Measurements like "1 Cup", does that mean weight or...

steveramz
steveramz Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone know if the Nutritional info on the back of, Oatmeal for instance, mean that a serving of 1 Cup is to be measured by 1 Cup in weight, or simply putting the oats in a measuring cup until it reaches the 1 Cup mark?

Thanks in advance for any help. :o)

Replies

  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    A cup measurement means using a measuring cup :)
    However, if grams or oz are listed too, I'd weigh the food instead. It's more precise.
  • Mojoman02
    Mojoman02 Posts: 146 Member
    You would use a measuring cup for 1 cup. It wouldn't be weight because one cup of marshmallows may weight differently than one cup of molasses. The units for weight would be grams, ounces, etc.
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    A cup is a measure of volume, not weight. However, for a fixed type of food, it is easy to calculate weight given volume, and vice versa, and often, volume is just more convenient.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    A cup is a measure of volume, not weight. However, for a fixed type of food, it is easy to calculate weight given volume, and vice versa, and often, volume is just more convenient.

    That really depends on the person. I, for instance, find mass to be an easier way to measure out my foods pretty well universally.

    OP, even when a food lists a "by volume" measurement, such as cups, liters, ml, etc., it will often also have a mass measurement if that works better for you.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    The serving size is listed by grams (weight) and volume (cups). I recommend weighing-- my oats say 40 gms or 1/2 cup is 150 calories. If I measure out 1/2 cup of oats and then weigh it, it's really 47 grams, or 178 calories. It's very easy to consume more calories than you think if you don't weigh your portions.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    However, if grams or oz are listed too, I'd weigh the food instead. It's more precise.

    This is what I do. For example, my breakfast cereal lists a serving as 3/4 cup (51g). I weigh out the 51g. If I don't have access to a scale (visiting family or friends), then I would measure out 3/4 cup.

    For items that do not have a weight listed, you could weigh a few cups and get the average weight of 1 cup of the item, then use that for your serving size going forward.
  • meganmoore112
    meganmoore112 Posts: 174 Member
    Others have answered, but with packaged foods like oatmeal, for the serving size it will list the number of grams per cup, 1/2 cup, or whatever the serving size is. I use this measurement to weigh out things like oatmeal and cereal. It's more precise that way.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    In parenthesis it should say a grams weight.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    The serving size is listed by grams (weight) and volume (cups). I recommend weighing-- my oats say 40 gms or 1/2 cup is 150 calories. If I measure out 1/2 cup of oats and then weigh it, it's really 47 grams, or 178 calories. It's very easy to consume more calories than you think if you don't weigh your portions.

    It's not that the process is more precise, it's that the weights used in foods are calculated by the weight when propely measured. Unless you're a professional chef or a home ec teacher, most of us don't routinely factor in that you actually correctly measure a cup of flour, oats, water differently based on the substance you're measuring and it's properties. Unless you're baking soemthign requiring accuracy or trying to strictly control portions there's not much real world need for measuring processes.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    The serving size is listed by grams (weight) and volume (cups). I recommend weighing-- my oats say 40 gms or 1/2 cup is 150 calories. If I measure out 1/2 cup of oats and then weigh it, it's really 47 grams, or 178 calories. It's very easy to consume more calories than you think if you don't weigh your portions.

    It's not that the process is more precise, it's that the weights used in foods are calculated by the weight when propely measured. Unless you're a professional chef or a home ec teacher, most of us don't routinely factor in that you actually correctly measure a cup of flour, oats, water differently based on the substance you're measuring and it's properties. Unless you're baking soemthign requiring accuracy or trying to strictly control portions there's not much real world need for measuring processes.

    If I weigh out my 40 grams of oats and put it in a half cup measuring cup, it's almost 1/4 inch below the rim, not even close to being level with the top. I don't know many people who would consider a measuring cup filled to 1/4 inch below the rim as "full."
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    If I weigh out my 40 grams of oats and put it in a half cup measuring cup, it's almost 1/4 inch below the rim, not even close to being level with the top. I don't know many people who would consider a measuring cup filled to 1/4 inch below the rim as "full."

    Well, that doesn't at all mean that the process of weighing is more precise, per se. What it probably means is that the person who did the calculation either (1) had an incorrect value for the density, or (2) had no idea how to do simple multiplication/division, or (3) that the density of the food changed between the factory and the time you opened it (think settling of oatmeal during shipping). But, in light of any of these, it seems like weighing might be a good idea, at least for foods that have a significant capacity to settle . . . :)
  • steveramz
    steveramz Posts: 10
    Others have answered, but with packaged foods like oatmeal, for the serving size it will list the number of grams per cup, 1/2 cup, or whatever the serving size is. I use this measurement to weigh out things like oatmeal and cereal. It's more precise that way.

    COOL! Thanks for the info!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Good video for why you should weigh dry foods instead of using measuring cups (and they use oatmeal specifically as an example):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Definitely weigh everything instead of using a measuring cup. Sometimes you can get a 30% difference if you use cups (flour was the worst for me).
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Good video for why you should weigh dry foods instead of using measuring cups (and they use oatmeal specifically as an example):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

    I was just looking to see if anyone mentioned this. Thought I'd throw this link in for good measure. Measure. :wink:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

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