Figuring out serving sizes is making me want to break things

BoxingClever

I've been having problems figuring out serving sizes ever since I started tracking, so I bought a scale. I'm making tacos tonight, and I wanted to figure out the servings of all the ingredients.

The serving size for the shredded cheese is 1/4 cup (28g). Out of curiosity, I weighed out the 28g IN the 1/4 cup measuring cup. As you can see in the photo, it's heaping and falling all over the place because it will not fit in the cup. It actually FILLED the 1/2 cup measuring cup, which would mean 28g is TWICE AS MUCH cheese as 1/4 cup. Even squishing it down wouldn't get it to fit in the 1/4 cup.




So.....WHICH IS IT?? Which serving has 110 calories as the package states? Because obviously 28g has quite a few more calories than 1/4 cup. Why the hell can't they just make the serving sizes according to WEIGHT for everything that's not a liquid?? How the hell is anyone supposed to know how many calories they're consuming when the measurement system is so completely f**ked?? :explode:

OMG, this is beyond frustrating.

melsinct

It makes sense. A cup of flour doesn't weigh the same as a cup of sugar or a cup of shredded cheese. Shredded cheese is especially rough to measure by volume due to all of the space between the shreds.

This is why so many of us on MFP keep telling others to BUY A SCALE. :bigsmile: Volume measurements are pretty useless. Weight is where it's at!

JaimeBrown5

What she said.

Viva_Karina

I measure by weight also.

BoxingClever

But where are they even getting the 1/4 cup measurement from when they put the nutritional info on the package? Because obviously you cannot fit 28g into a 1/4 cup. I just want to know how many damn calories I'm eating. When the difference is literally TWICE AS MUCH between the 2 measurements, how do I know which they were using when they got the figure of 110 calories? Because if it was 1/4 cup, then I'm actually eating 220 calories if I go by the weight.

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to measure anything other than LIQUID in measuring cups? The nutritional info is required by law to be on the package, but what the hell good does it do when it's so inaccurate and confusing?

LuckyLeprechaun

I'm actually pretty excited to hear that. I may go buy a scale if it means I've been under-serving myself on cheeeeese!

LuckyLeprechaun

perhaps if the cheese wasn't shredded, it would have less surface area, and fit into the measuring cup. Maybe? IDK

erickirb

The 1/4 cup comes from the pre-shredded cheese. In other words if you had a hunk of cheese that would fit in a 1/4 cup before it is shredded it would weigh 28g.

rbbrrmqn

OK, not to sound silly, but did you zero out the weight of the cup itself? I do that but sometimes my scale goes wonky--I have to really watch that--could that be? Good luck

BoxingClever

I even tried squishing the cheese into the measuring cup (to get rid of the air between shreds) and it still wouldn't fit.

Anyway, bottom line is this: If I'm using the weight instead of the measuring cups measurement, I'm going to be eating considerably larger portions. I'd like to know if that means I'm also eating more calories. Is that a stupid question?

mallory3411

I always go by the scale and not the measuring cups when measuring things out that are not liquids. I find sometimes even measuring cups vary by brand and type in the amount they actually hold.

I only use measuring cups for baking now... My little kitchen scale has become by best friend!

BoxingClever

OK, not to sound silly, but did you zero out the weight of the cup itself? I do that but sometimes my scale goes wonky--I have to really watch that--could that be? Good luck

If I hadn't zeroed out the scale after putting the cup on it, it would have been over 28g before I even put any cheese in it.

janetteluparia

Weigh it.

easuess

Stick with the scale. It won't steer you wrong.

When it comes to counting calories for peanut butter, I'd be absolutely lost without it.

frugalmomsrock

OK, not to sound silly, but did you zero out the weight of the cup itself? I do that but sometimes my scale goes wonky--I have to really watch that--could that be? Good luck

If I hadn't zeroed out the scale after putting the cup on it, it would have been over 28g before I even put any cheese in it.

