measuring food

xUnseenx
xUnseenx Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
whats good? ive started to do a lot of food calculations to make sure im not over eating, but also want to provide my body with enough nutrients. im a little confused about dry foods such as cereals and oatmeal. is the nutrition data based on volume or weight?

ie. a 1/2 cup of dry cereal has X amount of nutrients.

is this 1/2 cup in volume, or 1/2 cup converted to weight, which equals 8 oz (heavy in weight)?

ive been doing volume (which has yielded results), but i would love for heads to confirm its weight, because then i could eat sooooo much more! thanks for the help fam.

Replies

  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    I think you are mixing fluid ounces with dry ounces. Use a cup measure and you will be find. 1/2 cup is a measure of volume while 8 oz is a measure of weight.
  • farsteve
    farsteve Posts: 157 Member
    It is best to go the way the container lists. For example, if the box says 1 cup they mean one cup volume, not 8 ounces. 8 ounces of cheerio's is probably a lot more than 1 cup of cheerios. So you're doing it right.
  • just4nessa
    just4nessa Posts: 459 Member
    Dry foods/solids should be weighed, not measured. Liquids are measured. 1/2 cup = 8 oz is a liquid measure. Dry foods have different densities so a 1/2 cup of uncooked rice will not weigh the same as 1/2 cup bran flakes. There are a lot of entries that use volume, but I personally try to look for and use entries that are based on weight.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    I always weigh solids and dry foods, and measure liquids. I'm in the UK, and so that's what I'm used to- but also I have a set of measuring cups, and when I see entries on the database that are measured by cups the calories are clearly often way off. Weighing's the way to go for accuracy.
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    We dont have 'cups' in UK - we measure things on scales as this gives a true weight. You can pack a lot of stuff into a cup and make sure it is still within the cup!! If you weigh on scales then there is no variance on the amount, the weight is correct.
  • kirstynday88
    kirstynday88 Posts: 12 Member
    My digital scale is my best friend! It does OZ, G, KG, LB's etc. Great for meats, fruits, and veggies. Then of course, measuring cups for grains, rice, milk, etc.
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
    I woul get a food scale. Measuring by volume is better than nothing, but by weight it's so much more accurate. You still may be eating more calories than you think if the food got crunched up so you're eating more than a cup. But measure liquids with a measuring cup.
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  • angieleighbyrd
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
    I always measure by what's on the box. If a serving is 4 ounces I put it on the scale, if it's a cup I measure with a cup etc.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Your cereal and oatmeal has a serving size that is also in weight. Use the weight.
    If you measure out 1/2 cup of dry foods then you take that and weigh it, you are almost guaranteed to be eating more than 1/2 cup.

    Unless I am crazy or confused, 1/2 cup is a measure of volume, not weight.
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  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Your cereal and oatmeal has a serving size that is also in weight. Use the weight.
    If you measure out 1/2 cup of dry foods then you take that and weigh it, you are almost guaranteed to be eating more than 1/2 cup.

    Unless I am crazy or confused, 1/2 cup is a measure of volume, not weight.

    The nutrition label on the side of a Cheerios box states.
    Serving size 1 cup (28g)

    Quaker oats
    Serving size 1/2 cup(40g)

    What I was saying is use the weight to get your proper serving. Measure out 1/2 cup of oats with a measuring cup, then transfer that over to a food scale and your 1/2 will be over 40g. I have done this with several different foods.

    Ok, now I understand what you are saying. That is correct. I It will only be a few grams though.I was confused. I was confused and I thought you were saying take a half a cup of oatmeal and it weights 8 ounces. My bad.
  • traccie2
    traccie2 Posts: 28 Member
    I use both dry measurements and weight depending on what I'm eating. I will snack on a cup of dry cheerios but I will also snack on 3 oz of baby carrotts. I use a digital postage scale, I find it much easier than the cheap one I had from walmart.
  • xUnseenx
    xUnseenx Posts: 7 Member
    i think there are some conflicting ideologies here. im aware theres a difference in weight to volume. however, 1 cup of dry cereal is definitely not more than 8 oz in weight. 1 cup (in a measuring cup has less density) where as 8 oz in weight of cereal yields well over a cup (in volume) of cereal. so im assuming when dry foods says 1 cup, i should use a measuring cup. or just do everything in grams and convert to ounces.
  • flyzip
    flyzip Posts: 9 Member
    People, it is fairly simple and straightforward to measure/weigh your foods. First, get a good digital scale, preferably one that utilizes both ounces and grams. And one with a "zeroing" feature is handy too.
    Using Cheerios for example, the box says, "Serving Size 1cup (28g)." So you should use a dry measuring cup to measure the 1cup serving. Now play with it a bit. Set your scale to grams, dump the cereal on the scale, and it should read 28 grams. Change scale units to pounds and it will read very close to 1 ounce.
    So this means 1 oz = 28 gm..........
    You can save time, hassle, and dishes if your scale has the "zero" feature. Just put your cereal bowl on the scale, push the "zero" button (scale will now read 0), and simply pour your Cheerios into the bowl until the scale reads 1 oz (or 28 gm). No measuring cup to wash and you have saved some steps.
    Enjoy your Cheerios!
  • flyzip
    flyzip Posts: 9 Member
    People, it is fairly simple and straightforward to measure/weigh your foods. First, get a good digital scale, preferably one that utilizes both ounces and grams. And one with a "zeroing" feature is handy too.
    Using Cheerios for example, the box says, "Serving Size 1cup (28g)." So you should use a dry measuring cup to measure the 1cup serving. Now play with it a bit. Set your scale to grams, dump the cereal on the scale, and it should read 28 grams. Change scale units to pounds and it will read very close to 1 ounce.
    So this means 1 oz = 28 gm..........
    You can save time, hassle, and dishes if your scale has the "zero" feature. Just put your cereal bowl on the scale, push the "zero" button (scale will now read 0), and simply pour your Cheerios into the bowl until the scale reads 1 oz (or 28 gm). No measuring cup to wash and you have saved some steps.
    Enjoy your Cheerios!
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  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    I weigh everything. Even my ketchup. I just put a tiny little disposable cup on my scale and squirt it in. & toss the cup after. Sure, it's not green by any means, but its quicker and less dishes to watch! I also do believe it is more accurate than measuring.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    It is best to go the way the container lists. For example, if the box says 1 cup they mean one cup volume, not 8 ounces. 8 ounces of cheerio's is probably a lot more than 1 cup of cheerios. So you're doing it right.

