How do you measure meat and pasta?

musicoflife08
musicoflife08 Posts: 66
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
If a serving of chicken is 4 oz. does that mean, 4 oz. before it's cooked? Or after it's cooked? Same with pasta, should I measure 2 oz. of uncooked noodles or cooked noodles? What's the rule for measuring food?

Replies

  • deathtaco
    deathtaco Posts: 237
    Don't get too caught up on those minute details. 4oz of uncooked chicken may yield 3.5oz of cooked chicken, but the nutrients are still the same.

    But uncooked is generally what I use for everything. Remember, calorie values are rounded values and estimated. So a little slack in your servings will not make/break your diet. The big picture is what counts.
  • kdao
    kdao Posts: 265
    I measure everything (meats, veggies and rice) AFTER it is cooked with my digital food scale. Super easy!

    Deathtaco gives good advice though, it's better to be over than under.
  • Bridgetc140
    Bridgetc140 Posts: 405 Member
    Things such as oatmeal, pasta, rice...all meant to be measured dry.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    Most nutrition values are listed 'as packaged' (or raw) unless the nutrition info says differently. 2oz of raw noodles is a serving, but cooked weighs more like 4oz. Meat shrinks a little, but chicken not so much as beef. I weigh everything uncooked so I know I'm as close as possible. Hope this helps! :)
  • fitniknik
    fitniknik Posts: 713 Member
    I weigh before its cooked too. Yesterday my boyfriend made me a steak... ok it was burned to hell really but before cooked it was 1lb 2 oz after it was cooked it was like 12 oz... (we split it) so there was a significant diffrence there!
  • deathtaco
    deathtaco Posts: 237
    I weigh before its cooked too. Yesterday my boyfriend made me a steak... ok it was burned to hell really but before cooked it was

    I made meatballs. Accidentally left them in the oven for an hour instead of 20 minutes. Take about a reduction in size...and edibility :cry:
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 531 Member
    I tend to weigh everything before I cook it. Most things are different after they are cooked. The struggle I have is that I weigh it before I cook it, but then I am trying to portion it after it is cooked. I am cooking for a family, so I am not going to cook all my food seperately just to make sure I am maintaining the weighed portion size. If I tried to do that I would set myself up for failure, and never maintain that process. I figure that I am likely off a little in my guestimates of portions splitting the total by four. I think a little off either way isn't an issue and it is likely to balance out overall. I am just as likely to be a little under as over. Whatever I am doing, it seems to be working ok.
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 531 Member
    I tend to weigh everything before I cook it. Most things are different after they are cooked. The struggle I have is that I weigh it before I cook it, but then I am trying to portion it after it is cooked. I am cooking for a family, so I am not going to cook all my food seperately just to make sure I am maintaining the weighed portion size. If I tried to do that I would set myself up for failure, and never maintain that process. I figure that I am likely off a little in my guestimates of portions splitting the total by four. I think a little off either way isn't an issue and it is likely to balance out overall. I am just as likely to be a little under as over. Whatever I am doing, it seems to be working ok.
  • jillf16
    jillf16 Posts: 1 Member
    I try to use a deck of cards for meat and my hand for pasta when cooked.
  • amg413
    amg413 Posts: 1
    I am having this issue today...If I am on weight watchers and it's 3 points for 2 ounces....and I weighed it after it was cooked, what is my REAL point value?
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    As a hint I usually cook an entire box of something, and then split it into the number of serving sizes labelled on the box. For instance, a box of pasta usually yields 7-8 servings.
  • CashierCantin
    CashierCantin Posts: 206 Member
    Thank you for asking this. I was going to start this very thread!!!
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    I weigh pasta and other dry ingredients before AND after it is cooked. Cooked pasta will double in weight plus some. So a serving size mentioned on the box might actually weigh 4.5 ounces when cooked.

    I store the items in tupperware. I take a piece of blue "painters tape" and stick it on the lid of the container. I write the data on the tape with a sharpie pen so I don't forget. That way, I can pull it out. weigh it and get the proper serving size. I guess you could also keep notes.

    I'm American but I find weighing my food in grams is much easier sytem.
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