Why I needed a kitchen scale!

natwen
natwen Posts: 81
in Health and Weight Loss
I just got my kitchen scale about 10 minutes ago (so excited!). This is one serving of Cascadian Farms organic cinnamon crunch cereal. The box says 1 cup (27 grams). Weight trumps volume, so this is what I should have been eating all along, when in the past I just fill the cup to the brim. Amazing what a difference this could mean for how fast I lose weight if I always use measuring cups. This is why I needed a kitchen scale!!!


cup.jpg
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Replies

  • Jonahisout
    Jonahisout Posts: 31
    Also make sure to tare the cup, so that you dont take the weight of the measuring cup into account ;)

    Happy Trails!
  • wtfusernameisnttaken
    wtfusernameisnttaken Posts: 192
    Also make sure to tare the cup, so that you dont take the weight of the measuring cup into account ;)

    Happy Trails!

    ^^ This - I was totally about to say, don't forget to weight the cup to make sure you're not taking it's weight into account.
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
    Also make sure to tare the cup, so that you dont take the weight of the measuring cup into account ;)
  • natwen
    natwen Posts: 81
    I did!!
    The cup itself weighs 29 grams.

    Also make sure to tare the cup, so that you dont take the weight of the measuring cup into account ;)
  • kneubee7
    kneubee7 Posts: 47 Member
    We use our kitchen scale for everything we eat! It's so easy to measure food, way easier and accurate than using measuring cups! Now if i just had a small portable scale that would fit in my purse... ;)
  • BrieLP
    BrieLP Posts: 300 Member
    I just got my kitchen scale about 10 minutes ago (so excited!). This is one serving of Cascadian Farms organic cinnamon crunch cereal. The box says 1 cup (27 grams). Weight trumps volume, so this is what I should have been eating all along, when in the past I just fill the cup to the brim. Amazing what a difference this could mean for how fast I lose weight if I always use measuring cups. This is why I needed a kitchen scale!!!


    cup.jpg

    WOW, i really want a digital scale, i have a cheap "dial" scale, but it works!
  • AndreaL0918
    AndreaL0918 Posts: 47 Member
    That's not good news, but very informative....I thought the same, fill cereal to the brim of 1 cup...yikes!!! Sad day =( I use my scale for everything also however when something said 1 cup, I got out the measuring cup. I'm going to go wish I could forget this now. LOL ;o)
  • 916lude
    916lude Posts: 305
    Definitely! Purchasing a food scale proved to be one of the most useful tools when I was shedding my last 10lbs. Realized I sucked bad at eyeballing oz of chicken I was consuming lol
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
    Cheer up! Not everything will be less by weight. I've found that some cereals and chips you actually get more product by weight. And it's especially true with things like cream cheese and hummus. :)
  • natwen
    natwen Posts: 81
    That's not good news, but very informative....I thought the same, fill cereal to the brim of 1 cup...yikes!!! Sad day =( I use my scale for everything also however when something said 1 cup, I got out the measuring cup. I'm going to go wish I could forget this now. LOL ;o)

    Hehe, yeah I know I wish I could forget this too. I guess I could have gone on living in bliss using my measuring cups, but deep down inside I knew it wasn't right. :P
  • natwen
    natwen Posts: 81
    Definitely! Purchasing a food scale proved to be one of the most useful tools when I was shedding my last 10lbs. Realized I sucked bad at eyeballing oz of chicken I was consuming lol

    I have been wondering about chicken. Should I measure raw chicken on the scale or cooked chicken? Which MFP chicken listing do you use when its skinless/boneless breast? There are so many...
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    I think you will find this video very interesting....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Nice.
    I just bought a kitchen scale on groupon.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I agree. I have the same issue with m cocoa pebbles (LOL, yes a healthy choice). 3/4 of a cup weighed about 8 grams more than it was supposed to. Not nearly as much off as yours was though!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I used to sell things online all the time, so I have a postal scale that I now use for food measurements. I know, that isn't what it was intended for, but it is accurate.

    My husband bought his "kitchen" scale at a hardware store, designed for use by people who do machinist work. I tested the two against each other for accuracy, and my $15 postal scale is just as accurate as his $40 machinist scale. Whatever works.

