Accurate chicken weight

daniebanks
daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
edited November 18 in Food and Nutrition
If you had to pick the most accurate/on point entry on my fitness pal for COOKED chicken which would you pick? there are so many.

I have been oven baking my chicken and think the entry ive been choosing is under estimating the calories :S

Replies

  • buzybev
    buzybev Posts: 199 Member
    Do you own a food scale? I weigh my chicken before cooking and after to get the serving size. I then select the brand that matches the nutrition label that I am cooking eating through MFP. Only way to get semi-accurate numbers.
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
    edited May 2015
    You could start by weighing raw chicken. After cooking, weigh again to determine how much it weights. Then use that as a rough estimate of which to use for cooked chicken.

    Or you could just use the raw weight and choose the best item for that based on ounces.

    Personally, I think as long as you are consistent whether you use cooked or raw as your measurement doesn't matter. The USDA allows a +/- 20% variance in calorie calculation anyway.

  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
    buzybev wrote: »
    Do you own a food scale? I weigh my chicken before cooking and after to get the serving size. I then select the brand that matches the nutrition label that I am cooking eating through MFP. Only way to get semi-accurate numbers.
    ZBuffBod wrote: »
    You could start by weighing raw chicken. After cooking, weigh again to determine how much it weights. Then use that as a rough estimate of which to use for cooked chicken.

    Or you could just use the raw weight and choose the best item for that based on ounces.

    Personally, I think as long as you are consistent whether you use cooked or raw as your measurement doesn't matter. The USDA allows a +/- 20% variance in calorie calculation anyway.

    Yep I weigh everything :smile:

    I've been entering it as the correct brand which is Steggles chicken breast, it comes up as 110 calories for 100g which i assume is the raw weight. I always weigh my chicken after it's cooked though :sweat:

    I found an entry last night which even says verified under "Chicken breast - meat only - cooked, roasted" which was 165 calories for 100g

    Sorry if I sound stupid, I just want to be accurate :|

  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    edited May 2015
    Usually, it will show the "RAW" nutritional data on the package. Weigh everything raw, always. Moisture content changes during cooking (not just meats), and it's more accurate to weigh your foods before the cooking process.

    Not that I follow my own advice always, when I'm making 6-7 chicken breasts or a steaming several heads of broccoli for the family, it's like playing the shell game trying to find the ball.

    Nutrition Facts will typically give you both raw and cooked varieties.
  • Cecelia0901
    Cecelia0901 Posts: 4 Member
    I weigh after its cooked.
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
    Please don't totally trust MFP's verified items. :) That verification depends on what brands and so many other things. Unfortunately, one brand/country's verified item may be different from another brand/country's verified item. The best thing to do is check your label against MFP's verified items.

    I have been using cooked weight and have lost 37 pounds with 5 more to go. Plus, when you go out to eat, how do you know the RAW weight of the foods you are eating? Don't stress too much, just be consistent with your method. Consistency is key. IMO
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    chicken - cooked - USDA

    or weigh it raw.

    keep in mind that 4 ounces of cooked chicken is going to have more calories than 4 ounces of raw chicken...because the 4 ounces of cooked chicken likely started out being closer to 6ish ounces raw.
  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
    Do you guys think it really matters if you go by raw or cooked? I just go by the weight of whatever im about to eat & how it is prepared right then and there :S
  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    chicken - cooked - USDA

    or weigh it raw.

    keep in mind that 4 ounces of cooked chicken is going to have more calories than 4 ounces of raw chicken...because the 4 ounces of cooked chicken likely started out being closer to 6ish ounces raw.

    I think i will use this one from now on, looks more accurate calorie wise .. thankyou :smile:

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