Spaghetti Serving size... need help ASAP

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rhonswan
rhonswan Posts: 26
in Food and Nutrition
Hey!

One thing I have never been good at is determining serving size. Does anyone know what is considered, by looking at it, a normal serving size of spaghetti? The box says 2 ounces, but no clue what that looks like when looking at a bowl of the yummy stuff!

Thanks!
Rhonda

Replies

  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    2 oz equals one cup
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    http://www.barillaus.com/Home/pages/Measuring_Pasta.aspx
  • Questfor250
    Questfor250 Posts: 155
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    No it doesn't. 2 ounces is 1/4 cup
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    Funny, the website I went today said for thin spaghetti 2 oz was 1 cup...I'll have to double check
  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,533 Member
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    I'm glad this was asked! Thank you mvI1014, that's super informative! I have a digital scale so I use that, but for out of town this will be a big help!
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    I just double checked and 2oz for thin spaghetti is 1 cup...thanks for the website
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
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    No it doesn't. 2 ounces is 1/4 cup
    2 ounces dry will generally be 1 cup after it's cooked.
  • astrosnider
    astrosnider Posts: 151 Member
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    Make a circle with your thumb and index finder that is about the same diameter as a quarter. Put enough long pasta, such as spaghetti or vermicelli into the space to fill the circle and you will have about two ounces of dry pasta. Two ounces of dry pasta yields about 1 cup of cooked pasta.
    Another way to do it is to take a whole 1-pound box of pasta and divide it in half. Put one half aside and then you will have 8 ounces to work with. Divide it into four equal parts and each part will be about two ounces.
    As you can see, two ounces is not a whole lot of pasta. It's very easy to consume 2 cups, or 4 ounces worth, instead of 1 cup if you aren't paying attention both when you are cooking and when you are eating it.
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
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    could you just weigh it? I seperated it by weight using 4 oz as a 1/2 cup and 8 oz as 1 cup and went from there...Not sure if that is right though
  • astrosnider
    astrosnider Posts: 151 Member
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    Answer to this mystery: Two ounces of dry spaghetti swells up to become 1 cup of cooked spaghetti once you add the dry to the boiling water.
  • tjjennifer
    tjjennifer Posts: 9
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    I use a digital scale, but thanks for the website mvl1014.
  • sk2010
    sk2010 Posts: 17 Member
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    nice link - thanks!
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    glad everyone found it useful!

    To be honest I bookmarked like a week ago when someone else posted it. I don't remember who it was, but all credit to them: thank you!
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
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    I have one of those circle measuring thingys for pasta. After it is cooked, I still measure out 1 cup worth of pasta. After 2 years of this lifestyle change, I can eye ball a lot of portion sizes, EXCEPT pasta. Thus I still measure each and every time. I very rarely ever order pasta out at a restaurant because: 1]they never have whole wheat/grain pasta as a choice, 2] It is too easy to cook at home.
  • Questfor250
    Questfor250 Posts: 155
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    No it doesn't. 2 ounces is 1/4 cup

    Yup I get the Duh award for the day. Must have been brain freeze from all those Losing for Life Challenger reports. Thanks Ann for clearing all this up for us.
  • Meerpka
    Meerpka Posts: 20
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    The box says 2 oz, is it for dry? Also, I weigh it and cooked it and it more than a cup...
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    The box says 2oz for a serving. This is a dry measurement, and it's by weight -- not volume. Two weighed ounces of dry pasta. How this cooks up will usually be about one cup, but it frankly varies by cooking method, brand of pasta, etc. Better to weigh your dry pasta at the outset for precision.
  • Pirate_chick
    Pirate_chick Posts: 1,216 Member
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    2oz dry is apx 4oz cooked. (I think) That's what I have been doing anyway. I googled it once and hope I got the right information. :laugh:
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    2oz dry is apx 4oz cooked. (I think) That's what I have been doing anyway. I googled it once and hope I got the right information. :laugh:

    This is correct. I weighed it dry and cooked because I REALLY wanted to know.

    I gave up trying to guess cups etc, and just weigh it out using scales. Seems pasta is really difficult to learn portion sizes by sight.
  • sunnyhlw77
    sunnyhlw77 Posts: 204 Member
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    I just learned something! Thanks! :smile:

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