I will weigh everything now
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Mapes84
Posts: 60 Member
For the past 15 years, I have always been fairly regimented about measuring serving sizes of everything and anything- but mostly using measuring cups and spoons. Well, I got a new kitchen scale this week, and I think it's pretty safe to say there's no turning back now. I always wondered if weighing as opposed to measuring really makes that much of a difference. Spoiler alert: IT DOES. This was beautifully illustrated for me today. I opened up a can of black beans. The serving size info on the side of the can said there were 3.5 servings inside, at 1/2 c. per serving. I got out the 1/2 cup measuring scoop, and loaded it up with beans. I peered down at the beans that remained in the can, and noticed that it looked as though far less than 2.5 servings were left over. Hmmmm. I weighed the beans in my so-called "1/2 cup" measuring scoop (and yes, I did hit "tare"), and lo and behold, they weighed in at 7 ounces. I'm not pretending to understand how this is possible- maybe there's some sort of imaginary dotted line on the side of the measuring cup that you aren't supposed to surpass- but in any event, that's a huge discrepancy! I wonder how frequently this kind of mistake has been adding hundreds of calories to my bottom line.
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now go weigh your usuall two tablespoons of peanut butter. ill wait here with tissues...............0
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Lol yeah. I took one tablespoon of almond butter the other day for kicks, and weighed it... it weighed almost the same as a serving of two tablespoons. Good times.0 -
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The peanut butter serving is tragic when weighed.0
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Yup, I'm lucky that I learned this lesson early on, weighed my lunch meat slices out of curiosity, was getting 50% more grams per serving, therefore 50% more calories.0
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For the past 15 years, I have always been fairly regimented about measuring serving sizes of everything and anything- but mostly using measuring cups and spoons. Well, I got a new kitchen scale this week, and I think it's pretty safe to say there's no turning back now. I always wondered if weighing as opposed to measuring really makes that much of a difference. Spoiler alert: IT DOES. This was beautifully illustrated for me today. I opened up a can of black beans. The serving size info on the side of the can said there were 3.5 servings inside, at 1/2 c. per serving. I got out the 1/2 cup measuring scoop, and loaded it up with beans. I peered down at the beans that remained in the can, and noticed that it looked as though far less than 2.5 servings were left over. Hmmmm. I weighed the beans in my so-called "1/2 cup" measuring scoop (and yes, I did hit "tare"), and lo and behold, they weighed in at 7 ounces. I'm not pretending to understand how this is possible- maybe there's some sort of imaginary dotted line on the side of the measuring cup that you aren't supposed to surpass- but in any event, that's a huge discrepancy! I wonder how frequently this kind of mistake has been adding hundreds of calories to my bottom line.
Did you rinse/drain the beans first before using a measuring cup?
The scales are awesome and the difference between volume and weight can work in your favor - for me, I actually got MORE peanut butter for my gram measure than tablespoon. And one scoop of whey protein powder turned out to be 21 g not the 28g on the package. And my bananas weigh in between 88-98g. I use the scale consistently now.
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I've actually found the opposite in quite a few cases. I will weigh it out and actually get to eat MORE than what I would if I had been measuring with cups/spoons.0
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Was this before or after you drained the liquid?0
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Yeah I had that happen with canned beans. I realized too that the nutrition value for the WEIGHT of the beans PROBABLY includes that icky sludge that most people rinse off - so from now on I'm going to weigh my beans out first, then rinse them. That will be sad, too. Because I have been rinsing first, THEN weighing...and there is NO WAY there are 3.5 servings in the can once you rinse them. So unrinsed MUST be the way they are calculating it.0
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Yeah I had that happen with canned beans. I realized too that the nutrition value for the WEIGHT of the beans PROBABLY includes that icky sludge that most people rinse off - so from now on I'm going to weigh my beans out first, then rinse them. That will be sad, too. Because I have been rinsing first, THEN weighing...and there is NO WAY there are 3.5 servings in the can once you rinse them. So unrinsed MUST be the way they are calculating it.
I didn't even think about the bean sludge. I drained/rinsed the entire can before weighing. I bet you're right- I bet the product weight and nutritional info reflects said bean sludge.
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healthy_life2015 wrote: »I've actually found the opposite in quite a few cases. I will weigh it out and actually get to eat MORE than what I would if I had been measuring with cups/spoons.
Me too!0 -
For the past 15 years, I have always been fairly regimented about measuring serving sizes of everything and anything- but mostly using measuring cups and spoons. Well, I got a new kitchen scale this week, and I think it's pretty safe to say there's no turning back now. I always wondered if weighing as opposed to measuring really makes that much of a difference. Spoiler alert: IT DOES. This was beautifully illustrated for me today. I opened up a can of black beans. The serving size info on the side of the can said there were 3.5 servings inside, at 1/2 c. per serving. I got out the 1/2 cup measuring scoop, and loaded it up with beans. I peered down at the beans that remained in the can, and noticed that it looked as though far less than 2.5 servings were left over. Hmmmm. I weighed the beans in my so-called "1/2 cup" measuring scoop (and yes, I did hit "tare"), and lo and behold, they weighed in at 7 ounces. I'm not pretending to understand how this is possible- maybe there's some sort of imaginary dotted line on the side of the measuring cup that you aren't supposed to surpass- but in any event, that's a huge discrepancy! I wonder how frequently this kind of mistake has been adding hundreds of calories to my bottom line.
Not sure I understand this post. Why was it shocking that the 1/2 cup of beans weighed 7 ounces? Were you expecting some other number? Are you perhaps confusing fluid ounces (a unit of volume) with avoirdupois ounces (a unit of weight)?0 -
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Bean sludge. . .. . .I like this term. . . . . . yum. . . .mix in some ham broth. . . . .green beans and ham broth. . . . . . . .okay getting hungry.0
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new favorite words: bean sludge0
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I have found the opposite to be true as well where weighing something turned out to be more than the measuring spoon amounts.0
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Ok- I will now start doing this- I weigh most things but not all of them-- better start now! I have the damn scale might as well use it for everything!0
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This is the first thing in my next shopping list! I need one...0
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A can of bean sludge?This is the first thing in my next shopping list! I need one...
The bean can probably includes the liquid in the weight. One way to get it 'right' would be to rinse, then weigh the total beans in grams. Divide by 3.5 to get 1 serving. And know you're getting a little bonus, because you're skipping a few bean sludge calories.
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Reality, you are so harsh.
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