This may be a silly question about weighing food

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sargessexyone
sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have recently started to weigh my food instead of just measuring and I am quite curious about something. I will use mayo as my reference since that is what led me to the question in the first place.

The label says a serving size is 1 tbsp (14g). Calories for one serving is 35. Now I know from reading a lot of posts that I should weigh out the 14g to get an accurate calorie count so that is what I did. Surprise surprise 14g is NOT 1 tbsp. And that my dear friends is what brings me to my question.

How do we know which measurement they are actually using when they calculate the calories? Am I the only one who has thought of this? I'm really just curious so if anyone has an answer I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
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Replies

  • skizzerbizkit
    skizzerbizkit Posts: 40 Member
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    bump! I'm curious as well...
  • Soufre
    Soufre Posts: 236 Member
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    Bump. Good question...
  • schparks
    schparks Posts: 74 Member
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    Volume measurements (tbsp, cup, etc.) are more approximate due to settling that occurs in the shipping/moving process. Weight Watchers stresses weighing food rather than using measurements. I'd say you're pretty safe to assume the weight was used to calculate the nutritional values, because it is a more accurate and predictable measurement.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Use the weight, 100%, no question. Especially for high calorie foods like fats, nuts, oils, mayo.
  • datleprechaun
    datleprechaun Posts: 21
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    How much is 14g then? Less than a teaspoon?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I suspect the bottle itself is measure in oz or grams correct? not cups or tbsp...hence the serving size in grams being accurate...
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I believe they use the weight measurement, which is why everyone will say to always weigh your food. Volume is subjective...how tightly are you packing that one cup? But weight is not subjective, and so that is used to do calorie counts.
  • clsindc
    clsindc Posts: 23 Member
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    Bump. My guess is grams (because grams don't lie), but have no evidence right now to back that up.
  • sneaks
    sneaks Posts: 19
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    What kind of tbsp do you mean? Do you mean one that is actually a spoon? if so was it heaped? if not are you talking about the measuring types of spoon where you level it flat? I find the latter are much smaller than an actual spoon (although wouldn't use one to weigh out mayo cos it would all stick inside it!)
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
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    Mass > Volume
  • zeppelin101
    zeppelin101 Posts: 2
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    It's an approximation. Also, maybe the weighing tools they use are more accurate than yours.
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    They use grams when measuring for nutritional information. The tablespoons, cups, etc. are approximate and there for our convenience.

    I know, I was shocked at how much more mayo you get when measuring grams vs. tablespoons. 13g is closer to two leveled tablespoons!
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    Weight.

    If you look at the amount of servings there are in anything, and measure out each serving by weight, it'll be dead on or remarkably close to reality.

    If you measured it out by volume, you'll come up short somewhere along the way.
  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
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    Volume measurements (tbsp, cup, etc.) are more approximate due to settling that occurs in the shipping/moving process. Weight Watchers stresses weighing food rather than using measurements. I'd say you're pretty safe to assume the weight was used to calculate the nutritional values, because it is a more accurate and predictable measurement.

    I understand that the weight of the whole jar could shift a little due to shipping and whatever but that would only affect the weight of the entire jar. I could stand there and shake the jar to shift the weight but when I open a jar of mayo, a tbsp is a tbsp and 14g is 14g. However a tbsp is not 14g. Of mayo anyway ;)
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Weigh in grams, that what I been saying for awhile "don't measure", weigh everything like peanut butter, they say is 2 tbsp but it's not!!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I am finding that I use less condiments with weighing - not that this really answers you question

    I find that weighing makes me more aware of the amounts I use rather than just using a normal spoon and throwing ingredients together - I used to "eye ball" everything when I cooked - it's a little more time consuming but it helps in the end
  • thinklivebefree
    thinklivebefree Posts: 328 Member
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    What Mayo are you using that's 35 calories?
  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
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    I believe they use the weight measurement, which is why everyone will say to always weigh your food. Volume is subjective...how tightly are you packing that one cup? But weight is not subjective, and so that is used to do calorie counts.

    Now THIS is the answer that makes the most sense.
  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
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    What Mayo are you using that's 35 calories?

    Hellmanns light
  • zapinkleopard
    zapinkleopard Posts: 49
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    I would definitely go with weighing vs. measuring. But that is interesting to know that serving is not equal to the weight!

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