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Boxed meals

breakyoface
breakyoface Posts: 160 Member
edited February 19 in Recipes
So tomorrow I plan on making Hamburger Helper Lasagna for dinner. I will be making 2 boxes since I need to feed 6 people and leftovers help for lunch but will only be adding 1lb of hamburger. So as long as I only eat 1 cup of the lasagna..then the calories under prepared would be what I go by, right?

Replies

  • No sorry,

    add up the calorie of both boxes unpreparred with the calories of the 1 pound meat and then divide that by how many portions you will be serving. If everyone eats a different amount then that is not possible. What I do is I actually measure how many cups the whole dish is and then divide the total calorie count by the number of cups. Just make sure you eat a measured amount.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    I would scan it into the recipe builder with the correct meat (lean/fat ratio) that you're using.. then you'll be able to put in the actual amount of servings it makes and correctly log it.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    So tomorrow I plan on making Hamburger Helper Lasagna for dinner. I will be making 2 boxes since I need to feed 6 people and leftovers help for lunch but will only be adding 1lb of hamburger. So as long as I only eat 1 cup of the lasagna..then the calories under prepared would be what I go by, right?

    Are you adding just water? If there is milk involved, I believe there is something in the fine print re: type of milk (ie: 2% vs. whole fat) used in calculations.

    Also, if you are using really lean hamburger......you can cut the calories quite a bit. I wouldn't go by the "as prepared" numbers.
  • Hey, I use Hamburger Helper meals as well, but I'm confused as to how to enter the calories. Do I add up the calories from the box, the milk, the turkery, etc.? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hey, I use Hamburger Helper meals as well, but I'm confused as to how to enter the calories. Do I add up the calories from the box, the milk, the turkery, etc.? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    I log each piece separately as a recipe. Then I divide up portions.....if I eat 1/5th, that's my calories.
  • breakyoface
    breakyoface Posts: 160 Member
    Well prepared it says 290 per cup and then when I did it on my own and added the 2 packages unprepared, plus 2 cups of milk and the 1lb of meat and made it for 6 servings..it came to 132 per cup..so how is that possible?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Well prepared it says 290 per cup and then when I did it on my own and added the 2 packages unprepared, plus 2 cups of milk and the 1lb of meat and made it for 6 servings..it came to 132 per cup..so how is that possible?

    Did you enter it as 2 servings or 2 container (ie:packages) ......mine came out to 283 per serving

    2 "containers" HH Lasagna
    2 C skim milk
    2 lbs. 85% lean beef

    12 servings = 283

    223 if I use 95% lean beef instead

    If I used 1 pound 95% lean beef..........and divided by 8 servings = then it's 259. You can't go by cups unless you measure all the ingredients together.....1 pound of meat for 2 packages .....won't measure the same as package instructions.

    Another method .....2 servings of HH Lasagna (as packaged)......1/6 of the milk ( = 1/3 C) .....1/6 pound of meat (16/6 = 2.66 oz)
  • breakyoface
    breakyoface Posts: 160 Member
    Oh I think I didn't do the 2 boxes and did 2 servings and I only did 1lb meat since that's all I would add to it. So even if I did go by the box...the only thing that would happen would be that I would be eating less calories than it says!
  • breakyoface
    breakyoface Posts: 160 Member
    Ingredients Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
    Skim Milk - Fat Free Skim Milk, 2 cup 180 26 0 16 240 22 Ico_delete
    Great Value (Walmart)(Corrected) - All Natural Ground Beef 73/27, 4 oz's 350 0 30 19 60 0 Ico_delete
    Hamburger Helper - Lasagna (As Packaged), 1/2 Cup as pkgd 130 27 1 3 670 4 Ico_delete
    Hamburger Helper - Lasagna (As Packaged), 1/2 Cup as pkgd 130 27 1 3 670 4 Ico_delete
    Add Ingredient
    Total: 790 80 32 41 1,640 30
    Per Serving: 132 13 5 7 273 5
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    HH Lasagna

    Calories Per Serving
    345

    Recipe Servings: 6

    3 Ingredients

    2 container (2 1/2 cup as packaged ea.) Italian Lasagna (As Packaged)
    Betty Crocker - Hamburger Helper
    Calories 1300• Total Fat 5• Total Carbs 270• Protein 30

    2.0 cup(s) Milk - Nonfat (fat free or skim)
    Calories 172• Total Fat 1• Total Carbs 24• Protein 17

    1 lb(s) 95% Lean Gound Beef
    Calories 600• Total Fat 18• Total Carbs 0• Protein 96

    Recipe Builder in in MFP....your 1/2 C Hamburger Helper is a single serving times 2 ......and your milk is 100%....your ground beef is 50%...............then you divide by ........6. No wonder you can up with 132
This discussion has been closed.