Measuring Rice

nossmf
nossmf Posts: 13,688 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I love rice, and have it frequently. My question is about how MFP measures rice. The "standard serving" is 1/2 cup. Is that pre-cooked, or post-cooked when it's expanded to many times its original size? For the past year I've been basing my meals by pre-cook, because I guarantee I eat far more than 1/2 cup of post-cooked at a time.

Replies

  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    Im pretty sure the 1/2 cup measure refers to cooked rice.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Rice is measured dry.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,750 Member
    I weigh rice raw and use an entry that matches that... Weighing cooked food or using cups isn't accurate imo
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Weigh raw, using grams.

    Not the end of the world if you forget (like I do all the time) and have to weigh it cooked, again use grams and pick the appropriate database entry, you're going to sacrifice some accuracy weighing cooked, but nothing that would in any way impact on overall goals.
  • adamitri
    adamitri Posts: 614 Member
    I've been weighing it cooked T_T. My rice says one cup of rice makes four servings and since I usually precook my rice for a couple of meals I measure and divide by four.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    I use the non-asterisked (MFP-entered based on USDA National Nutrient Database) entries.

    Based on the USDA entries, on average for the same amount of Calories 0.5 cups raw white long-grain rice plus cooking water expands to 1.648 cups cooked white long-grain rice. Based on the cooking method, the actual results may differ.

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  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    I advise you make your own personal entry for cooked rice unless you only cook enough dry for one serving for yourself (if this, then use the nutrition info what your package says for dry weight, not cups/spoons)

    Different brands call for different amounts of water-to-rice, and your own preference of cooked rice texture vs. someone else's preference can also create a huge difference in weight/calories. If you use an entry created by someone who likes mushier rice than you do, then their 100g of cooked rice will be a lot less caloric than your 100g of cooked rice.

    Get a food scale if you don't have one, they are cheap and you'll have less stuff to clean when you toss cups/spoons for measuring solids in favor of a scale. Using cups for rice is just a messier method of eyeballing.

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    I love rice, and have it frequently. My question is about how MFP measures rice. The "standard serving" is 1/2 cup. Is that pre-cooked, or post-cooked when it's expanded to many times its original size? For the past year I've been basing my meals by pre-cook, because I guarantee I eat far more than 1/2 cup of post-cooked at a time.

    Seconding making your own entry. The brand I use is accurately in the database, and I use the serving size when I cook. You weigh it dry, and then eat whatever the end product turns out to be.
  • OldHobo
    OldHobo Posts: 647 Member
    edited April 2015
    I think it depends what you're cooking. Yeah if you're cooking rice measure it dry and add double that measure in liquid. But if you're making rice pudding or fried rice you never start with dry rice and the recipe sort of has to use the measure of cooked rice.
  • norie92
    norie92 Posts: 115 Member
    I measure it out dry so I only eat what I cook and it disallows me from overeating
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