so- the ONE thing about MFP that really bothers me...

EDesq

the way MFP measures food- It drives me absolutely nuts!!! I'm trying to enter a recipe- the recipe calls for CUPS, MFP only measure the ingredients in TABLESPOONS... or CUPS to OUNCES (that one I can usually figure out :smooched: ) or GRAMS to any other measurements!!!!

Not just recipes either- how about macaroni- all the enteries give you UNCOOKED measurement- I cook for a family- I don't just make one serving at a time- I have no idea how my now COOKED pasta measured before I cooked it- I'm serving it COOKED!!!

Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

I try to log in food, and end up searching the internet for the grams to ounces conversion!

Very frustrating....

End of rant!!!!

:flowerforyou:

Just keep YOUR conversion chart (Make One) near you when you enter. Also, 2 oz is 2 oz whether cooked or not...When You cook, look on Your package and get your info; as I said 2 oz is 2 oz cooked or not. If you cook 16 oz (1 lb ) (16 x 28grams)...Just do the math. This is no big deal, you are ranting nover nothing. Make your OWN Recipe entries for items. You are acting kinda Lazy. Eating Well takes a little effort.

RoughDiamondUK

the way MFP measures food- It drives me absolutely nuts!!! I'm trying to enter a recipe- the recipe calls for CUPS, MFP only measure the ingredients in TABLESPOONS... or CUPS to OUNCES (that one I can usually figure out :smooched: ) or GRAMS to any other measurements!!!!

Not just recipes either- how about macaroni- all the enteries give you UNCOOKED measurement- I cook for a family- I don't just make one serving at a time- I have no idea how my now COOKED pasta measured before I cooked it- I'm serving it COOKED!!!

Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

I try to log in food, and end up searching the internet for the grams to ounces conversion!

Very frustrating....

End of rant!!!!

:flowerforyou:

If you don't like how another MFP member entered data, then take the time to create an entry yourself with measurements the way you like them. Personally I'd love an option to never see entries measured only in cups -- they mean nothing to me!

stephaneb74

Time to ditch tps, tbs cups, oz, lbs etc..... and use weight in grams..... and liquids in L.... much more precise anyway.
And this way.... everybody on the same page and you will not be tempted to pack that cup just because you want more rice.....

scloyd

I have a refrigerator magnet that is a conversion chart. I use it often. It reads Cup = Fluid Oz. = TBSP = TSP = ml.

So 1 cup = 8 oz. = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 ml. It mwasures everything all the way down to 1/16 cup.

Amazon sells them for $7.56 link:
http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Endurance-Kitchen-Cooking-Measure/dp/B000QSKTOI

CarSidDar

1 cup = 8 oz. = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 ml.

I was beginning to be concerned when people were saying there were 28 tbsp in a cup and 3.5 in a quarter cup. The conversions quoted above are the correct ones.

Even if you don't know from school (ie not old enough to be taught miles, yards, rods, pecks, bushels, quarts, gallons, etc) a simple google search will tell you. So will a chart in the back of almost any good cookbook. Guessing when cooking leads to bad results.

carriem73

I only buy food with a barcode lol

I love this- I agree! Makes it so much easier!!!

rml_16

I made chocolate chip cookies and measure my 3/4 cup sugar out by the teaspoon. I think it took 28. LOL

Three teaspoons in a tablespoon, four tablespoons to a 1/4 cup.

rml_16

...

carriem73

the way MFP measures food- It drives me absolutely nuts!!! I'm trying to enter a recipe- the recipe calls for CUPS, MFP only measure the ingredients in TABLESPOONS... or CUPS to OUNCES (that one I can usually figure out :smooched: ) or GRAMS to any other measurements!!!!

Not just recipes either- how about macaroni- all the enteries give you UNCOOKED measurement- I cook for a family- I don't just make one serving at a time- I have no idea how my now COOKED pasta measured before I cooked it- I'm serving it COOKED!!!

Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

I try to log in food, and end up searching the internet for the grams to ounces conversion!

Very frustrating....

End of rant!!!!

:flowerforyou:

Just keep YOUR conversion chart (Make One) near you when you enter. Also, 2 oz is 2 oz whether cooked or not...When You cook, look on Your package and get your info; as I said 2 oz is 2 oz cooked or not. If you cook 16 oz (1 lb ) (16 x 28grams)...Just do the math. This is no big deal, you are ranting nover nothing. Make your OWN Recipe entries for items. You are acting kinda Lazy. Eating Well takes a little effort.

Did you miss the part where I said I search on the internet for the conversions? I'm not sure why you think I am being lazy.

Why would you (and several other responders) feel it is necessary to take a LIGHT HEARTED rant about something and turn it nasty?

NEGATIVE reponses are not needed- and frankly just wrong-

Not just on this topic, but on so many others- why must you get nasty to people when the orginal post was not meant to be nasty-

Nasty/Negative people need to get a life-

eriemer

I find it much more irritating that 20 people have entered different values for the same thing...

I found this is because brands package and sell in different areas also brands like to change recipes/nutrition information/serving size often so I always look for a food that matches name and nutrition. If there aren't many choices I might edit or add mine.

eriemer

Hint! Hint!

