP in one hit

Kayzia_M

I bought my first food scale yesterday. I can't wait to start using it. I know my husband will think I'm crazy though for using it.

Lol! I bought mine this afternoon, and I've gone bonkers with it! Even weighed my plate!!