How to properly measure rice, couscous, lentils, etc

rh091
rh091 Posts: 100 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When measuring the amount of rice, couscous, lentils or any food that increases in volume after cooking, at what stage should it be measued at? Before its cooked or after? One cup measured of dry rice almost doubles when cooked. Are the calories and nutritional info on the package generllly for cooked or dry? I know that adding water, which is what happens when its cooked doesn't add extra calories, but the quantity changes so Im confused about that.

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • thadeous
    thadeous Posts: 7
    Pre-cooking, and by weight instead of volume.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Measure these foods before cooking.
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    I measure EVERYTHING in raw form.
  • CarynMacD
    CarynMacD Posts: 230
    I'm so glad you posted about this?

    Does the same apply to popcorn? Weigh it before popping?
  • Phildog47
    Phildog47 Posts: 255 Member
    dry, and in grams... not cups. Problem happens when you cook for multiple people. If you measure what you're putting in the pot, then measure your cooked amount, realizing that it is 1/4 of the total... then do the math. In other words, it's not rocket science, but guesstimating.
  • rachelrb85
    rachelrb85 Posts: 579 Member
    I measure EVERYTHING in raw form.

    flirty.gif
  • Phildog47
    Phildog47 Posts: 255 Member
    I'm so glad you posted about this?

    Does the same apply to popcorn? Weigh it before popping?

    What a nice photo, Caryn. I just popped a kernel. :embarassed:
  • PowerfulHunt
    PowerfulHunt Posts: 281 Member
    And what about chicken? Opposite problem, it weighs LESS after cooking... so weigh before or after?
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    I measure EVERYTHING in raw form.

    flirty.gif

    :flowerforyou: :blushing:
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    And what about chicken? Opposite problem, it weighs LESS after cooking... so weigh before or after?

    For meats, I always use the heavier weight of the pre-cooked item.
  • CarynMacD
    CarynMacD Posts: 230
    So does that mean that the database values on MFP for say, 1 cup popcorn = x amount of calories is that 1 cup of dry popcorn?
  • CarynMacD
    CarynMacD Posts: 230
    I'm so glad you posted about this?

    Does the same apply to popcorn? Weigh it before popping?

    What a nice photo, Caryn. I just popped a kernel. :embarassed:

    Any friend of Kari's is a friend of mine :-)
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
    Thank-you! Very helpful! I just bought a kitchen scale so will be able to have confidence in accurately tracking my lentils now!
  • Phildog47
    Phildog47 Posts: 255 Member
    one cup of dry popcorn would fill a room! :laugh:
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    Alot of times, on things like pasta and rice, the measurement on the box states serving size for both raw and cooked.
  • Unknown
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  • CarynMacD
    CarynMacD Posts: 230
    one cup of dry popcorn would fill a room! :laugh:

    Best I go and fix my food diary then.... for saturday (I think it was) I put down that I had 5 x cups of popcorn! :bigsmile:
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    So does that mean that the database values on MFP for say, 1 cup popcorn = x amount of calories is that 1 cup of dry popcorn?

    I'd go with what the label on the popcorn says if possible, the database can be confusing and is plain wrong once in a while.
  • Linovitz
    Linovitz Posts: 79 Member
    It would be great if popcorn was measured BEFORE popping, but I can't believe that is correct. One cup of unpopped popcorn would produce a huge amount of end product. I would appreciate clarifiction on this matter.

    Also, had same question on chicken/meat - weigh before cooking or after?
  • Kari121869
    Kari121869 Posts: 180 Member
    I'm so glad you posted about this?

    Does the same apply to popcorn? Weigh it before popping?

    What a nice photo, Caryn. I just popped a kernel. :embarassed:

    Any friend of Kari's is a friend of mine :-)


    AWWW I feel so speeeeeeeeeeecciiall lol
  • Kari121869
    Kari121869 Posts: 180 Member
    one cup of dry popcorn would fill a room! :laugh:

    Best I go and fix my food diary then.... for saturday (I think it was) I put down that I had 5 x cups of popcorn! :bigsmile:


    Caryn,
    I actually measure my popcorn both ways... if I'm popping it at home I measure the kernals - if it comes already popped (like skinnypop popcorn in a bag) I measure it as it is... popped...
    When I measure kernal I use a measuring cup - usually 3/4 cups of kernals is more than enough.. :)
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
    Measure these foods before cooking.

    This isn't practical if you are cooking for more than one - I cook a big pot of pasta for the family, and can't really segregate what my portion will be in advance. From what I understand pasta essentially doubles and rice triples in weight from the water it soaks up during cooking.
  • joyfylgrl
    joyfylgrl Posts: 14
    Alot of times, on things like pasta and rice, the measurement on the box states serving size for both raw and cooked.

    This would be why I just go by box on cooked form when cooking for the whole family ;) So much easier!!!!!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Measure these foods before cooking.

    This isn't practical if you are cooking for more than one - I cook a big pot of pasta for the family, and can't really segregate what my portion will be in advance. From what I understand pasta essentially doubles and rice triples in weight from the water it soaks up during cooking.

    Partially this...I can't cook for just me...and not my husband and son...nor will I use two pots.

    If you can weight raw...if you can't choose the correct entry...
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    The nutrition facts listed on all labels refer to uncooked weights.

    Example, see the nutrition facts for Jasmine Rice:
    White_Jasmine_Nutrition.gif

    Note: You should really weigh these items, especially since they’re calorically dense. A level, sparse, and heaping cup are likely going to vary by a significant number of calories.

    As for the popcorn question, most labels look like this:

    popcornlabelblue-Small.jpg

    What I do is pop the bag then pull out and weigh all of the unpopped kernels. So, based on the above label, 39 grams of (unpopped) kernels per serving, 2 servings per bag, which means the front of the bag should say 78 grams of popcorn. The whole bag is 130 cals * 2 = 260 calories. So let's say that 5 grams of popcorn didn't pop (because I pick out the kernels and weigh them). That means I'm going to eat (78 g - 5 g) = 73 g / 78 g = .935 of the whole bag: 241 calories. Usually you have the option of picking "Whole Bag" for serving size in MFP. I usually do portions of the whole bag. Or, since there are 2 servings, you could multiply that number by 2 to get 1.87 servings.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    The nutrition facts listed on all labels refer to uncooked weights.

    Example, see the nutrition facts for Jasmine Rice:

    Note: You should really weigh these items, especially since they’re calorically dense. A level, sparse, and heaping cup are likely going to vary by a significant number of calories.

    As for the popcorn question, most labels look like this:

    What I do is pop the bag then pull out and weigh all of the unpopped kernels. So, based on the above label, 39 grams of (unpopped) kernels per serving, 2 servings per bag, which means the front of the bag should say 78 grams of popcorn. The whole bag is 130 cals * 2 = 260 calories. So let's say that 5 grams of popcorn didn't pop (because I pick out the kernels and weigh them). That means I'm going to eat (78 g - 5 g) = 73 g / 78 g = .935 of the whole bag: 241 calories. Usually you have the option of picking "Whole Bag" for serving size in MFP. I usually do portions of the whole bag. Or, since there are 2 servings, you could multiply that number by 2 to get 1.87 servings.

    ^^^This could not have said it any better.! :smile:

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