Serving Size/Adding Recipes

neasy23
neasy23 Posts: 47
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone!

I have a question about adding recipes and figuring out how many servings are in it. Here is what I have done.... make my recipe, then measure it out in a big measuring bowl (figuring out how many cups) and make that the total amount of servings. It works fine, I just use an extra bowl and pouring from the pot to the bowl then back is a PITA. Any shortcuts you use?

Thanks!!

Replies

  • neasy23
    neasy23 Posts: 47
    bump :)
  • 16griffin
    16griffin Posts: 20
    bump :)
  • EmmaM2211
    EmmaM2211 Posts: 536 Member
    I guess. Most things I make are 3-4 servings. I do a spoonful onto my plate and a spoon into each of the 2/3 tupperware bowls I've got lined up and repeat until none left in the pan. Voila 3-4 even servings.

    We dont use cups here though. I guess if you weighed the pan before you began cooking then weighed it with all the food in you could work out how many grams and save yourself some washing up.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Depends what it is I'm making. If it's soup I know now that the total number of servings, i.e., bowls, I get from my soup saucepan is 5. i don't worry too much about differences in serving sizes because it can really only be an average calorie count anyway.

    If I'm making biscuits I just count the number of biscuits I put on the baking trays. Cakes from the round cake tin I use produce 16 slices, and things like cottage pie or lasagne I know will serve 4.

    When I'm dishing up the food I always make sure my husband gets the plate that looks biggest!
  • mcn79
    mcn79 Posts: 112 Member
    Neasy, I do the same thing you do. I actually determine a serving size based on what I want my calories to be....if that makes sense. On soups/chilis/stews, which we eat a lot of, it is usually between 1-2 cups for a serving. However, my bf eats WAY over a serving so really, I determine it for my calorie purposes only. I'm making white chicken chili in the crockpot today so when I get home I'll do the measuring cup to bowl thing and then I'll have a baseline for the future.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I make the recipe... set it as "one serving" and then add the amount I eat/can eat. (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc) until I hit the desired calories/amount I want to eat.

    :)

    Generally I go into it knowing I am making x amount of food and I can probably have x amount of it.
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
    I'm with the OP on this. It's a pain. Sometimes I'll make a skillet of turkey tacos, with beans and corn thrown in to stretch it out. If I have 3lbs of ground turkey, 1 lb of cooked beans, 1 lb of corn kernels (for the sake of example), the packet of powder, and maybe a jar of salsa, and a serving size is 2 tablespoons per taco, that's either a lot of guessing or a lot of work trying to measure out how many teaspoons are in 5 lbs of food.
  • mommyshortlegs
    mommyshortlegs Posts: 402 Member
    I follow the same method, then ensure I indicate the approximate yield on my recipe notes themselves, for future reference. Assuming I follow the recipe and use approximately the same quantity of ingredients with each repetition, the yield should be approximately the same each time, thus eliminating the need to measure yields every time.
  • neasy23
    neasy23 Posts: 47
    Good idea to mark it on the recipe card. Another reason to start a recipe binder for myself!

    I also like the one serving idea except that when I make soups/stews I make A LOT...so it would be hard to estimate eating like 1/20th of the total, kwim?

    I think the soups/stews/sauces are the biggest problem!
  • mommyshortlegs
    mommyshortlegs Posts: 402 Member
    Try freezing your soups/stews/sauces in several-portion sizes, e.g., 4 c./freezer-safe plastic bag.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I make the recipe... set it as "one serving" and then add the amount I eat/can eat. (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc) until I hit the desired calories/amount I want to eat.

    :)

    Generally I go into it knowing I am making x amount of food and I can probably have x amount of it.

    This is actually a really good idea.

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