I am so confused about pasta

morgaine108

So my husband cooked 8 oz by weight of dry pasta and cooked it. After cooking, it came out to 22 oz. He divided it by 4 and gave us each a 4th of what was cooked, taking a little out for my youngest who is only 4 and won't eat that much. He gives me a bowl of pasta that is basically completely full and I do not see how that much pasta is supposed to be one serving. I have looked it up on here and other places trying to figure this out. Every time we make pasta there is this argument (we are both on mfp) and he seems to think counting that huge amount of pasta as about 200 calories is right and I just don't see how that can be. Everyone talks about how pasta servings are so small, I just don't get it.

Ramberta

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

pixeldust

Depending on the type of pasta, 8oz dry would translate to 500-550 calories.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

No. Measure before cooking. Otherwise you're measuring the water it absorbed. Your standard box of pasta is 16 oz (before cooking it) and contains 8 servings. A serving is 2oz when dry.

bodiva88

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

No. Measure before cooking. Otherwise you're measuring the water it absorbed. Your standard box of pasta is 16 oz (before cooking it) and contains 8 servings. A serving is 2oz when dry.

THIS!

morgaine108

Depending on the type of pasta, 8oz dry would translate to 500-550 calories.

This is 8 oz of dry pasta for 4 people, so 2 oz dry for each person. When divided up after cooking, this was 5.5 oz per serving and pretty much filled an entire cereal bowl.

cmcollins001

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

How does adding hot water add calories?

katevarner

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

No. Measure before cooking. Otherwise you're measuring the water it absorbed. Your standard box of pasta is 16 oz (before cooking it) and contains 8 servings. A serving is 2oz when dry.

This. It's the same with rice. Water doesn't add calories, but it adds weight, so the only way to judge the calories is dry.

ETA: Not everyone eats his pasta the same way--some people eat it al dente, or a little tough without soaking up much water, others cook it to death, so it soaks up lots more water. Same with rice.

two_octopodes

This is 8 oz of dry pasta for 4 people, so 2 oz dry for each person. When divided up after cooking, this was 5.5 oz per serving and pretty much filled an entire cereal bowl.

Then you are doing it right. Each 2 oz dry serving is 200-210 calories (depending on brand), so 8 oz divided 4 ways is a 200ish calorie serving for each person. The cooking process/water does not add ANY calories.

charliedingus

i always go by dry ingredients. water has no calories.

Guamybear

I haven't really had pasta since I started MFP but I just learned something..

Ely82010

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

No. Measure before cooking. Otherwise you're measuring the water it absorbed. Your standard box of pasta is 16 oz (before cooking it) and contains 8 servings. A serving is 2oz when dry.

THIS!

I agree! I actually measure 1.5 oz of dry pasta for my husband and for me and add loads of cooked/steamed or sauted vegetables (specially zucchini and spinach) to the tomato or pastasauce. I eat less pasta and more veggies and for me this is a good thing.

BiggyFuzz

it's just added water so you want to measure before ... I eat mostly whole wheat pasta, had to get use to it but it's not bad at all

funkyspunky872

Measure dry with ounces.

Measure after cooking if you want to do it by the cup.

KeriW626

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

How does adding hot water add calories?

How do calories go down in cooked pop corn??? Isnt that kind of like rice, 1 cup raw = 2 cups cooked? and same with water how does water add calories??? scratching my head. OMG I know nothing about dieting... or food.

after much discussion with my hubby/ MFP, partner and we agree with :Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

roundtherink

The only way I get it right is to open the box, divide it to 7 equal portions (or however many it says the box contains) and then store them separately in Tupperware. It does take up a bit of room in my pantry, but at least this way I know I've measured correctly beforehand.

mmapags

A portion is 3 to 4 ounces per person for adults. 300 to 400 calories per serving. Pasta is 100 calories per ounce. You measure dry. The cooking adds no calories. You add calories for any sauce based on what that sauce is. I am a professional chef.

KeriW626

After reading all the comments, I think I will stick to cooked squash, ie: spegettie squash, butter nut squash, zucchini, steammed aldenti. ala rice.

loranch

I don't eat pasta often anymore, but I usually go by cup measurement after cooked.

cbaac03

You definitely want to measure out your pasta portions AFTER you cook it, not before. It plumps up and becomes quite more in volume than it is in the package. The same goes for popcorn, but in reverse-- the calories go down once the kernels are popped. Just measure out your portions based on the way you actually eat the food and you should be fine.

How does adding hot water add calories?

How do calories go down in cooked pop corn??? Isnt that kind of like rice, 1 cup raw = 2 cups cooked? and same with water how does water add calories??? scratching my head. OMG I know nothing about dieting... or food.

Cooking dry pasta causes it to absorb water resulting in, say, 2 oz of dry pasta to weigh 4 oz after cooking it. The numbers here aren't important (i don't know if it actually doubles or not). Just know that dry and cooked pasta weigh differently. Knowing this, you understand that weighing out 2 oz of dry pasta would not yield the same number of pasta noodles as 2 oz cooked would, because now you are weighing pasta+absorbed water. SO...basically, as with all food, weigh your food how you are gonna track it. With pasta I would recommend weighing dry with a scale to be most accurate.

