Home cooking

jessica22222
jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
How do you calculate your calories if you're cooking a whole dish such as a casserole? I do so much cooking like this for my family and this is where I always get stumped on how to calculate because everything is mixed together and in a large volume for a family...do I weigh and measure everything then try to calculate some how?

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    i usually enter each ingredient separately…

    or

    you can enter the recipe in the recipe builder thingy and keep them stored there. I do that for things that I make a lot. ...
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
    Get out! There's a recipe tool?! Well that solves my problem. I need to play around with this ASAP!!
  • amphilion
    amphilion Posts: 89 Member
    i weigh and enter each ingredient separately, sometimes long to do, but once the recipe is entered, it stays registered.
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
    The recipe tool is freaking awesome
  • DeniseB0711
    DeniseB0711 Posts: 294 Member
    I use the MFP recipe tool. Then weigh the whole thing, and divide by the serving amount...in my house is 6 servings. You Must KNOW THE WEIGHT of the Casserole to use this tool and divide it by the Servings you set.
    3000 gram casserole,
    MFP tool says 500 calories per serving

    Divide
    3000grams / 6 servings = 500 gram serving.
    YOU MUST weigh your Serving!!


    I also do it the old school way. I weigh each ingredient, and get the total weight of the casserole. Then calculate Calories per Gram.,..weigh out my personal serving in grams, and multiply by the calories.

    Example
    Casserole Calorie Per Gram
    2000 Calorie Casserole
    3000 Grams
    = .66 calories per gram

    Calories per 200 gram serving
    200 X .66 calories = 132

  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    edited May 2015
    I also use the recipe tool! It's so useful!

    When I make a meal for multiple lunches during the week, I usually eat it all myself, so I don't bother with making precise portions. At the end of the week I ate the whole thing, so if one day had 150 cals more and the next 150 cals less, doesn't change much in the long run. However, if you are having a family meal, it would be more accurate to use the approach by @DeniseB0711
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
    Do you weigh it before it's cooked or after it's cooked?
  • DeniseB0711
    DeniseB0711 Posts: 294 Member
    @G33K_G1RL I wish I could do that. I would in a minute, it would make my life soo much easier.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Before cooking, I weigh each ingredient separately to put them into the recipe builder.

    To calculate a serving size, I get the weight of the dish before I put everything in and then weigh the whole thing after it's cooked, subtract the weight of the dish, and divide by the number of servings, and then weigh out my serving.

    Must remember to weigh the empty dish!
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Before cooking, I weigh each ingredient separately to put them into the recipe builder.

    To calculate a serving size, I get the weight of the dish before I put everything in and then weigh the whole thing after it's cooked, subtract the weight of the dish, and divide by the number of servings, and then weigh out my serving.

    Must remember to weigh the empty dish!

    Thanks!! Makes sense!!!!
  • Lizrobin3108
    Lizrobin3108 Posts: 102 Member
    I love the recipe tool. They only drawback I have found is when making my homemade waffles. Sometimes the same recipe makes 6 and sometimes 5. But with baking, humidity is a big factor. :D
  • k80flec
    k80flec Posts: 1,623 Member
    edited May 2015
    I use the recipe tool, weighing each ingredient as it's added. When it's cooked, I weigh the food. I either transfer it to an empty jug (after zeroing the scale) or I weigh it in the casserole dish (having previously weighed the empty casserole dish). If it weighs 2000 grams I say that there are 2000 servings. Then my 300 grams are 300 portions. Then each plate can have as much or as little as desired. I never eat the same size portion as my DH or adult sons, so saying 6 portions per recipe wouldn't work for me.
    ETA:
    If it's cakes or cookies, I weigh the baked product and make the total grams the number of portions. 12 biscuits at 60 g ea = 720 portions ( if I've got my maths right)
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
    k80flec wrote: »
    I use the recipe tool, weighing each ingredient as it's added. When it's cooked, I weigh the food. I either transfer it to an empty jug (after zeroing the scale) or I weigh it in the casserole dish (having previously weighed the empty casserole dish). If it weighs 2000 grams I say that there are 2000 servings. Then my 300 grams are 300 portions. Then each plate can have as much or as little as desired. I never eat the same size portion as my DH or adult sons, so saying 6 portions per recipe wouldn't work for me.
    ETA:
    If it's cakes or cookies, I weigh the baked product and make the total grams the number of portions. 12 biscuits at 60 g ea = 720 portions ( if I've got my maths right)

