Weighing hamburger help...noob needs advice

so_sassy11
so_sassy11 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys :happy: How ya'll doing tonight?

So I ran into an itsy-bisty problem while making dinner....how the heck am I supposed to weigh Hamburger Helper once I'm done preparing it? The serving size size is 1 cup prepared but it doesn't list grams/weight. It says how many g for dry tho. Here's a pic of the nutritional label;
http://www.generalmills.com/~/media/Images/Brands/Nutritional_Images/Helper/Hamburger_Helper_Stroganoff.ashx

This makes my noob brain hurt.

Replies

  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Hey guys :happy: How ya'll doing tonight?

    So I ran into an itsy-bisty problem while making dinner....how the heck am I supposed to weigh Hamburger Helper once I'm done preparing it? The serving size size is 1 cup prepared but it doesn't list grams/weight. It says how many g for dry tho. Here's a pic of the nutritional label;
    http://www.generalmills.com/~/media/Images/Brands/Nutritional_Images/Helper/Hamburger_Helper_Stroganoff.ashx

    This makes my noob brain hurt.
    If it says one cup prepared I would say one cup after it is cooked and ready..but I dont know. Dont think I ever had hamburger helper
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I can see why...

    The package says it has 5 servings so weight it all...divide that number by 5 and you have the weight of 1 serving size @ 320 calories as long as you prepared it per the package.
  • DucklingtoSwan
    DucklingtoSwan Posts: 169 Member
    I hear ya... it really bugs me how many packages are so vague. Why do we even care about the nutritional value of an unprepared food/mix/whatever? Who is eating this stuff dry? Or if you must, then please list BOTH prepared and un. Some of them don't. :grumble:

    I do agree, in this case just have the cupful and go by what the label says.

    Edited to add, great idea about weighing the whole batch and divide by number of servings.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    I would weigh and measure everything I add to the pan, add those measurements plus the HH nutrition info into the recipe builder, and then divide the pan up into equal servings. (You can weigh what's in your pan.)
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
    I hear ya... it really bugs me how many packages are so vague. Why do we even care about the nutritional value of an unprepared food/mix/whatever? Who is eating this stuff dry? Or if you must, then please list BOTH prepared and un. Some of them don't. :grumble:

    I've wondered the same thing many, many times!
  • so_sassy11
    so_sassy11 Posts: 5 Member
    Ah, bingo! Thanks for the answers they were all very helpful. I really hate using measuring cups for foods that don't list the weight per serving- especially something that's quite calorie dense.
  • verymissk
    verymissk Posts: 262 Member
    I hear ya... it really bugs me how many packages are so vague. Why do we even care about the nutritional value of an unprepared food/mix/whatever? Who is eating this stuff dry? Or if you must, then please list BOTH prepared and un. Some of them don't. :grumble:

    I've wondered the same thing many, many times!


    They list the dry ingredients because that is the only thing they are in control of. You could add more butter, or less milk, or 80% hamburger instead of 97% .... all of those things will affect the end result and it is of very little consequence to them what you do once you open a package. The simplest way to alleviate this issue it is to make all of your meals from scratch. A home-cooked "hamburger helper" meal is no more difficult than the boxed mix.
  • dont_tap_my_aces
    dont_tap_my_aces Posts: 125 Member
    Why do we even care about the nutritional value of an unprepared food/mix/whatever? Who is eating this stuff dry?

    It should always be listed dry/raw and you should always weigh dry/raw. Cooking changes the moisture content. If you prepare a chicken breast to perfection, vs cooking that thing for an extra 10 min, they will be very different weights.
  • Telomin
    Telomin Posts: 45 Member
    To make it easy for you: Make dinner from scratch, don't use these cheap, unhealthy, 50% powder (okay I'm exaggerating, but only to make my point). These pre-made thingies contains a LOT of things your body doesn't need. And just look at that % of saturated fats!
    All these things that aren't natural that your body doesn't need.. you do know that is what makes up cellulites? ohyes. So to live healthily I suggest try to make meals from scratch. Then you will also have an easier time to log it, cause you know exactly what you put in it ;)
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    ..and we all know why, not just in this case, they do this sort of thing and that is because people will look at the calories/serving and make their decision and not pay attention to the actual serving size!
  • rabblerabble
    rabblerabble Posts: 471 Member
    Nutritionally, HH is garbage (but easy enough that we have it in our home about once a month). Better to cook up some whole grain pasta, cook up lean burger and stir in some tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, fresh herbs, a bit of Worchestshire, then mix in the pasta when the meat is done and add a modest amount of fresh shredded cheese at the end.
  • so_sassy11
    so_sassy11 Posts: 5 Member
    Nutritionally, HH is garbage (but easy enough that we have it in our home about once a month). Better to cook up some whole grain pasta, cook up lean burger and stir in some tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, fresh herbs, a bit of Worchestshire, then mix in the pasta when the meat is done and add a modest amount of fresh shredded cheese at the end.

