Couscous calories?

Options
sweetnlow30
sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have never made couscous before so I bought a box of garlic flavored couscous to try. The nutrition facts say 160 cals per 1/4 cup. I assume that is the dry amount. Would the cooked amount be half a cup or a whole cup? I'm not sure how much it expands when cooked. When I googled it, it said a cup of plain couscous was 178 so I am thinking maybe 3/4 cup for 160 cals. There is no added oil or fat in the garlic flavoring. I could weigh one serving and cook it to see but it is easier to make the whole package in one pot for the entire family if I can :wink:

Also, should I treat it like rice and add a bit of soya sauce? I'm not sure what to put on it but I want to keep it simple so my kids are actually willing to eat it lol. t is going to be a side for fish.

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    Couscous is a bit like rice and pasta, you'll get a lot more once it's cooked. There's actually a 'couscous cooked' category on MFP and I've been using that because I have no idea how I'm supposed to weigh the dry couscous after it's cooked, LOL (and obviously we make more than one serving). That one says 176 calories per cup. Personally, I just love plain couscous, so I've never felt the need to add to it, but you could use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor (and sodium...).
  • patrnbabe
    patrnbabe Posts: 42
    Options
    Couscous is a bit like rice and pasta, you'll get a lot more once it's cooked. There's actually a 'couscous cooked' category on MFP and I've been using that because I have no idea how I'm supposed to weigh the dry couscous after it's cooked, LOL (and obviously we make more than one serving). That one says 176 calories per cup. Personally, I just love plain couscous, so I've never felt the need to add to it, but you could use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor (and sodium...).

    weigh it BEFORE you put it in the pot. :) You'll have more accurate information.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    Couscous is a bit like rice and pasta, you'll get a lot more once it's cooked. There's actually a 'couscous cooked' category on MFP and I've been using that because I have no idea how I'm supposed to weigh the dry couscous after it's cooked, LOL (and obviously we make more than one serving). That one says 176 calories per cup. Personally, I just love plain couscous, so I've never felt the need to add to it, but you could use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor (and sodium...).

    weigh it BEFORE you put it in the pot. :) You'll have more accurate information.

    Can't though, we do more than one serving at a time.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the replies. I will probably just use the 1 cup cooked entry in the database. It just threw me a bit when the box said 160 cals for 1/4 cup raw. I like it better when it specifies the cooked serving rather than the raw serving. It is definitely like rice and pasta which I have learned to convert easily.

Categories