Why are so many foods in grams?

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CherylM1977
CherylM1977 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
I struggle with the conversion of grams vs tbls vs tsp vs oz vs cup. Many times I think I've got it figured out how much of what is on my plate and then I go to register it and the measurement is only available in grams. Example the butter I use has tablespoons as the serving size. I go to log it and it is only grams. I have no idea and when I guess it doesn't match what the serving size is. Anyone else have this problem and figure out a fix?

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  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Because the database is created by users and a lot of them use kitchen scales to weigh their food by oz. or grams. The fix is to either get a scale to weigh your food (more accurate) or just eyeball and look at the package measurement with the grams next to it i.e. tsp,cup (not as accurate).
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    Use the nutrition facts on the package. It will list the common measurement (for example: tablespoon) and then in parenthesis next to it will be the gram measurement.

    Buy a scale and use the gram measurement. Always.
  • AmandaOmega
    AmandaOmega Posts: 70 Member
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    Because measuring cups/spoons are inaccurate; someone somewhere posted a good video demonstrating two 1/2 cup measuring cups weighing out oatmeal. A serving size should be 40g. One of his 1/2 cups poured out 56g and the other poured out 33g. So no matter what, he wasn't getting the actual serving size regardless of which cup he used. If you end up using the cup that gives you more than the intended serving size, that can add up to a lot of extra calories you're unintentionally eating and not realizing it.

    The best way to get accuracy is through a scale and by weighing in grams/oz/lbs.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Weight is by far more accurate than volume. That has to do wiht something called bulk density.
    Plus a US cup is not the same as a UK cup size. TBH I avoid foods that are listed in volumes as I know right there and then that they will be inaccurate.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
    edited April 2016
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    The fix is to get a food scale with grams as a measuring unit.


    This morning my breakfast consisted (in part) if 2 slices of toast with butter. The nutritional value of the bread is 120cals per slice (40gr). Butter is 100cals per TBSP (14g). I had 2 slices this morning (weighing 69g) with 10g sweet cream butter. I logged that as

    1.73 servings of bread >>> 69gr serving div by 40g serving size >>> 208 cals
    .7 TBSP butter >>> 10g div by 14g serving size >>> 70 cals

    for a total of 278 calories rather than 340 calories, a savings of 62 calories

    Conversely, had my slices of bread weighed more than the standard serving size of 40g and had I "overshot" my TBSP of butter (a common result of "eyeballing" serving size), I could have easily underestimated my calories by 20%, negating much of the daily deficit I need to lose weight if I used the conventional "stated values" on the packaging.

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    Get yourself a food scale. Weigh all your solids. Log them in grams. Problem solved.
    Using measuring cups and spoons is not accurate logging.
  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
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    I have a pocket scale that's probably meant for drugs, but I use it in my kitchen instead. It was super cheap on Amazon.

    http://amzn.to/22ZjSB5
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Krisstastic_ wrote: »
    buy a scale. struggle is over lol

    Ding!
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
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    I have had no trouble finding measurements in tsp, tbsp, and cups in the data base. Keep looking. Or, as already suggested, get yourself a scale that weighs in grams. My scale does both ounces and grams.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    Because that's how the world measures stuff.
  • jvbrooks
    jvbrooks Posts: 82 Member
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    To echo everyone else, grams are certainly more accurate than pounds, ounces, cups, etcetera. I live outside the states and I find the imperial system bewildering -- why are there 16 ounces in a pound, for instance?

    The metric system makes perfect sense (1000 miligrams to a gram, 1000 grams to a kilogram; 1000 milimeters to a meter, 1000 meters to a kilometer; etc) in that regard, as well. Also, with ounces, there isn't a commonly-used smaller measurement, so you have to use fractions, whereas with grams you get more accuracy.

    So, I'd buy a scale and probably learn some of the common conversions. 1 tablespoon = 15(ish) grams, 1 teaspoon = 5(ish) grams, etc.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Not enough foods in grams in my opinion :( They get buried among all the weird "cup" and "piece" entries.

    Not long ago I struggled to find an appropriate banana entry in grams and surrendered to logging a "homemade banana, one banana".
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    Justifier wrote: »
    I have a pocket scale that's probably meant for drugs, but I use it in my kitchen instead. It was super cheap on Amazon.

    http://amzn.to/22ZjSB5

    Nah, I think a scale for drugs would be more accurate than 0.1 grams. I have one that measures down to 0.01 g, that's probably got me on a watch list somewhere :smiley: I use it when I make my own diet soft drink syrups - particularly with anhydrous caffeine, I need to be precise as overdoses could be deadly.
  • CherylM1977
    CherylM1977 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
  • kpeterson539
    kpeterson539 Posts: 220 Member
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    Justifier wrote: »
    I have a pocket scale that's probably meant for drugs, but I use it in my kitchen instead. It was super cheap on Amazon.

    http://amzn.to/22ZjSB5

    This. Is. AWESOME.

    You've made my day. :D
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    @CherylM1977 check out this video... Scales vs measuring:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk

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