Measuring meat

Fit147
Fit147 Posts: 209 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I purchased a food scale and after the first meal with it, I am surprised! I had one pound of hamburger divided into four patties for the grill. In theory, each is 4 oz. but when they came off the grill, they were each 2.5-2.6 ounces each! I had been underestimating my amount of protein by 40%. This digital scale was purchased off of Amazon and had good reviews - a great $15 investment.
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Replies

  • frenchfacey
    frenchfacey Posts: 237 Member
    i measure before i cook, and make sure its entered as "raw" or "uncooked"

    i love my scale. it really totally changed my whole world actually KNOWING what i was really eating...you just cant guess.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Make sure to log the meat as it weighed uncooked, not cooked.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    You realize that when you cook meat, it loses moisture and fat is rendered off, right?
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    I love my scale. What thought was 3 oz of meat was actually only 2. More for me.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    You realize that when you cook meat, it loses moisture and fat is rendered off, right?

    This. You should be weighing before.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    I don't even know why I clicked on this since I don't eat meat but.....the database should tell you if it is for uncooked/raw or not. I don't know what I would do without my food scale and measuring cups/spoons.
  • lilred806
    lilred806 Posts: 195 Member
    I really don't understand weighing meat before cooking. It not like I am eating all that fat that dropped off my meat while grilling. It always confuses me why I would count calories for stuff I don't actually eat. Are the calories for most foods measured before cooking? Not trying to hijack this thread but was hoping for some more information to add to the posters question.
  • sarahjay1
    sarahjay1 Posts: 175 Member
    Generally speaking, you are weighing food the way it comes in the package (before cooking). I realized I was weighing food after cooking it and subsequently eating more than I should have or not enough. Pasta was a big culprit. I had to weigh out my portion first and cook it in a different pot because the 75g turned into 217g after it was cooked. Same with chicken strips which weigh more frozen. If you are measure out your portion after cooking, you will be getting more grams (and more calories) than you think.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.
  • Spokez70
    Spokez70 Posts: 548 Member
    I always weigh it pre-cooking but have to say I have wondered about the fat drippings too.
  • gradientlife
    gradientlife Posts: 13
    Temperature is very important. If it's cold, you'll get very misleading and low numbers.
    Often I make sure it is warm and ask for help to ensure I measure it properly.
  • NobodyInParticular
    NobodyInParticular Posts: 352 Member
    I measure mine while using a snicker bar as the unit of measurement.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.

    Me too. There was not ONE "use a ruler!" comment. /disappoint
  • mjkpe
    mjkpe Posts: 98 Member
    Also, what fat content of meat are you buying. Sounds like 60%-ish. Try less than 10% fat and watch for sales. Also make sure the selection matches your purchase.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    I measure after and record it as "grilled" (or whatever) and hope that is taken in to account.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,363 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.
    I can't believe it took ten posts beofore someone mentioned the title...



    Also. Measure your bacon according to the package.


    .grr.edit I cannot for the life of me type.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.

    Me too. There was not ONE "use a ruler!" comment. /disappoint

    Wow, my mind didn't even go there...I must not be feeling well. lol! :wink:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I always weigh it pre-cooking but have to say I have wondered about the fat drippings too.

    In the food industry, nutritionals are based on uncooked weight generally. This is particularly true of meats.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    I really don't understand weighing meat before cooking. It not like I am eating all that fat that dropped off my meat while grilling. It always confuses me why I would count calories for stuff I don't actually eat. Are the calories for most foods measured before cooking? Not trying to hijack this thread but was hoping for some more information to add to the posters question.
    If you eat something raw, weigh it uncooked and enter it as uncooked.

    If you eat something cooked, weigh it cooked and enter it as cooked.

    Most everything has entries for both in the database.

    Food labels of a food, bacon for example, give you the raw info, but if you cook it and don't eat the fat left in the pan, it really changes quite dramatically. Search the database for "Pork - Cured, bacon, cooked, broiled, pan-fried or roasted" and in the dropdown menu, compare the nutrition info between 1 raw slice and 1 cooked slice.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    I really don't understand weighing meat before cooking. It not like I am eating all that fat that dropped off my meat while grilling. It always confuses me why I would count calories for stuff I don't actually eat. Are the calories for most foods measured before cooking? Not trying to hijack this thread but was hoping for some more information to add to the posters question.
    If you eat something raw, weigh it uncooked and enter it as uncooked.