The popcorn thing...if you weigh out one cup of unpopped popcorn kernels say you get like 75 kernels (again, actual numbers not correct or important). Now you cook the popcorn and you measure one cup of popped popcorn. You get like 15 pieces of popcorn or something...Get it?

Cooking food, without adding calories, does not change the calorie count of the food, it changes the weight of the food, which is why you should always weigh how you will track.

SoCalWoman

yeah the comparison to popcorn doesn't work.

Whole grain pasta (or any for that matter) you should just go by the dry amount. But seriously..whole grain pasta may take some time to get used to but has some amazing protein and fiber. Love it.

neanderthin

Depending on the type of pasta, 8oz dry would translate to 500-550 calories.

This is 8 oz of dry pasta for 4 people, so 2 oz dry for each person. When divided up after cooking, this was 5.5 oz per serving and pretty much filled an entire cereal bowl.

Those are normal servings (2 ounces) pasta absorbs water, water has no calories, your fine.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

You're better off eating tofu shirataki noodles 1 1/3 cup for 40 calories

SoCalWoman

You're better off eating tofu shirataki noodles 1 1/3 cup for 40 calories

blech

morgaine108

Already eat the whole grain pasta, made that switch many years ago. Just seems like so much, but I guess he is right.

eviltwinkie

You're better off eating tofu shirataki noodles 1 1/3 cup for 40 calories

Better off is relative. You have to enjoy what you're eating, or you won't stick with it. Shirataki isn't a variant of pasta. It's different. I think approaching yourself with 'wow, this is no calorie pasta' is setting yourself up for disappointment.

It's great filler, can be neutral in tone if you prepare it right, but it just isn't the same. Absolutely no comparison between a nice fresh pasta and shirataki, if you're into the pasta flavor.

That said, I eat more shirataki than pasta, to help control the carbs and calories. When I do eat pasta, it's usually a very specific indulgence anymore. I've been trying to turn having pasta into more of a 'treat' than a 'must have'.

Occasionally I hear the ghostly moans of dead, distressed Italian relatives by that food choice, but... *shrugs*.

If you see me staring longingly at a pile of fresh noodles, it's because I hear dead people.

neanderthin

Already eat the whole grain pasta, made that switch many years ago. Just seems like so much, but I guess he is right.

lol.........at least make your husband feel he's trying to help the situation.

ChristinaR720

I, too, was shocked by how much pasta was actually in one serving. If you feel the amount of pasta in one serving is too much, simply split your portion in half, and save one-half for another meal. I did this just this evening, and added a salad to help fill me up.

icimani

A portion is 3 to 4 ounces per person for adults. 300 to 400 calories per serving. Pasta is 100 calories per ounce. You measure dry. The cooking adds no calories. You add calories for any sauce based on what that sauce is. I am a professional chef.

THIS is why servings sizes have gotten so weird. The box will say 2 oz dry is a serving, which comes out to about 1 cup cooked depending on how you like it. But here's a chef saying that 3-4 oz dry is an adult serving in a restaurant.

Pasta is not all that bad for you (eaten in moderation of course) but here in America we've made it into a main dish, when most other countries use it as a side dish.

dena789

A portion is 3 to 4 ounces per person for adults. 300 to 400 calories per serving. Pasta is 100 calories per ounce. You measure dry. The cooking adds no calories. You add calories for any sauce based on what that sauce is. I am a professional chef.

THIS is why servings sizes have gotten so weird. The box will say 2 oz dry is a serving, which comes out to about 1 cup cooked depending on how you like it. But here's a chef saying that 3-4 oz dry is an adult serving in a restaurant.

Pasta is not all that bad for you (eaten in moderation of course) but here in America we've made it into a main dish, when most other countries use it as a side dish.

Yup - and its why so many of us think that a "normal" serving of pasta looks small. We have become so used to seeing the plate piled way too full. It's also possibly why we are all here trying to figure this all out now.

Here is my question though. In my home, there are 3 adults, a teenaged boy and a baby. When we cook spaghetti, we usually prepare 6 servings - one each for my daughter and I, 2 servings for each guy. Baby isn't eating it yet. Ok, so if we weigh it prior to cooking, how on earth do we easily know how much makes up one serving after its cooked? All we have been doing is measuring it out by the cup, one cup being one serving. Are we doing it right or not???

funkyspunky872

A portion is 3 to 4 ounces per person for adults. 300 to 400 calories per serving. Pasta is 100 calories per ounce. You measure dry. The cooking adds no calories. You add calories for any sauce based on what that sauce is. I am a professional chef.

THIS is why servings sizes have gotten so weird. The box will say 2 oz dry is a serving, which comes out to about 1 cup cooked depending on how you like it. But here's a chef saying that 3-4 oz dry is an adult serving in a restaurant.

Pasta is not all that bad for you (eaten in moderation of course) but here in America we've made it into a main dish, when most other countries use it as a side dish.

So 4oz of pasta is 450ish calories. Big freakin' deal. This average adult serving in a restaurant doesn't take into account your own dietary restrictions. Most adults maintaining a healthy weight would be able to eat meals up to a 1000 calories or more on a regular basis assuming that everything balances itself out through intuitive eating.