    That is what I try to do. If not I work the equivilants in grams or the secondary measure listed.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Overall, I only generally weigh and measure portions. I don't worry too much about a few grams here and there.
  • BlackKat75
    BlackKat75 Posts: 210 Member
    Your cereal and oatmeal has a serving size that is also in weight. Use the weight.
    If you measure out 1/2 cup of dry foods then you take that and weigh it, you are almost guaranteed to be eating more than 1/2 cup.

    ^^^^THIS! According to the nutrition label, a serving of old-fashioned oats is 1/2 cup, which they say weighs 40 grams, and has a calorie value of 150 calories. I used these values for months until I finally wised up and actually weighed what my 1/2 cup of oats actually weighed - turned out it was 51 grams, for a total calorie value of 191 calories. I was unwittingly under-reporting my calories by relying on the volume measurement rather than the weight. It's not just oats, I've routinely found that relying on measuring volume rather than weight actually under-reports calories, so I always calculate calories by weight. Nutrition labels will that give a volume measurement will generally give a weight as well, so it's not too difficult to accurately count the calories.
  • xUnseenx
    xUnseenx Posts: 7 Member
    Overall, I only generally weigh and measure portions. I don't worry too much about a few grams here and there.

    yeah but this is extremely important for a specific type of goal. giving way to deviations one way or another can mean the difference between being healthy and competitive fitness.
  • Arianwyn_T
    Arianwyn_T Posts: 52
    i think there are some conflicting ideologies here. im aware theres a difference in weight to volume. however, 1 cup of dry cereal is definitely not more than 8 oz in weight. 1 cup (in a measuring cup has less density) where as 8 oz in weight of cereal yields well over a cup (in volume) of cereal. so im assuming when dry foods says 1 cup, i should use a measuring cup. or just do everything in grams and convert to ounces.

    Where on the box does it say 8oz of cheerios. It's 1 cup or 28g
    You're looking at fl oz. Worry about grams. Stop thinking that 1 cup of dry cereal will weigh 8 oz or close to 200g.

    A fluid oz is not = to a dry weight ounce.

    and this is why the Imperial system of weights and measures (the ones still used in the US) are ridiculous, and why the metric system was invented :p
  • Arianwyn_T
    Arianwyn_T Posts: 52
    I weigh everything. Even my ketchup. I just put a tiny little disposable cup on my scale and squirt it in. & toss the cup after. Sure, it's not green by any means, but its quicker and less dishes to watch! I also do believe it is more accurate than measuring.


    This is why I love the zeroing feature on my scale -- I reset as I add each thing to my plate/bowl, so for example if I wanted sauce on something I would zero and then pour it on the side, or directly on to my food (depending of course on the situation)
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    Using a scale (weight), will be more accurate than a measuring cup. On most food labels, it will give you amounts for measuring cups and a scale weight.
  • Brunner26_2
    Brunner26_2 Posts: 1,152
    Dry foods/solids should be weighed, not measured. Liquids are measured. 1/2 cup = 8 oz is a liquid measure. Dry foods have different densities so a 1/2 cup of uncooked rice will not weigh the same as 1/2 cup bran flakes. There are a lot of entries that use volume, but I personally try to look for and use entries that are based on weight.

    1/2 cup = 4 fl oz. There are only 8 fluid ounces in a cup. A pound contains 16 ounces. I know, confusing!
  • geographygeek1
    geographygeek1 Posts: 4
    I use a scale for dry foods. It's more accurate and less prone to human error (ie - just a little over the 1/2 cup mark doesn't count...). I prefer the accuracy of the scale and I love the tare feature because I can just add more to the plate and know the exact amounts of each item - takes out the guesswork!

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