    As long as your measurements are accurate, that is all that really matters. :smile:
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    I just got my kitchen scale about 10 minutes ago (so excited!). This is one serving of Cascadian Farms organic cinnamon crunch cereal. The box says 1 cup (27 grams). Weight trumps volume, so this is what I should have been eating all along, when in the past I just fill the cup to the brim. Amazing what a difference this could mean for how fast I lose weight if I always use measuring cups. This is why I needed a kitchen scale!!!


    Yes, I have learned that the only thing that a measuring cup should be used for is liquid measures. Whenever it's a solid, I weigh. Sometimes I get more, sometimes less--but at least it's accurate.
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
    We use our kitchen scale for everything we eat! It's so easy to measure food, way easier and accurate than using measuring cups! Now if i just had a small portable scale that would fit in my purse... ;)

    ^^THIS^^ !!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Solid foods should be weighed and liquids measured in order to get accurate measurements.
  • runnermel
    runnermel Posts: 278
    okay, so I need a kichen scale it sounds like. what is the best/cheapest one and where do I get it? and I live in a very small town. so walmart or online are my choices.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    What kind of scale is this?
  • tbskipp
    tbskipp Posts: 180 Member
    Guess i'll be weighing my Kashi GoLean in the morning. *Sigh...* I have been using the cup also. I do have a small cheap dial scale that i use a lot. Hoping to upgrade to a digital one soon. One that will hold more.

    I was amazed when i started weighing. That 2 oz of cooked pasta isn't squat!! :noway:
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    okay, so I need a kichen scale it sounds like. what is the best/cheapest one and where do I get it? and I live in a very small town. so walmart or online are my choices.

    I got mine at walmart. It's in the Kitchen/housewares section.
  • surfer376
    surfer376 Posts: 1 Member
    We use our kitchen scale for everything we eat! It's so easy to measure food, way easier and accurate than using measuring cups! Now if i just had a small portable scale that would fit in my purse... ;)

    This might work for you knuebee, amazon sells it for 10 dollars cheaper :happy:

    http://www.escali.com/pico-high-capacity-pocket-scale
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    I used to sell things online all the time, so I have a postal scale that I now use for food measurements. I know, that isn't what it was intended for, but it is accurate.

    My husband bought his "kitchen" scale at a hardware store, designed for use by people who do machinist work. I tested the two against each other for accuracy, and my $15 postal scale is just as accurate as his $40 machinist scale. Whatever works.

    As long as your measurements are accurate, that is all that really matters. :smile:

    When I'm at work- I use the postal scale to measure out my stuff. Grab a dixie cup, subtract the wgt for the tare and have at it. lol
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    Guess i'll be weighing my Kashi GoLean in the morning. *Sigh...* I have been using the cup also. I do have a small cheap dial scale that i use a lot. Hoping to upgrade to a digital one soon. One that will hold more.

    I was amazed when i started weighing. That 2 oz of cooked pasta isn't squat!! :noway:

    You're supposed to weigh pasta dry. :blushing: :bigsmile:
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    Just search on Amazon for digital kitchen scales and you'll find lots of them under $30. Make sure they have a tare button and can go ounces and grams. You'll be set.
  • kaymarie78
    kaymarie78 Posts: 104
    I used to sell things online all the time, so I have a postal scale that I now use for food measurements. I know, that isn't what it was intended for, but it is accurate.

    My husband bought his "kitchen" scale at a hardware store, designed for use by people who do machinist work. I tested the two against each other for accuracy, and my $15 postal scale is just as accurate as his $40 machinist scale. Whatever works.

    As long as your measurements are accurate, that is all that really matters. :smile:

    Glad to see I'm not the only one that uses a postal scale lol!
  • ritasice21
    ritasice21 Posts: 200 Member
    To the person asking about chicken in the database, look for entries with no *. It will tell you if it is listed as cooked or raw, and is USDA stats.

    Amazon does sell a great little portable scale the size of an iphone if you travel a lot, and it is about $12.
  • Esther50
    Esther50 Posts: 252
    I so need to get me one.
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
    A kitchen scale has made all the difference in my eating habits. I finally know exactly what a serving is.

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