Do you use digital kitchen scales for things like rice etc?

claire_donegal84
claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do many of you guys use a digital kitchen food scale? Did you find it helped/did you notice much difference in portions etc when you started using one?

I might buy one this weekend. I think I'm over or under estimating food portions, especially things like rice/cereal/couscous/potatoes etc...

(I have a regular weighing scales I use for baking etc but its not accurate enough to use for everyday items i'm trying to portion control).

Replies

  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I use it for everything unless it is prepackaged. I use it for rice, veggies, meat, condiments, nuts, everything.
  • Eneelu
    Eneelu Posts: 20 Member
    I use it for everything that isn't repackaged. I know myself and if I didn't weigh all my food I would cheat.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    No question... buy a food scale. Eyeballing, I find, can be twice as much as reality, and measuring cups are notoriously inaccurate... awful.

    Nothing will help you visualize a realistic portion than a food scale, which is an invaluable tool in real life situations where you won't have one available.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I use it for everything unless it is prepackaged. I use it for rice, veggies, meat, condiments, nuts, everything.

    Same here. I'd hate to think how far off my calories would be with cups or just guessing alone especially with higher calorie foods.
  • mikejmu
    mikejmu Posts: 3 Member
    I use my digital cooking scale all the time. The one I bought is $25 and I got it at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N07KUE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001N07KUE&linkCode=as2&tag=dcgu-20

    I don't use it for weighing rice, but it's sensitive enough for even the smallest measurements. Love it!
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    Yes! And believe me it makes your eyes open wide when you weigh your 'portions' out!!

    When I first weighed out some breakfast cereal (40g), I thought - surely not...... have i something else on the scales? But I was actually eating nearly 3 x the recommended portion sizes before hand thinking that was normal (it probably is for most people!!)

    It takes a bit of getting used to proper portion sizes, but I have found that now I am happy with those portions and am still losing weight slowly at a stage where in previous diets I would have given up ages and ages ago (7 mths in and counting).

    There is no cheat to this weight loss malarky...... it really is expending more energy than you take in..... so if you can ensure that your portion sizes are weighed correctly it makes it so much easier.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Yep, I use it for rice, sauces, everything. I dont use my measuring cups.
  • claire_donegal84
    claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
    thanks!
  • vicky1804
    vicky1804 Posts: 320 Member
    Yes definatly get some, I picked mine up for £3.99 I think and they work great.

    Definatly helps me understand a portion size, esp like other have said when it come to cereal, pasta and rice.

    I was easily eating 2-3 portions and not even realizing it.
  • claire_donegal84
    claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks for this.

    I'm definitely going to buy one today!

    I'll see what they have in Argos (I live in Ireland)
  • Kimjanebrooks
    Kimjanebrooks Posts: 253 Member
    I use Rosemary Conley measuring cups for rice and pasta etc. Very convenient and can be bought on website without joining.
  • GemskiB
    GemskiB Posts: 95 Member
    I use it for everything, the battery died recently and I had to wait on delivery from buying a new one online. I was guessing my rice and pasta etc and when I got them back I checked... I was a good 30-50% over estimating. Yes it's time consuming, but it's way more accurate. Good luck!
  • masongirl79
    masongirl79 Posts: 7 Member
    Bought one last week. I usually measure my foods w/ measuring cups. I was shocked when I weighed out my cereal this morning. I have been WAY off. BUY A FOOD SCALE!
  • juliesmithdiet
    juliesmithdiet Posts: 33
    Yes and I was stunned at how off I was with guessing the portion !
  • Marie_25
    Marie_25 Posts: 67 Member
    Definitley get a set. Mine weighs in grammes, ml and lb's, and you can press the reset button and just keep adding more ingredients in the same bowl! Love them, and they were under £10.

    It has made me realise how massively wrong you can get it! Cheese is the best example i can give, Grate a bit of cheese, about 25 grammes (or so you think) weigh it and find out it's twice as much! Doh!! Lesson learned.

    Good luck x
  • mogletdeluxe
    mogletdeluxe Posts: 623 Member
    I swear by my kitchen scale. My original idea of what 100g actually was is embarrassing - more like 500g at least!
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Thanks for this.

    I'm definitely going to buy one today!

    I'll see what they have in Argos (I live in Ireland)

    Mine was from Argos - Salter digital, really simple to use! I weight EVERYTHING!
  • KazSmith68
    KazSmith68 Posts: 85
    Digital scales are awesome, I don't know where I would be without them...They are a MUST!
  • claire_donegal84
    claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
    Looking forward to getting one later today... I'm sure I'll be surprised at what I'm currently over or under estimating as a portion of something! :noway:
  • EmAgain
    EmAgain Posts: 6
    There is a massive discrepancy between what cup measures purport to measure and what it actually does. There are so many variables to make it inaccurate like how you smooth the top, or how packed the food is and individual differences in 'cup' measure. the only truly accurate way to measure things is via electronic scales and in grammes then you are getting exactly what you are putting in your diary :)
  • claire_donegal84
    claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
    Mine was from Argos - Salter digital, really simple to use! I weight EVERYTHING!
    [/quote]

    Yes I think its a Salter one i'll get..
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Yep - I weigh everything - even after 2 years plus......
  • squindles
    squindles Posts: 350 Member
    If i guesstimate, I'm always OVER :blushing: so now I weigh everything :smile:
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    I've had digital kitchen scales for baking for years and use it daily for portion control. For the price, it's one of the best value gadgets in my kitchen. I have a Startfrit that I got onsale at Canadian Tire for $10 (66% off) just recently because my old one bit the dust and I wouldn't be without one.
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    never weighed anything. Don't believe in numbers.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    never weighed anything. Don't believe in numbers.

    How can you not believe in numbers? I can assure you they exist. :laugh:

    Yes, I use a food scale and I weigh everything. You would be shocked at how much guesstimating bumps your calories up.

    I was shocked the first time I poured out the recommended serving of 75g of rice. I'd normally eat 3 times that. Now I eat the 75g and it looks like loads!
  • KNarrainen
    KNarrainen Posts: 135 Member
    Weighing everything is the only way to be sure that you really know what you're having, it is a wake up call for what a real portion is.

    I've even recently measured olive spread on sandwiches and that gave me a bit of a shock too, so have started spreading thinner.
  • claire_donegal84
    claire_donegal84 Posts: 47 Member
    Just bought one :-)
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    If you want optimal results, weigh everything without exception.
  • mrfrodogetdown
    mrfrodogetdown Posts: 54 Member
    No, but only because I was a cook for quite a while and know, with very little error, how much of what is what by feel and eyeballing it. If I didn't have the experience, I would if I were really serious about this.

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