Calculating ground beef (or meat in general)

Phoenixflame

Ok...I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it anywhere.

I got 4 ounces of 96/4 ground beef from Whole Foods. I cooked it with a bit of 0-calorie oil spray and some Meat Magic. After it was done, I weighed it again. It weighed 2.6 ounces.

Do I count it as 2.6 or 4.0? On MFP, say, I find the entry for Kroger 96/4 ground beef. Under the 4 oz option, it says 150 calories. Do I use this, or enter in 2.6 oz? Is the MFP entry counting the calories of the meat prior to shrinkage or after?

Phoenixflame

Ok...I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it anywhere.

I got 4 ounces of 96/4 ground beef from Whole Foods. I cooked it with a bit of 0-calorie oil spray and some Meat Magic. After it was done, I weighed it again. It weighed 2.6 ounces.

Do I count it as 2.6 or 4.0? On MFP, say, I find the entry for Kroger 96/4 ground beef. Under the 4 oz option, it says 150 calories. Do I use this, or enter in 2.6 oz? Is the MFP entry counting the calories of the meat prior to shrinkage or after?

manny1m

I always count after cooking. So What I'm saying is weigh the 4 oz. after it is cookd. Also try this website www.nutritiondata.com. I cook alot so it's hard to calculate my calorie, fat, carb and protien intake. This website allows you to inout the recipe and the calculates the amounts amounts according to the portions you consume. I hope this helps.

mikmur

You should calculate it as the pre-cooked weight.

I also buy the 96/4 beef, and the label says 4 oz. of pre-cooked beef is 150 calories.

arewethereyet

I dont know....I think if the beef is 2.5 oz after you cook it, then there must be something left in the pan. If there is grease or juice, then that is part of the calories, right??

I have never really thought about it and wonder now if I have been cheating myself of calories. I am on minimum of 1200 and that can get rough...

Thanks for making me think

pettmybunny

I always count it as precooked weight. I figure if you make a quarter pound burger, it's a quarter pound precooked. I think that's why when you punch in some things (like broiled chicken breast) the serving size is 3 oz, precooked, probably 4, cooked about 3... Maybe I'm just deluding myself, but that's the way I figure it.

keiko

I would think precooked weight. Otherwise we would have to weigh everything after cooking then we'd be weighing/measuring twice.

wildkitty505

I assume that the nutritional information on an item is for the item "as is". So ground beef/turkey/chicken would be weighed before cooking.

Could be wrong but at least you're erring on the side of eating too little rather than too much!

SherryRH

I always count my meat precooked for calories.

astridfeline

I go for the pre-cooked calories--as others said, the package label is for the "as-is" item.

Phoenixflame

So I should just weigh it before I throw it in the pan, count those calories, and ignore shrinkage?

chipper15173

i am different. i had learned in weight watchers years ago that you count after cooking. DH and i discussed this the other day. he agrees why count before cooking when after cooking it has lost the water and fat. you are going to eat it raw.
i guess this is one of those "do what suits you and makes it easier for you". just like "do i or don't i eat all or some or none of my exercise calories".

crystal_sapphire

i am different. i had learned in weight watchers years ago that you count after cooking. DH and i discussed this the other day. he agrees why count before cooking when after cooking it has lost the water and fat. you are going to eat it raw.
i guess this is one of those "do what suits you and makes it easier for you". just like "do i or don't i eat all or some or none of my exercise calories".

yeah i agree with you. i weigh it after it's been cooked.