measuring noodles and meats

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gabbyguru
gabbyguru Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
I have always wondered....when trying to count calories do you count the ounces of meat before cooking or after cooking? Also, with noodles....If I am going to have 1 cup of noodles I am assuming it would be after cooking? (especially since 1 cup uncooked would swell into a huge amount.) Thanks for any input.

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  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
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    I know for noodles it can be both, check out the back of some boxes, it will say, and you will be able to guestimate after that.
    I have the same question about meat though.
  • 1hotwoman
    1hotwoman Posts: 7
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    I measure out my meat and noodles before cooking. I use a digital scale, so it is easy. Although, I don't know if meat weighs the same before and after.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    I try to weigh meat portions after cooking. The reason being there's going to be a bit of shrinkage in the cooking process so if you weigh out 200g of hamburger before cooking, it may turn into only 194g after cooking. Keep in mind I'm just pulling numbers from my *kitten* but you get the picture :laugh:

    With noodles I often boil my portion separately from the family's and weigh it before cooking. If I'm going to be making a casserole or something then I measure 4 portions per package guidelines and then do my utmost to divide the dish evenly, but it's pretty much a crapshoot.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    WIth meat, I tend to go with USDA listings, and there are entries for both raw and cooked. I tend to go by cooked because I portion out the cooked meet into even portions (so weigh after I cook) and with chicken for example, I shred it.
  • Fittreelol
    Fittreelol Posts: 2,535 Member
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    WIth meat, I tend to go with USDA listings, and there are entries for both raw and cooked. I tend to go by cooked because I portion out the cooked meet into even portions (so weigh after I cook) and with chicken for example, I shred it.

    I'm such a nerd I weigh the entirety of the meat before and after I cook it then do the appropriate conversion per portion.
  • gabbyguru
    gabbyguru Posts: 7
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    Thanks everyone for the input!!!!
  • staceyw73
    staceyw73 Posts: 49
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    i ould measure your meat after becuase the weight changes. I showed my boyfriend the other day with his 2lb steak he got after cooking it med rare it weight in at 1 lb 11 oz. so meat does lose weight when cooked. and for noodle i would just read the box usaly it will say serving dry.
  • svallwood
    svallwood Posts: 6
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    I'm not that hard core with it. I know 6 ounces of protein is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, so I usually just eyeball it. For noodles, I measure after cooking. I usually use a measuring cup as a serving utensil.
  • Fiesty1006
    Fiesty1006 Posts: 95 Member
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    I'm not that hard core with it. I know 6 ounces of protein is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, so I usually just eyeball it. For noodles, I measure after cooking. I usually use a measuring cup as a serving utensil.

    This is what I do too. I don't know that I ever want to get to weighing everything - especially that intensely.

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