Servings measured in Cups?

mooshelk
mooshelk Posts: 2
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
I just have to ask why are the majority of foods in the database measured in cups?
Is it an American thing? I just don't get it.
Seriously, if you were having a steak would you put it in a cup to measure it, i think not.
:ohwell:

Replies

  • Jenny_MSW
    Jenny_MSW Posts: 109 Member
    I don't get it either... I wish it were by weight
  • TraceyDonna
    TraceyDonna Posts: 60 Member
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.
  • Aid_B
    Aid_B Posts: 427
    You can buy measuring cups from Asda for about £2.50

    It's how they measure stuff across the water
  • pagham
    pagham Posts: 29
    I don't know about America but in Australia a cup measurement is 250ml. Fine for liquids and things like sugar and flour, but a nuisance with things like vegetables and meat I agree. Sometimes I have to chose another item similar further down the list which may have different measurements included.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I challenge you to find an entry for a cup of steak. Don't be ridiculous.

    Measurements are in cups because that's how users entered them. I don't know what's wrong with the rest of the world, but here in the US it's easy to put corn or mashed potatoes into a cup. But if you don't like the user-created foods, please feel free to ignore them.
  • Jennalynn1765
    Jennalynn1765 Posts: 13 Member
    Yeah its an American thing : )

    1 cup = 8oz
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.

    1 cup is 8oz. We use different measuring cups for fluids and dry items given the difference in volume. So if you see measurements in cups just think of it in terms of ounces if that makes more sense to you.
  • gtfcnat
    gtfcnat Posts: 199
    1 cup [US] = 236.588 236 5 milliliter (apparently) http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.

    A cup is a standard measure, It is equivalent to about 250ml or 8 fluid ounces.
  • AmandaBroun
    AmandaBroun Posts: 126
    Damn us and our slow uptake of the metric system.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    Yeah its an American thing : )

    1 cup = 8oz

    We use Cup measures in Canada as well.
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    I don't know what's wrong with the rest of the world, but here in the US it's easy to put corn or mashed potatoes into a cup.

    Holy ethnocentrism....:huh:
  • Maximus0005
    Maximus0005 Posts: 85 Member
    I just have to ask why are the majority of foods in the database measured in cups?
    Is it an American thing? I just don't get it.
    Seriously, if you were having a steak would you put it in a cup to measure it, i think not.
    :ohwell:

    Well cups are usually measured for things that are measurable with cups like liquids or rice.

    Generally solids like steak are measured my weight. I think the typical measurement is like 4 or 6 oz.

    unless of course we are talking about liquid steak or a blended meat shake :sick:
  • sunnyday789
    sunnyday789 Posts: 309 Member
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.

    1 cup is 8oz. We use different measuring cups for fluids and dry items given the difference in volume. So if you see measurements in cups just think of it in terms of ounces if that makes more sense to you.
    This is ok for fluids but I don't think an 8 oz steak is the same as 1 cup of steak. (never have cut my steak up and put it in a cup)
  • AmandaBroun
    AmandaBroun Posts: 126
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.

    1 cup is 8oz. We use different measuring cups for fluids and dry items given the difference in volume. So if you see measurements in cups just think of it in terms of ounces if that makes more sense to you.
    This is ok for fluids but I don't think an 8 oz steak is the same as 1 cup of steak. (never have cut my steak up and put it in a cup)

    Yeeeah ... in the US measurement system, there's ounces of weight and liquid/volume ounces. It's seriously f*cked.
  • elcieloesazul
    elcieloesazul Posts: 448 Member
    I'm an American, and I can tell you that the metric system makes WAY more sense to me than the empirical system. :blushing:
  • beckys19
    beckys19 Posts: 119 Member
    Even though I'm in the US I don't measure by the cup (aside from liquids)- I get out my scale, it is way more accurate. This site http://nutritiondata.self.com/
    gives nutritional data by the 100g, ounce, and typical serving size(s). If I can't find a variation of the food on MFP that lists how many grams per serving I go to the site above and create an entry in MFP to specify weight.

    Hope this helps!
  • mama_beth
    mama_beth Posts: 23
    It's the same here too.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I haven't seen steak measured in cups LOL Now I want to find that.
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    Yes!!! And whats a cup?? is it a big cup, is it a teeny cup. Im baffled too.

    1 cup is 8oz. We use different measuring cups for fluids and dry items given the difference in volume. So if you see measurements in cups just think of it in terms of ounces if that makes more sense to you.
    steak is the same as 1 cup of steak. (never have cut my steak up and put it in a cup)


    Well yeah when I said dry items I meant pasta, rice, nuts, etc...I wouldn't cut up steak and put it in a cup, that's dumb. I have however shredded chicken and measured it in a cup before adding it to a recipe.
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