    If you eat something cooked, weigh it cooked and enter it as cooked.

    Most everything has entries for both in the database.

    Food labels of a food, bacon for example, give you the raw info, but if you cook it and don't eat the fat left in the pan, it really changes quite dramatically. Search the database for "Pork - Cured, bacon, cooked, broiled, pan-fried or roasted" and in the dropdown menu, compare the nutrition info between 1 raw slice and 1 cooked slice.

    Listen to this guy, he's a bacon doctor.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,185 Member
    So I purchased a food scale and after the first meal with it, I am surprised! I had one pound of hamburger divided into four patties for the grill. In theory, each is 4 oz. but when they came off the grill, they were each 2.5-2.6 ounces each! I had been underestimating my amount of protein by 40%. This digital scale was purchased off of Amazon and had good reviews - a great $15 investment.
    Mostly water and some fat is lost in the cooking process, not protein.
  • rosiereally2
    rosiereally2 Posts: 539 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.

    Same. I am disappoint.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    Must...not...make....suggestive....joke....
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    I really don't understand weighing meat before cooking. It not like I am eating all that fat that dropped off my meat while grilling. It always confuses me why I would count calories for stuff I don't actually eat. Are the calories for most foods measured before cooking? Not trying to hijack this thread but was hoping for some more information to add to the posters question.
    If you eat something raw, weigh it uncooked and enter it as uncooked.

    If you eat something cooked, weigh it cooked and enter it as cooked.

    Most everything has entries for both in the database.

    Food labels of a food, bacon for example, give you the raw info, but if you cook it and don't eat the fat left in the pan, it really changes quite dramatically. Search the database for "Pork - Cured, bacon, cooked, broiled, pan-fried or roasted" and in the dropdown menu, compare the nutrition info between 1 raw slice and 1 cooked slice.


    ^THIS.

    I too was a little confused by this, but then I realized some bacon packages have the info for "raw" and info for "cooked" and it makes 100s of calories of a difference.

    I weigh all meats after they're cooked and record that. Why count weight you're not actually eating ?
  • freshvl
    freshvl Posts: 422 Member
    Doesn't anyone use a tape measure?
  • Mock_Turtle
    Mock_Turtle Posts: 354 Member
    I really don't understand weighing meat before cooking. It not like I am eating all that fat that dropped off my meat while grilling. It always confuses me why I would count calories for stuff I don't actually eat. Are the calories for most foods measured before cooking? Not trying to hijack this thread but was hoping for some more information to add to the posters question.


    Are you cooking to the same level of dryness all the time? I really doubt it. Raw is consistent.

    Also - if you go by the raw weight you will at worst be overestimating, since you lose the fat drippings. If you go by the cooked weight you are at the mercy of the differential between the level of dryness of your cooked meat and that used to get the calories for foods in the system.
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
    I clicked on this in hopes that men would start discussing measuring meat.

    Me too. There was not ONE "use a ruler!" comment. /disappoint

    DOn't you count the curve? You would need to use a tape measure.
  • Fit147
    Fit147 Posts: 209 Member
    I measure mine while using a snicker bar as the unit of measurement.

    I hope you are not using the trick-or-treat snack size?
  • Fit147
    Fit147 Posts: 209 Member
    So I purchased a food scale and after the first meal with it, I am surprised! I had one pound of hamburger divided into four patties for the grill. In theory, each is 4 oz. but when they came off the grill, they were each 2.5-2.6 ounces each! I had been underestimating my amount of protein by 40%. This digital scale was purchased off of Amazon and had good reviews - a great $15 investment.

    I am the OP on this topic and hadn't returned til today to check out responses. I agree with posters pointing out that you are not licking the renderings from the bottom of the grill, so why count those calories if you don't have to? I was using the 88 % lean cooked Costco ground beef entry in the database at the only known weight I had...the uncooked weight. Yes, I was erring on the side of caution but I would rather overstate than understate the amount of calories I have eaten. I was shocked to see how much I had overestimated. I knew there would be some shrinkage but now I wonder if the Costco butcher had his thumb on the scale or something....

    The other thing I learned is to choose my wording for topic titles more carefully. ;)
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    You should always weigh meat raw.

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