measuring cup vs. food scale

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emilyhbroyles
emilyhbroyles Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
It seems like the size of measuring cups tends to vary depending on what brand you buy, so I decided to buy a food scale. Nothing fancy, just the digital one from Wal-mart for 20 bucks. However, it seems like I'm eating a lot more food than what I was eating whenever I just used the measuring cups. 8 ounces on the food scale is a lot more than what 8 ounces is in a measuring cup. This may be a dumb question, but which one should I trust, the measuring cups or the food scale? And Thanks for any advice you guys can give me.
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Replies

  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    food scale. It's more accurate.
  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
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    interesting... i use measuring cups to measure my food and i would like to know this as well bc ive been considering switching to a scale
  • SillySkittles
    SillySkittles Posts: 202 Member
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    I would definitely go with the scale. Depending on what type of food you're measuring, 8 oz in a measuring cup probably might not be 8 oz (if it's things that are chopped up or bulky...like grapes or almonds, etc., they leave a lot of empty space) thereby, it's not really 8 oz, it just takes up 8 oz of space...However, if you were measuring liquid or something very fine like flour or sugar...8 oz in a measuring cup should be the same as measured out on a scale...

    I'm not much of an expert, so if anyone needs to correct me definitely feel free...it just seems to make sense to me that way...
  • bigpaparome
    bigpaparome Posts: 2
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    An ounce can be either a measure of volume or a measure or weight. The measuring cup measures by volume, whereas the scale goes by weight. As such, 8 fl. ounces as measured by a cup has no relation to 8 ounces as weighed by the scale.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    You are comparing things that are not comparable. It's apples and oranges. 16 ounces in a measuring cup in fluid ounces. 16 ounces on a scale is weight no fluid. 16 ounces of fluid can weigh different amounts depending on density. For example a cup/ 8 ounces of ice cream will weigh more than a cup/ 8 ounces of water.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    There's a difference between 8 fluid ounces (measuring cup) = volume and 8 oz on a scale (= weight). Figure out which one from the database you are using, and measure or weigh accordingly.
  • Flowers4Julia
    Flowers4Julia Posts: 521 Member
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    Definitely the scale for my opinion.

    ....The way I see it in my mind...you could fill a one cup measure with any food.. you could loosely pack the cup or you could cram as much in there as you could squish it in.

    Or you could weigh it out

    That would be a good experiment !

    I only log measuring cup portions when I've gone out to a restaurant and have to guess.

    :drinker:
  • johnieC
    johnieC Posts: 38
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    i use a 1/2c & a 1c measuring cup for things like rice, vegetables, sauces etc. but scales for everything else
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
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    Trust the food scale - it is far more accurate.

    Cups measure volume where as scales measure weight. A cup of flour and a cup of butter do not weigh the same amount. 100g of flour and 100g of butter does not take up the same amount of volume or space.

    for example:
    1 cup of flour: 125g
    1 cup of butter : 250g
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 558 Member
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    Liquids in a measuring cup. Dry foods on a scale.
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
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    You are comparing things that are not comparable. It's apples and oranges. 16 ounces in a measuring cup in fluid ounces. 16 ounces on a scale is weight no fluid. 16 ounces of fluid can weigh different amounts depending on density. For example a cup/ 8 ounces of ice cream will weigh more than a cup/ 8 ounces of water.
    i think the op is talking about measuring 1 cup, 1\2 cup, 1/3 cup
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    It seems like the size of measuring cups tends to vary depending on what brand you buy, so I decided to buy a food scale. Nothing fancy, just the digital one from Wal-mart for 20 bucks. However, it seems like I'm eating a lot more food than what I was eating whenever I just used the measuring cups. 8 ounces on the food scale is a lot more than what 8 ounces is in a measuring cup. This may be a dumb question, but which one should I trust, the measuring cups or the food scale? And Thanks for any advice you guys can give me.

    Eight ounces in a measuring cup ONLY applies to liquids, never solids, which will vary in weight depending on their mass. Eight ounces of grapes is probably not one cup, for example.

    A food scale is always more accurate, but measuring cups are OK to get pretty close.
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
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    I use measuring cups and a food scale.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    As people have said, a measuring cup is in fluid ounces. They will not vary, because a cup is a cup. How you use the measuring cup will however. For example if you pack vs. not pack flour you will get a big difference in quantity.
  • emilyhbroyles
    emilyhbroyles Posts: 9
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    Thank you. I knew that there was something to it like that (Volume vs Weight), but I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I've never been great shakes at math. Thanks for all your responses. I'm glad I asked, because I've been inadverently starving myself because I wasn't measuring correctly. I knew I felt hungry!!! haha.:laugh:
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I go with my food scale.
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
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    i'd say food scale...this pattern you're seeing is atypical of what most people see. odd indeed!
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    There is a difference between dry food cups and liquid cups. I have a food scale too. They rock!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    One is weight and one is volume. Both are great tools but are needed at different times. For example for 8oz of noodles you'd want a scale (although since I am a cheapskate I use measuring cups and I am sure that is hurting me somewhere lol) but for say milk you'd want the cups. :flowerforyou:
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Fluid ounces and ounces by weight are apples and oranges. Two different things. Weight and volume are not interchangeable. You need both tools.

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