    I really like this method thanks!
  • Nene710
    Nene710 Posts: 9 Member
    OP, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was going to post about home-cooking and calculating servings/calories. I am so confused by it all. Using MFP's recipe tool, how am I suppose to know what number to input in the "servings" box? As an example, yesterday evening, I baked macaroni and cheese for my DD and DH. As I added each ingredient, I weighed it. Before MFP allows me to save the recipe, "servings" is required. How do I know what that is? Am I suppose to estimate? Also, another thing that is confusing...what's considered a serving? What measurement is being used? Cups? Ounces? Ugghhh!!!
  • k80flec
    k80flec Posts: 1,623 Member
    edited May 2015
    Nene710 wrote: »
    OP, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was going to post about home-cooking and calculating servings/calories. I am so confused by it all. Using MFP's recipe tool, how am I suppose to know what number to input in the "servings" box? As an example, yesterday evening, I baked macaroni and cheese for my DD and DH. As I added each ingredient, I weighed it. Before MFP allows me to save the recipe, "servings" is required. How do I know what that is? Am I suppose to estimate? Also, another thing that is confusing...what's considered a serving? What measurement is being used? Cups? Ounces? Ugghhh!!!

    @Nene710, in the app, just before you save the recipe, you can edit the number of 'servings'. As for the measurement, it can be whatever you want it to be - cups, ounces, grams . . . ETA: You can also edit the recipe later when you've finished cooking it, whatever it is, using whatever weighing method suits you (at least you can edit using the iPhone/Pad app - you can't on the windows app). The recipe tool is fab, one of my favourite elements, means I can be so accurate with the calorie content of my creations.
  • megomerrett
    megomerrett Posts: 442 Member
    Recipes rock! Saves time. Servings wise I go by how many servings is get from a recipe. There are 5 of us including 3 kids so I'd say 1/4 for me. My husband has a bigger portion and the kids have smaller. I go by eye too - quarter a wok full or lasagne or shepherd's pie etc.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Use the recipe builder.
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    Nene710 wrote: »
    OP, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was going to post about home-cooking and calculating servings/calories. I am so confused by it all. Using MFP's recipe tool, how am I suppose to know what number to input in the "servings" box? As an example, yesterday evening, I baked macaroni and cheese for my DD and DH. As I added each ingredient, I weighed it. Before MFP allows me to save the recipe, "servings" is required. How do I know what that is? Am I suppose to estimate? Also, another thing that is confusing...what's considered a serving? What measurement is being used? Cups? Ounces? Ugghhh!!!

    I put in the number of plastic containers I can fill. 4 lunches, 2 lunches, etc. If I'm not sure, I'll save the recipe with an estimate and correct it later if necessary. And actually, playing with the # of portions tells me how many calories in each lunch, so I can tweak it to fit my goals. Example, one recipe I though I'd have 4 lunches, but the portions were ~750 cals each... so I made 6 portions of ~500 calories instead.

    I try to make the portions equal, but like I mentioned earlier, not a big issue for me as I'll eat all the lunches anyway :)

    jessica22222 wrote: »
    Do you weigh it before it's cooked or after it's cooked?

    I weigh before its cooked, all the raw ingredients. I don't need to weigh after it's cooked, I just eyeball equal portions.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    where can I find this recipe tool? Any links?
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    edited May 2015
    I made a homemade birthday cake today from scratch, layered with Nutella, strawberry's, bananas and heavy whipped cream. I added each ingredients and used a calculator. I calculated that the whole cake had just short of 5000 calories. Then I divided it in 8 "equal Pieces. I wish I had this tool earlier today.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    jessica22222 wrote: »
    How do you calculate your calories if you're cooking a whole dish such as a casserole? I do so much cooking like this for my family and this is where I always get stumped on how to calculate because everything is mixed together and in a large volume for a family...do I weigh and measure everything then try to calculate some how?

    First, I use the recipe builder. I choose how many servings I think the dish will be, then weigh all ingredients in grams and enter them. When I'm done and hit save, I have a recipe that will say 6 servings (or whatever) with calorie content and macros.

    When the recipe is done, I then weigh it into another dish and divide that by 6, which will come out to a certain amount of grams per serving.

    I then enter that information in grams into My Foods, which will include all the macros information. if you use the same ingredients each time in the same amounts, your calorie estimates will be accurate.

    At least this has worked for me so far. :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    karintalley wrote: »
    I made a homemade birthday cake today from scratch, layered with Nutella, strawberry's, bananas and heavy whipped cream. I added each ingredients and used a calculator. I calculated that the whole cake had just short of 5000 calories. Then I divided it in 8 "equal Pieces. I wish I had this tool earlier today.

    Do you weigh the ingredients? Or, are they all estimates?

    Do you have any cake left?

    Can I please have a piece right now? :smiley:
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