I'd do a weight with a sandwich baggy or something. If I use anything like a bowl or cup, my scale acts stupid. I just weigh an ounce of cheese (serving) on a piece of plastic wrap so that there's no weight added with the wrap.

jrich1

That seems off, we have measured both 28gs of cheese and a 1/4.. that for some reason looks like more than 1oz

GreekByMarriage

Hmmm... I measure out 7 grams of shredded cheese every single morning to go into my eggs... My scale has it as MUCH MUCH less then what your scale is showing!! Are you sure that your scale is correct? Maybe it is malfunctioning? I could easily fit 28 grams of shredded cheese in one of my 1/4 measuring cups.

luvmybaby333

I'm actually pretty excited to hear that. I may go buy a scale if it means I've been under-serving myself on cheeeeese!

Dude. This. For real.

Bentley2718

Who knows where they get the volume equivalents (which as you point out are quite often bizarre). In the U.S. the serving sizes (and hence nutritional facts) are based on weight by government standards--so go with the weight. The exception to this is liquids, which are measured by volume, but liquids are very easy to measure by volume so that isn't a problem.

ugw125

That is what I was thinking *.*

panduhburr

Oh..this makes me think I need a scale now. haha. Crap.

LuckyLeprechaun

Stick with the scale. It won't steer you wrong.

When it comes to counting calories for peanut butter, I'd be absolutely lost without it.

please elaborate. I use the "ping pong ball" size as a guide (for 2 tbsp), and eyeball it.

Bentley2718

I always go by the scale and not the measuring cups when measuring things out that are not liquids. I find sometimes even measuring cups vary by brand and type in the amount they actually hold.

I only use measuring cups for baking now... My little kitchen scale has become by best friend!

Baking is more accurate by weight as well, you just have to do the conversions, or buy cookbooks with weights.

ifarteditstinks

OK, not to sound silly, but did you zero out the weight of the cup itself? I do that but sometimes my scale goes wonky--I have to really watch that--could that be? Good luck

If I hadn't zeroed out the scale after putting the cup on it, it would have been over 28g before I even put any cheese in it.

3
agreed.

ak_in_ak

logicaly you will be eating more calories then before, but what you though you where eating won't change. i have the same scale, love it!

buckeye25osu

Slices of cheese I'm using are 19g and are 60 or 70 cals. So 28g is roughly a slice and a half which would be between 90 and 105 cals. Your shredded cheese is 110cals so thats in the ballpark.

BoxingClever

The 1/4 cup comes from the pre-shredded cheese. In other words if you had a hunk of cheese that would fit in a 1/4 cup before it is shredded it would weigh 28g.

This makes sense, but it doesn't make sense that they would then put that as the serving size on the SHREDDED cheese. A 1/4 cup of solid cheese is not the same as 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. So why would they use the same serving size? It seems like common sense to use WEIGHT for anything that's not a liquid.

Okay, I realize that my *****ing about it is ultimately pointless, but it just boggles my mind that whoever writes up the nutritional info actually thinks this is the best way to do it. :huh:

jujuwoome

Go by the grams not the container you are measuring it in.

PWanks

The weight would be the accurate measurement. They just "estimate" that 28g would be 1/4 cup. Go by the weight.

BoxingClever

Hmmm... I measure out 7 grams of shredded cheese every single morning to go into my eggs... My scale has it as MUCH MUCH less then what your scale is showing!! Are you sure that your scale is correct? Maybe it is malfunctioning? I could easily fit 28 grams of shredded cheese in one of my 1/4 measuring cups.

The scale is brand new, and while I realize that doesn't mean it can't be wrong, I have tested it with other things to make sure it's accurate and haven't had any problems at all.

elid

Anyway, bottom line is this: If I'm using the weight instead of the measuring cups measurement, I'm going to be eating considerably larger portions. I'd like to know if that means I'm also eating more calories. Is that a stupid question?

I don't think it's a stupid question. Here:

Let's say a serving size of something is 100 calories. They list it as 1/4 cup or 50 grams. If you measure by the cup, you get about 25 grams. So if you use the volume measurement alone, you're getting 50 calories. However, if you go by weight, it's a lot more than just 1/4 cup.

So to answer your question, if you go by weight in a case like I outlined, yes technically you'll start eating more calories, because while you were eating 50 before, now you'll be eating 100. However, your measurements will be more accurate, and you'll get to eat more food for what you were once counting as 100 calories.