Quick question about pasta

TeamLeela

The box says that the serving size is 2 oz. do you know if that's cooked, or uncooked? I used my digital food scale and measured out 2 oz of dry pasta but after it cooked, it was over 6. So I'm assuming that 2 dry ounces makes about 3 cooked servings? It looked like a lot after I made it. I was trying to make a single serving, but now it looks like there will be plenty for me to have for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

Kminor67

Pasta portions on the box are dry. Weigh before you cook, because cooking time affects weight and volume. Al dente pasta weighs less than overcooked, due to water content.

kristinmh

That should be the weight before cooking. After it is cooked, it is usually referred to by volume instead of weight.

myukniewicz

when pasta says serving size 2oz, it means dry, not cooked.

trimmingup

Typically the serving size is for dry but you can double check by looking at how many of the 2oz servings are in the box.

CuteMommy88

i just measure my pasta by like a cup....like most pasta side dishes (pasta roni) the serving size is one cup prepared so I usually just measure out a cup!

TeamLeela

the box is 14.5 ounces. its supposed to serving 7. But I didn't use much at all. I'm still a little confused at how to log it. I realize that the dry pasta absorbed a lot of the water. Dry rice is the same way. Maybe I'm just so used to eating smaller portions now, that the 2 ounces seemed like a huge amount!

TeamLeela

I copy and pasted an article that I found useful:

When it comes to portion control, there are few foods that are more confusing than pasta. Some questions I get frequently are: What is a serving? Is a serving based on dry or cooked pasta? How do I know how I measure uncooked pasta, so I get the appropriate amount of cooked pasta? Today, I will try to answer these questions.

So, what is a serving of pasta? According to the Food Guide Pyramid and the Diabetic Exchange System, a serving of pasta is ½ cup of cooked pasta (this is equivalent to about 2 ounces of cooked pasta). This would provide approximately 80-100 calories and 15-20 grams of carbohydrate.

How do I measure pasta? Pasta can be measured before or after cooking. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that pasta doubles in size and weight when it is cooked. Here are some guidelines to follow when measuring pasta.

Cooked pasta can be measured by using a measuring cup or a food scale.
1 serving = ½ cup or 2 ounces of cooked pasta
If you would prefer to measure the pasta before you cook so you are not making too much food, the following tips can be helpful:

The most accurate way to measure uncooked past is to use a food scale.
1 ounce uncooked pasta = 1 serving
If you are making strand pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, etc.), they do make tools to measure pasta. Typically on a pasta measure, there are several holes that are different diameters. This allows cooks to know that they are making 1-4 servings by filling the holes. Pasta measures are inexpensive and can be a great way to achieve portion control when making strand pasta! Take a look at my store to see what a pasta measure looks like.
Measuring out pasta shapes can be a bit trickier for those who are not using a pasta scale. Shapes vary in size, so they do differ slightly, but a good rule of thumb is:
Approximately ¼ cup of dry pasta shapes = 1 serving for elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, cavatelli, wheels, penne or ziti.
In summary, a good generalization to measure pasta measures is as follows:

1 Serving cooked pasta = 2 ounces or ½ cup

1 Serving uncooked pasta = 1 ounce or ¼ cup

Yes, I know that your thinking…a half-cup of pasta might not be enough to satisfy a hearty appetite. Remember, the average person needs 6-11 servings from the Grain food group per day. So, feel free to have more than a half-cup of pasta at a meal, just be sure to count it as more than one serving. Also, try adding extra vegetables to the sauce, have a side salad or a small chicken breast along with the pasta. This will help you to fill up while keeping your pasta portions in check.

TrainingWithTonya

You measure it dry but eat it cooked. LOL Yeah, 2 ounces dry does seem like a lot more when it is cooked, but it is still a serving. All the extra bulk is just water. If you divided the cooked serving by 3 (to have some for lunch and dinner tomorrow for example) then log it as a third of a 2 ounce serving.

ron2282

I copy and pasted an article that I found useful:

When it comes to portion control, there are few foods that are more confusing than pasta. Some questions I get frequently are: What is a serving? Is a serving based on dry or cooked pasta? How do I know how I measure uncooked pasta, so I get the appropriate amount of cooked pasta? Today, I will try to answer these questions.

So, what is a serving of pasta? According to the Food Guide Pyramid and the Diabetic Exchange System, a serving of pasta is ½ cup of cooked pasta (this is equivalent to about 2 ounces of cooked pasta). This would provide approximately 80-100 calories and 15-20 grams of carbohydrate.

How do I measure pasta? Pasta can be measured before or after cooking. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that pasta doubles in size and weight when it is cooked. Here are some guidelines to follow when measuring pasta.

