Confused about Pasta calories.

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  • acheben
    acheben Posts: 476 Member
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    In the UK it just says 100g 'as cooked per instructions' so not sure if it means weighed before or after cooking

    Based on this, it seems like the 100g serving size is based on the cooked weight of the pasta.
  • ThisCanadian
    ThisCanadian Posts: 1,086 Member
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    ignore me
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    100g of dry pasta is going to be in the 350-400 calorie range, and that's pretty consistent across brands etc. Wet/fresh/refrigerated pasta will be less than that, because it is carrying water. Cooked pasta will have even lower calories per 100g, as it absorbs even more water.

    From this you should be able to figure out if the label is referring to uncooked or cooked. If possible, always use uncooked numbers/weights.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    In the UK it just says 100g 'as cooked per instructions' so not sure if it means weighed before or after cooking,

    The Scottish Slimmers book and other posts are what made me think it refers to COOKED pasta. I have been measuring 150g uncooked pasta and logging it as 240 cals but this is obviously wrong and too little cals.

    So to get the 240 cals from 150g I should roughly be measuring out 80g UNCOOKED pasta which cooked with equal 150g cooked???

    Is this correct??

    With this terminology on the box, the weight is for the cooked pasta.

    We have this in the US, too, but it's usually on boxes of mac and cheese, cake mix, that sort of thing. I don't think I've ever seen it on plain pasta.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ignore me

    Impossible.
  • suej19
    suej19 Posts: 15 Member
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    WAW, you're mixing apples with pears here!

    Fresh pasta will be heavier to start with as the moisture has not been dried out - you can't work out how many calories are in 100gm of the stuff by comparing it to dried pasta.

    The calories for that fresh pasta will be as it says on the bag - 150gm/240 calories.
  • torizia
    torizia Posts: 140 Member
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    Are you sure it doesn't say anything about a standard portion size? Normally it gives calorie figures for 100g and also for what they deem to be one portion. I'm not sure which pasta you bought but if you look at this fresh pasta on the Tesco site - http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=275064883 - you can see that 100g is 160 calories, and half a pack (i.e. a suggested portion - 175g before cooking) is 440 calories. This proves that 100g/160 calories is based on the cooked weight :)
  • slomo22
    slomo22 Posts: 125 Member
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    There's an easy way figure out what the box is saying. First, If the box says there is 100 grams per serving multiply that by the number of servings per box (pretend there are 6 servings per box). So 100 grams x 6 servings/box = 600 grams/box. Now look at the front of the box and look for a package weight. If the box says it contains 600 grams total (about 21 oz.), then the serving size of 100 grams refers to dry weight. If the box says it contains significantly less than 600 grams total, then the serving size refers to cooked weight.

    I think the serving should refer to dry weight. Using cooked weight without stating so doesn't make sense to me.
  • BadassSavageVix
    BadassSavageVix Posts: 432 Member
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    Maybe this link will help you out a bit http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=275064883
    It shows the nutritional values for uncooked and cooked, so should help you work out how much you need to have.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    In the UK it just says 100g 'as cooked per instructions' so not sure if it means weighed before or after cooking

    Based on this, it seems like the 100g serving size is based on the cooked weight of the pasta.

    I agree. Checking similar cooked pastas in the database here should reassure you.
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    pasta is higher in calories because they add oil to keep the strands/pieces separate, otherwise it would turn into a big blob.

    no, pasta is higher in calories because it has very LOW WATER content.

    btw ~ pasta has very little oil (if any) in it. check the list of ingredients, check the nutritional label.
  • WAW26
    WAW26 Posts: 17
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    Torizia it is Tesco that I use so and that is exactly what it says so Im right in thinking now that it relates to cooked weight.

    From now on I will weight 75g uncooked which will equal to 150g cooked and that will give me my 240 calories.This will then also match up to the Scottish Slimmers information.
  • suej19
    suej19 Posts: 15 Member
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    pasta is higher in calories because they add oil to keep the strands/pieces separate, otherwise it would turn into a big blob.

    no, pasta is higher in calories because it has very LOW WATER content.

    btw ~ pasta has very little oil (if any) in it. check the list of ingredients, check the nutritional label.
  • barbiesykes
    barbiesykes Posts: 5
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    I'm so confused now on dry weight vs. cooked weight now. I have been measuring everything (Steak, pasta... everything) after cooking. So am I doing this wrong? Am I not actually reaching the calories that I'm saying I'm eating?
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    why does Pasta have some many calories compared to most other foods ????

    Pasta is 'dense'. it's relatively heavy for it's volume, and not full of air. (air = no calories)
    Pasta has very little water content (water = no calories).
    That is the reason is is high in calories. the oil really has very little to do with it.

    ************************************************

    http://www.azaquar.com/en/doc/water-in-food

    so any food that's low in air, and low in water... pretty good chance it's HIGH in calories.

    think about it. food only has 3 components (forget alcohol for now,that's whole another beast !)

    9 calories per gram = Fat
    4 calories per gram =Protein
    4 calories per gram = Carbs (btw sugar & fiber is a type of carb)

    ZERO calories per gram = water
    ZERO calories per gram = air



    ..
  • suej19
    suej19 Posts: 15 Member
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    I said 'fresh' pasta was higher in calories as they add oil to it to stop it sticking together.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,953 Member
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    Yes, usually nutritional info is listed for prepared items unless otherwise stated. I had this problem with condensed soup.
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    I said 'fresh' pasta was higher in calories as they add oil to it to stop it sticking together.
    ops, sorry , I misread your post. you were comparing fresh vs dry pasta. you're right, fresh has some oil in it.

    checking the label......
    compared to total calories, and calories come from fat , Percentage wise,, maybe 10% of the calories are from fat, the rest are from carbs. zero from water...again, pasta is so friggen dense, it drives the calories up !!

    maybe total calories = 250
    maybe fat calories = 25

    ..
  • slomo22
    slomo22 Posts: 125 Member
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    I'm so confused now on dry weight vs. cooked weight now. I have been measuring everything (Steak, pasta... everything) after cooking. So am I doing this wrong? Am I not actually reaching the calories that I'm saying I'm eating?

    For pasta it will make a difference. For steak....probably very little. You should measure per the serving info, if it says "cooked or prepared" than measure after it's cooked, otherwise I would measure before cooking.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Sorry forgot to add, you weigh before cooking.

    Unless otherwise stated. If the package says as prepared, that means cooked!! If is does not state as prepared, or cooked weight, then it is always before it is cooked.

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