    Ohhh that sounds yummy. Yeah we don't eat it much either but laziness won tonight lol
  • sarahbellum09
    sarahbellum09 Posts: 32 Member
    To make it easy for you: Make dinner from scratch, don't use these cheap, unhealthy, 50% powder (okay I'm exaggerating, but only to make my point). These pre-made thingies contains a LOT of things your body doesn't need. And just look at that % of saturated fats!
    All these things that aren't natural that your body doesn't need.. you do know that is what makes up cellulites? ohyes. So to live healthily I suggest try to make meals from scratch. Then you will also have an easier time to log it, cause you know exactly what you put in it ;)

    ^^^I have been going to the grocery store and shopping for fresh food ONLY. It's not only cheaper, but I feel significantly more energetic. So besides a few certain products (I refuse to milk a cow or raise chickens just for eggs and milk) anything out of a bag is the devil. If I live in the desert and can still eat fresh food, SO CAN YOU!!!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    In for the clean eating advice...:laugh:

    Sometimes HH is what's available people...it might be the only thing in the cupboard...and maybe the OP doesn't have time to cook from scratch....

    As for it's nutrional value...psh.

    It has protien, carbs, fat etc...
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    In for the clean eating advice...:laugh:

    Sometimes HH is what's available people...it might be the only thing in the cupboard...and maybe the OP doesn't have time to cook from scratch....

    As for it's nutrional value...psh.

    It has protien, carbs, fat etc...

    Yeah, this is true. Our neighbors moved and gave us what was in their pantry and freezer, so we cooked it because it was free. It's still food. Note: you can add a lot of vegetables in with the ground beef, and you get bigger servings.

    I make a good homemade HH though; my kids ask for it.
  • moviestarsara
    moviestarsara Posts: 66
    I can see why...

    The package says it has 5 servings so weight it all...divide that number by 5 and you have the weight of 1 serving size @ 320 calories as long as you prepared it per the package.

    Ooooh, I like this idea.
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
    put all the ingredients into the MFP recipe builder, that's the only way you're really going to get an accurate count since there are too many variables
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    First I would weigh the dry ingredients to see how much is actually in the package by weight. You would be surprised how far off things can be. Then I would use the recipe builder. Enter in the total nutrition for the HH by taking the total weight / 32g * the nutrition info on the label. Then add your meat and other ingredients into the recipe builder. That will give you the nutrition for the total batch. Then weight the entire thing cooked. Take out your serving and weigh it. Weight of yours / total cooked weight * nutrition for total batch = nutrition for your serving.

    I'm not a fan for HH more because of the taste. I use prepackaged foods and meals all the time, but I have learned to weigh things because the package might be off.
  • gomeztx
    gomeztx Posts: 2 Member
    Zero your food scale with a matching bowl on the scale then weigh the bowl with the meat in it.
  • Telomin
    Telomin Posts: 45 Member
    I'm a often very, very poor student. And I have from the U.S who have told me how cheap that unhealthy food is, but listening tp Cassey Ho, blogilates, it's still totally possible to do good, healthy good that takes like no time at all!
    For example the spring rolls (Love them!) and the banana pancakes! Gonna make the banana pancakes right now!
  • Telomin
    Telomin Posts: 45 Member
    To make it easy for you: Make dinner from scratch, don't use these cheap, unhealthy, 50% powder (okay I'm exaggerating, but only to make my point). These pre-made thingies contains a LOT of things your body doesn't need. And just look at that % of saturated fats!
    All these things that aren't natural that your body doesn't need.. you do know that is what makes up cellulites? ohyes. So to live healthily I suggest try to make meals from scratch. Then you will also have an easier time to log it, cause you know exactly what you put in it ;)

    ^^^I have been going to the grocery store and shopping for fresh food ONLY. It's not only cheaper, but I feel significantly more energetic. So besides a few certain products (I refuse to milk a cow or raise chickens just for eggs and milk) anything out of a bag is the devil. If I live in the desert and can still eat fresh food, SO CAN YOU!!!

    totally true! You might just need to have checked up so that one is actually going to buy the food where it's cheap. My bf always does that more me though, but it doesn't take very much time 'cause here in Sweden many stores have on-line-flyers where you can check the offers. So if you buy the healthy food that is on "sale"it will get a lot cheaper too :) This also goes for the meat, fish and seafood (I started buying seefood from the "china food store" cause it's cheaper there).

    And Also, I'm not always the most economic, but I had bought home mint(for blogilates belly slimming detox water) and some spring onions, my bf planted those in an emtpy flower pot I had, so now I've gotten ever more out of it because it continues to grow! :)
  • verymissk
    verymissk Posts: 262 Member
    In for the clean eating advice...:laugh:

    Sometimes HH is what's available people...it might be the only thing in the cupboard...and maybe the OP doesn't have time to cook from scratch....

    As for it's nutrional value...psh.

    It has protien, carbs, fat etc...


    Nutritional value aside, it's just as easy to boil noodles, sear meat, and add a few spices out of the cupbard with a bit of milk/water and flour. And it's all completely measurable by end user.

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