How do I accurately measure liquids like oils and sauce?

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sebanii
sebanii Posts: 7 Member
in Getting Started
Most nutrition labels give it in mls but if I use a measuring cup it's not as accurate as a scale and also consider the amount of "loss" transferring from one container to another.

I'd like to know how you'd measure pasta sauce! Plz advise!

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    With a liquid measuring cup or measuring spoons. Sauce usually has a gram measurement, so I weigh it.
  • sebanii
    sebanii Posts: 7 Member
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    @malibu927 like I said... Liquid measuring cups and spoons are not accurate to a tee and what's the point of measuring if it's not accurate. The sauce I bought only gives a measurement in tbsp which I not realistic and like I said how do u account for the loss during transfers?
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    Nothing is accurate to a tee. There are always variables. We get as close as we can and understand that it isn't perfect.

    If you don't want to use measuring cups and spoons, you can get into the ballpark by weighing. Water weighs one gram per milliliter. You can estimate liquid amounts (especially small amounts and liquids close to the density of water) by weighing the container, removing the amount you want, and then putting the container back on the scale to see how many grams you removed. If you know the density for the liquid you measured, you can do the math. If you don't know the density, you can use g=ml and understand that it's an estimate.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    While people talk about weighing the spoon also for what was used for scooping or moving a product, to count those calories when licked off - I've never heard someone say they weighed the plate after eating to subtract what wasn't eaten there.

    At some point reasonableness needs to the enter the picture or you likely won't sustain the effort.

    If there was so much high calorie oil that a cup was used for measuring, then the amount left in the cup is minor in comparison to the larger amount eaten.

    If you used a small amount, then the small amount left in the spoon is a again a small % of the total.

    Also, by weight is more accurate IF the manufacturer used weight to come up with the info. If they used volume also, then use the volume like some soups do.
    One brand goes by volume, one I have goes by weight.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    sebanii wrote: »
    @malibu927 like I said... Liquid measuring cups and spoons are not accurate to a tee and what's the point of measuring if it's not accurate. The sauce I bought only gives a measurement in tbsp which I not realistic and like I said how do u account for the loss during transfers?

    there is no gram measurement in parenthesis next to the tbsp like this 2tbs(31g)?
  • Sebani
    Sebani Posts: 24 Member
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    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    sebanii wrote: »
    @malibu927 like I said... Liquid measuring cups and spoons are not accurate to a tee and what's the point of measuring if it's not accurate. The sauce I bought only gives a measurement in tbsp which I not realistic and like I said how do u account for the loss during transfers?

    there is no gram measurement in parenthesis next to the tbsp like this 2tbs(31g)?

    unfortunately not >:(
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Sebani wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    sebanii wrote: »
    @malibu927 like I said... Liquid measuring cups and spoons are not accurate to a tee and what's the point of measuring if it's not accurate. The sauce I bought only gives a measurement in tbsp which I not realistic and like I said how do u account for the loss during transfers?

    there is no gram measurement in parenthesis next to the tbsp like this 2tbs(31g)?

    unfortunately not >:(

    what brand is it?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,872 Member
    edited April 2017
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    For most foods, I just assume ml and grams are close enough. Oil tends to be one of the really common liquid ingredients that's calorie-dense enough to worry about, and it's lighter than water, so 5 ml of oil should weigh less than 5 ml of water (by some pretty small amount); by assuming it's 5g of oil, I'm over-estimating the calories by a little.

    Another option would be to look at some similar-density food that does have a label with a volume measure and grams, and assume the equivalent. For example, if your sauce is tomato-y but not oily, use the tablespoon/gram equivalence for canned tomato sauce or tomato paste.

    Every single food we eat varies from our calorie estimate by a bit. Apple A is sweeter than apple B. Onion C has more carbs vs. fiber than onion D. Just estimate as accurately as you can, and it'll all even out. This is not gonna be what kills the effectiveness of your weight loss, I'm pretty sure.

    P.S. Another option, if the sauce is tasty: Lick the spoon. Now you ate all the calories. ;)

  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    sebanii wrote: »
    @malibu927 like I said... Liquid measuring cups and spoons are not accurate to a tee and what's the point of measuring if it's not accurate. The sauce I bought only gives a measurement in tbsp which I not realistic and like I said how do u account for the loss during transfers?

    They are as accurate as you need to worry about.

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