How to measure out serving sizes?

LUHAN27
LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello, as much as I love making food: I have a hard time determining the serving size per container/per person. Some cans/ foods have it; others don't.
If a can of chickpeas says 3.5 cups per container, how many servings is that per person ? (0.5 cup per serving) I used Goya chickpeas. I think my calories are inaccurate? Is it 4 servings? So I can get 4 servings of 1/2 cup of chickpeas(??) I don't know how to enter it accurately in MFP database.Thanks!

Btw, I'm talking about the servings button; it's a number drop down menu on the app when you add your own recipe.

Replies

  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,589 Member
    When I'm entering the recipe for the first time before making it, I guess. Then, after the food finishes cooking and I look at how much is there, I mentally estimate how many portions it looks like. I go back and edit the recipe (if the portion number changed). And then I look at how many calories per portion it is, and I ask myself if I want to adjust portion size again! ;)
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    If it's something I'm making and putting in the recipe builder, I will wait until I'm dishing out servings/cutting it up, then counting how many servings and using that number.

    From boxed/canned goods, I use what the label says as a serving. The chickpeas you mentioned would have 7 servings per package. The U.S. used to have servings per container on the label but that was 15 years ago.
  • LUHAN27
    LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    If it's something I'm making and putting in the recipe builder, I will wait until I'm dishing out servings/cutting it up, then counting how many servings and using that number.

    From boxed/canned goods, I use what the label says as a serving. The chickpeas you mentioned would have 7 servings per package. The U.S. used to have servings per container on the label but that was 15 years ago.

    1/2 cup is 100 calories.

    So I would multiply by 7 giving me 700 calories in total?

    Or is it 7 servings per dish?
  • fredericktambunan
    fredericktambunan Posts: 63 Member
    Hands and fists lol
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    If you are using the recipe builder, then you would enter the full can of chickpeas into the recipe. Or if your recipe says "100g chickpeas" or "1 cup chickpeas, cooked, drained" then you would either use the grams measurement or put 2 x 0.5 cup servings to ensure your have the right quantity in your recipe.
    At this point it doesn't matter how many servings of chickpeas because you will be mixing them with other ingredients to create your finished meal.

    When you have cooked your meal, you have two choices:
    - if your recipe makes four servings and you are going to eat one serving (eg. 1/4 of the whole dish) then you enter four servings into the recipe and then log it as 1 serving.
    - you can weigh the finished meal (subtract the weight of the serving dish) and enter the number of grams as the number of servings. So, if the finished food weighs 754g, then you enter 754 servings. When you serve out your portion, weight it and enter the number of grams as the number of servings - if your portion weighs 263g, you enter it as 263 cals.
  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,896 MFP Moderator
    Honestly, if you want to be accurate with your tracking you need to give up on cups, teaspoons, and "servings" from the label. Weigh every ingredient in grams and enter it that way. You'll thank yourself later. I add all my ingredients in grams (including liquids, those have mass too) and then add up the amounts to get the finished food total. I choose a serving size of 100 grams, because I have a mental problem with entering 754 servings of anything. :tongue: For recipes that rarely change, like cookies or cake, I use the recipe builder.

    I've said it elsewhere and I'll say it again. Another feature you can use is "save meal". This allows you to enter all your foods for one meal and then save it for use in the future. Next time you add the meal and can edit the quantities of the various foods. I do this for meals we eat regularly but might change a bit - fajitas are a great example.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    I weigh the finished dish without container ( weigh container first and deduct from full container weight). E.g 1000g i lig as 1000 servings. Then weigh out what you want to eat ( put plate on scale and zero). Add in that amount as number of servings e.g 250g is 250 servings. Its the most accurate way. And easiest imo.
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