how do you measure "bulky" fruit?

brennamathis · July 2013

Example--cantaloupe or watermelon balls. If I look it up, it'll say 1 cup. Do you actually measure like a measuring cup level with one cup? Or do you weigh out 8 oz? Because it's a biiiiig difference in amount, at least the way I'm cutting it?

daniellemm1 · July 2013

bump. I started using the measuring cup method and then switched to weighing it. I'd like to hear what more knowledgable people have to say about this.

brennamathis · July 2013

I've been using the measuring cup method, but I almost wonder if I'm making myself miss out on some of my fruit and/or logging more calories than I'm actually eating because of the way I'm measuring.

UrbanLotus · July 2013

I measure cantaloupe by the slice - the USDA entry has info for a slice (1/8th of a cantaloupe).

tackie8383 · July 2013

I use a food scale and find the nutrition information based on grams or ounces.

melindasuefritz · July 2013

I cut mine up into pieces and measure 1 cup

psykins · July 2013

I'd get a food scale, honestly. I LOVE mine, and I feel so much more confident that I'm accurate with my calories consumed. I used to just estimate, which can be fine, but I want to be honest with myself and make sure I don't go over, and it was really easy for me to say "oh, seems like a little over half a cup, but a half cup would be just fine!" Do that for long enough and it all catches up $:\$

Since I've had the food scale, it has been easier to portion, too! Ex: I eat a lot of yogurt, now that I measure it with a food scale I can just put as much as I want and record the g/oz, not worry about whether I got the right portion of a cup.

brennamathis · July 2013

I have a scale, that's my issue though. One cup of melon balls put in a measuring cup vs. 8 oz (one cup) measured on the scale are two VERY different amounts when you put them next to each other. Just went through to do a comparison--putting cantaloupe balls in the 1 cup measuring cup gives me 12-13 melon balls. Weighing out 8 oz (still one cup!) of melon balls gives me 25-26 melon balls. That's twice as much if I'm weighing by ounces vs. filled cup, but they're both *technically* one cup, kwim?

tross0924 · July 2013

I have a scale, that's my issue though. One cup of melon balls put in a measuring cup vs. 8 oz (one cup) measured on the scale are two VERY different amounts when you put them next to each other. Just went through to do a comparison--putting cantaloupe balls in the 1 cup measuring cup gives me 12-13 melon balls. Weighing out 8 oz (still one cup!) of melon balls gives me 25-26 melon balls. That's twice as much if I'm weighing by ounces vs. filled cup, but they're both *technically* one cup, kwim?

A cup is not a unit of weight.

If it says one cup of melon balls it's talking about volume and the 12 - 13 balls in a measuring cup. If it says 8 oz it's talking about the weight and the 25 - 26 balls on a scale.

brennamathis · July 2013

Thank you! I think what threw me is there was one fruit I pulled up one day...can't remember what, strawberries, or melon, or something like that--and it had BOTH measurements, 1 cup (8 oz). It really threw me off when I saw that, and I ended up searching for another version of it that had it listed how I was measuring (by an actual cup, not in oz)....just made me wonder what everyone else did.

Melissa22G · July 2013

Ask it ihow much it lifts.

Ready2Rock206 · July 2013

I use a food scale and find the nutrition information based on grams or ounces.

This for sure.

yarwell · July 2013

I just weigh it. I don't understand the obsession you Americans have with ******* "cups" !

wolfchild59 · July 2013

I use the food scale, in grams, for almost everything. The only exception to that is that I still weigh meat in ounces.

And liquids I obviously use a liquid measuring cup.

wolfchild59 · July 2013

I measure cantaloupe by the slice - the USDA entry has info for a slice (1/8th of a cantaloupe).

1/8th of what size cantaloupe? I've bought cantaloupes that are only a little larger than a softball and others that are almost as big as a honeydew. They aren't both the same amount of calories for 1/8th of each.

UrbanLotus · July 2013

I measure cantaloupe by the slice - the USDA entry has info for a slice (1/8th of a cantaloupe).

1/8th of what size cantaloupe? I've bought cantaloupes that are only a little larger than a softball and others that are almost as big as a honeydew. They aren't both the same amount of calories for 1/8th of each.

There are measurements involved, I don't remember off the top of my head. You can log it however you want, I'm ok with being like 5 calories off for a piece of fruit.

bumblebums · July 2013

Weigh them if you want to be precise, and check against the USDA database entries in the MFP database that give 100 g as the unit.

Though, cantaloupe and similar fruit are so low cal that it isn't as crucial to log them precisely. Unless you are a raw foodist or something and munch on the stuff all day long.