Cooked pasta can be measured by using a measuring cup or a food scale.
1 serving = ½ cup or 2 ounces of cooked pasta
If you would prefer to measure the pasta before you cook so you are not making too much food, the following tips can be helpful:

The most accurate way to measure uncooked past is to use a food scale.
1 ounce uncooked pasta = 1 serving
If you are making strand pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, etc.), they do make tools to measure pasta. Typically on a pasta measure, there are several holes that are different diameters. This allows cooks to know that they are making 1-4 servings by filling the holes. Pasta measures are inexpensive and can be a great way to achieve portion control when making strand pasta! Take a look at my store to see what a pasta measure looks like.
Measuring out pasta shapes can be a bit trickier for those who are not using a pasta scale. Shapes vary in size, so they do differ slightly, but a good rule of thumb is:
Approximately ¼ cup of dry pasta shapes = 1 serving for elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, cavatelli, wheels, penne or ziti.
In summary, a good generalization to measure pasta measures is as follows:

1 Serving cooked pasta = 2 ounces or ½ cup

1 Serving uncooked pasta = 1 ounce or ¼ cup

Yes, I know that your thinking…a half-cup of pasta might not be enough to satisfy a hearty appetite. Remember, the average person needs 6-11 servings from the Grain food group per day. So, feel free to have more than a half-cup of pasta at a meal, just be sure to count it as more than one serving. Also, try adding extra vegetables to the sauce, have a side salad or a small chicken breast along with the pasta. This will help you to fill up while keeping your pasta portions in check.

Where did you find this? Everything I've found says 2oz of uncooked pasta = 1 cup cooked. If this is right then I've been eating 2 servings and counting it as one.

sexygenius

the pasta i have has 6 servings each serving is 2 oz (210), i make it into either two normal meals for me and my parents or one kinda splurgish meal (420)... anyway to get to the point...it is deffinately dry..because when i cook half the box it comes out to a heck of alot more than six ounces

TrainingWithTonya

I copy and pasted an article that I found useful:

When it comes to portion control, there are few foods that are more confusing than pasta. Some questions I get frequently are: What is a serving? Is a serving based on dry or cooked pasta? How do I know how I measure uncooked pasta, so I get the appropriate amount of cooked pasta? Today, I will try to answer these questions.

So, what is a serving of pasta? According to the Food Guide Pyramid and the Diabetic Exchange System, a serving of pasta is ½ cup of cooked pasta (this is equivalent to about 2 ounces of cooked pasta). This would provide approximately 80-100 calories and 15-20 grams of carbohydrate.

How do I measure pasta? Pasta can be measured before or after cooking. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that pasta doubles in size and weight when it is cooked. Here are some guidelines to follow when measuring pasta.

Cooked pasta can be measured by using a measuring cup or a food scale.
1 serving = ½ cup or 2 ounces of cooked pasta
If you would prefer to measure the pasta before you cook so you are not making too much food, the following tips can be helpful:

The most accurate way to measure uncooked past is to use a food scale.
1 ounce uncooked pasta = 1 serving
If you are making strand pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, etc.), they do make tools to measure pasta. Typically on a pasta measure, there are several holes that are different diameters. This allows cooks to know that they are making 1-4 servings by filling the holes. Pasta measures are inexpensive and can be a great way to achieve portion control when making strand pasta! Take a look at my store to see what a pasta measure looks like.
Measuring out pasta shapes can be a bit trickier for those who are not using a pasta scale. Shapes vary in size, so they do differ slightly, but a good rule of thumb is:
Approximately ¼ cup of dry pasta shapes = 1 serving for elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, cavatelli, wheels, penne or ziti.
In summary, a good generalization to measure pasta measures is as follows:

1 Serving cooked pasta = 2 ounces or ½ cup

1 Serving uncooked pasta = 1 ounce or ¼ cup

Yes, I know that your thinking…a half-cup of pasta might not be enough to satisfy a hearty appetite. Remember, the average person needs 6-11 servings from the Grain food group per day. So, feel free to have more than a half-cup of pasta at a meal, just be sure to count it as more than one serving. Also, try adding extra vegetables to the sauce, have a side salad or a small chicken breast along with the pasta. This will help you to fill up while keeping your pasta portions in check.

Where did you find this? Everything I've found says 2oz of uncooked pasta = 1 cup cooked. If this is right then I've been eating 2 servings and counting it as one.

2 ounces uncooked is approximately 1 cup cooked. That is 2 servings per the Food Guide Pyramid which uses 1 ounce dry or 1/2 cup cooked, but not necessarily per the manufacturer. The manufacturer may have listed 2 ounces dry or 1 cup cooked on the box as a serving because that is what they call a serving, not what the Food Guide calls a serving. As long as you record it based on the nutrition info for 2 ounces dry or 1 cup cooked, you've logged it correctly. Now, if you are trying to count your servings to make sure you are at the 6-11 servings of grains for the Food Guide, then you have to count a cup cooked pasta as 2 servings. Clear as mud? It's the sneaking food industry getting to set their own serving sizes on the package so that they can get us to eat more.

TeamLeela

http://www.nutritionwithamy.com/?p=129

here is the source of the article for those interested.

droppin_lbs

Great info!!

Bump

virginiagomes

TFS