Serving sizes w/o food scale?

ellamaries
ellamaries Posts: 7 Member
edited November 19 in Food and Nutrition
So here's the deal: I don't have a food scale. Realistically, I probably won't get one soon, though I really want one. Does anyone have any tips for accurately measuring food without a scale? For most things I can count the number of, for example, strawberries I eat, or I can measure the food out in cups or tbsp. But it gets rough with meat, especially when it's sliced in strips. Like chicken breast for example. I know a serving size is about 3 oz and that's about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, but how about when it's all sliced into strips? Like to put in a wrap or on a salad - about how much chicken/fish/turkey/pork etc. should I be eating, visually?

Replies

  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    This is exactly way you need a scale. Walmart/Target/CVS/Walgreens/Amazon less than $20.

  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
    You cant guesstimate serving sizes, doesn't work that way.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    You can get a scale for $10-20.

    You can still attempt to use cups to measure sliced up meat, though. It's not going to be very accurate, but it's likely better than eyeballing it.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    An almond typically weighs 1 gram. Get a sack of almonds, count how many grams of whatever you want to eat by putting that many almonds in one hand, and whatever you want to eat in the other. Adjust until what you want eat 'feels' the same as the almonds.
    Impress your friends.

    Food scales are cheap, you dont have a walmart around?
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    Until you get a lot of practice with it, you won't be able to eyeball anything. Serving sizes are WILDLY inaccurate most times. Once you get more used to what a certain weight of a certain food looks like, then you'll be able to start eyeballing things. But, it does take experience.
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
    http://lifehacker.com/5883540/approximate-the-weight-of-any-item-using-a-clothes-hanger

    Lol...if you're really in a pinch this will work.
  • ellamaries
    ellamaries Posts: 7 Member
    FitOldMomma wrote: »
    http://lifehacker.com/5883540/approximate-the-weight-of-any-item-using-a-clothes-hanger

    Lol...if you're really in a pinch this will work.
    ha! Thank you! I'll try to get my hands on a scale soon... The almond idea was pretty clever though too Lourdesong ;)
  • BramageOMG
    BramageOMG Posts: 319 Member
    I did not start losing anything except my patience until I bought a $13 food scale at sears. They had the $9.99 version, but I wanted "the good one".. since then BAM.. weight is G O N E
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