2 oz dry pasta is usually a cup of cooked pasta. Works great when trying to figure out spaggeti, penne, or other noodles.

roachhaley

Um, measure it before you cook? Makes it a lot easier to be accurate anyways...

april_beth

its irritating and it'll never change. it is worth the extra effort though to figure it out for yourself, for your meal and save it in recipes or if it's not a whole recipe just save it for you and then you will only ever have to go to "my foods" for the list of things you recently entered and it'll always be yours so it'll be your correct and not someone else's correct.

did that make sense? it's still early

rainunrefined

the way MFP measures food- It drives me absolutely nuts!!! I'm trying to enter a recipe- the recipe calls for CUPS, MFP only measure the ingredients in TABLESPOONS... or CUPS to OUNCES (that one I can usually figure out :smooched: ) or GRAMS to any other measurements!!!!

Not just recipes either- how about macaroni- all the enteries give you UNCOOKED measurement- I cook for a family- I don't just make one serving at a time- I have no idea how my now COOKED pasta measured before I cooked it- I'm serving it COOKED!!!

Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

I try to log in food, and end up searching the internet for the grams to ounces conversion!

Very frustrating....

End of rant!!!!

:flowerforyou:

When you measure pasta uncooked, you will have a better measurement. Once you cook it there is no telling how much water it absorbed. Measure out enough uncooked and the portion it out before you eat it. If you use 8 ounces (weigh it out in ounces or grams... using cups/tablespoons is just an estimate) of uncooked pasta for 4 servings. when it's cooked portion out 4 equal servings. If your ingredients aren't in the database how you want them to be, add them again with your measurements.

The easiest way to do this is use the recipe builder. Add everything in the dish for 4 servings, then portion in out and your calories will be correct. That is the most accurate way.

kellyhuble

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/convert/measurements.html

^ I have this bookmarked on my tabs. I hate it too, but I guess I cooked just enter in the new data as well. :P

PokerChris

Here's a pasta tip.

The pasta I've been eating since being on MFP is the farfalle (bowties). I measured out 2 oz. of dry pasta and it was 48 pieces for 200 calories. This makes it easy to count calories just by counting the actual number of noodles.

Evarell

I have a refrigerator magnet that is a conversion chart. I use it often. It reads Cup = Fluid Oz. = TBSP = TSP = ml.

So 1 cup = 8 oz. = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 ml. It mwasures everything all the way down to 1/16 cup.

Amazon sells them for $7.56 link:
http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Endurance-Kitchen-Cooking-Measure/dp/B000QSKTOI

Thanks, I just added this to my Amazon wish list.

autumnk921

As far as I understand, MFP is a community run data base... that means... "MFP" didn't enter those measurements... some OUT THERE DID! So you can too! Cook up one serving and MEASURE it... then put it in the data base... YOU can add the cooked noodles to the other pot when all of them are done... NOT much time wasted at all.... THEN you can make it public if you want to... add it to the data base.... JUST A THOUGH! :-)

This....Just add your own measurement in the database with cooked or non-cooked or cups, oz, tsps, whatever you use....Just make sure to click on the 'share with all MFP members' so others that use that can also use it. Thanks

carriem73

Here's a pasta tip.

The pasta I've been eating since being on MFP is the farfalle (bowties). I measured out 2 oz. of dry pasta and it was 48 pieces for 200 calories. This makes it easy to count calories just by counting the actual number of noodles.

love this! this may be the best response yet!

tigersword

Pasta and meat make me a little crazy with cooked vs uncooked weight.

ALWAYS use the uncooked weight. Too many variables when cooking. With meat especially, never know how much water is cooked out, different cooking methods react differently, there's just no way to tell with any accuracy what 4 ounces of raw meat will end up as. Could be 3.5 oz, could be 2 oz.

RedVelvetCurls

This really irritates me as well, I have to go the long way round and convert stuff, it can be quite time consuming when I'm working with a lot of ingredients!

neverstray

I find it much more irritating that 20 people have entered different values for the same thing...

When I see this, most of the time it's people not understanding what a serving is. I've had to add a lot of foods myself that are already in the database because they are just wrong and I don't know why. The label is right there and it says what it says, and none of the entries match it. I don't know WTH is going on with people. Lol.

Tennybird

I agree!

For example the other day I ate a muffin from a named store, it was listed in the database as grams. I was at the mall I have no clue how many grams is in a muffin. I like to look up the value of food before I actual eat it. I found the it eventual, but it took a little bit of work.

Also, I don't understand why people have to be mean. I like to follow a general rule in life....if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. There is a way to get your point across without being nasty!

tigersword

Yes. This irritates me as well. The first entry for homemade italian bread is in grams. I had to scroll down until I found one that was by the slice. But, people are right when they say you can always enter the measurements yourself by creating a new entry. I usually find another option that has an easier measurement, but if this is happening to you often, it's probably worth the little bit of effort. In the end, it's a free site, so we get what we pay for.

Just out of curiosity, how do you have any idea how big the slice of italian bread was in the listing, compared to your slice?