What is the default measurement for 'serving size' while creating recipes?

There is no default serving size for recipes. The serving size is whatever you want to make it.

Some people weigh the final product in grams or ounces, other people divide the final product into volume measurements, such as cups, tablespoons, 1/6th of a cake, 24 brownies per pan, 6 slices per pan of lasagna. Put the serving size information in the name text field of the recipe you create since there is no other place to put it.

Let's say the final product weighs 45g.

- Some will make the serving size 1g, In this case, set the number of servings as 45, i.e. divide 45g by 1g serving size to get 45 servings. When you log 16g of the recipe, you log 16 servings of the 1g serving size.

- Other people choose to divide the recipe into a reasonable serving size based on weight or volume measurement. In this case 45g divided by a 16g serving size is 2.8 servings. MFP currently does not allow for the input of a decimal when entering number of servings (they used to - MFP please bring back that capability). If possible, add water to the final product to bring the total weight of the final product up to a multiple of the serving size (3 times 16g would be 48g, so add 3g of water) and set the number of servings as 3, i.e. divide 48g by 16g serving size to get 3 servings. When you log 16g of the recipe, you log 1 serving of the 16g serving size.

Lasmartchika wrote: »

Since I weigh everything...

I weigh all the individual ingredients before cooking. Then at the end of cooking my recipe, I weigh the whole thing. So, say my finished recipe weighs 123 grams, then I'll put 123 servings. This way, when I weigh it on my plate, if I serve myself 25 grams, then I'll put 25 servings.

If your recipe says 16 tbsp total, then put 16 servings. If you eat 3 tbsp, then it'll be 3 servings.

I do this except I put the whole dish as 1 serving. Then when I weigh it I divide my portion by the total weight and log that. If the total weight is 500 grams and I eat 130 grams I log .26 as my serving. I don't usually try to weigh out one serving of anything. I just weigh the amount I eat, divide it by the portion size, and log it.

If I cook or bake something and it doesn't have an obvious serving (like one muffin) I weigh everything that goes into the recipe and calculate the total number of calories. Then, for me personally, I weigh the finished product and subdivide the large batch into 500 calorie portions and to me THAT is a serving. So if the whole batch has 3000 calories and weighs 3000 grams I'll subdivide it into 6 500 portions that each have 500 calories.

But there is no default or right answer to this question, that is just one example. I picked 500 calories for myself so I'd have roughly three 500 calorie meals in the day then add snacks for my total.

I do the weigh everything in and log it in the recipe then weigh the finished product thing. It's the simplest and most sensible way to me.

I equally divide the meal into containers when I'm finished preparing it...by cups, spoons, etc. Usually cups, because that's how I purchased my container sizes.

My default number of servings for cooking dinner, etc. is 6. Then, if that's one night's dinner, I get 2 servings (i.e. one third of what was cooked), my husband gets half of what was cooked and the kids split the remaining sixth (they're still a toddler and a baby). But I just pick that number because it's what happens to work for my family, and dividing a pan of food into sixths is relatively straightforward.

MotherOfSharpei wrote: »

I equally divide the meal into containers when I'm finished preparing it...by cups, spoons, etc. Usually cups, because that's how I purchased my container sizes.

Do you calculate the meal's calories per cup/spoon based on the gram weights of the ingredients?

Just in case you don't:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY