Food scale weighing - Chicken with bones

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bethanyka
bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What is your process/ and what calorie range do you use for weighing chicken on the bone, i.e. drumsticks, thighs, with skin sometimes and without sometimes.
I've seen so many different numbers on different sites, and the numbers on the package do not specify if it's weighed on or off the bone... ? Confused!

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  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
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    Any time I weigh food that has "waste" (chicken or pork with bones, oranges, bananas, etc) I weigh it before, then I weigh the "waste" and take the difference. For meat, I still log under the boneless USDA entry. Probably as close as I'll ever get it. Sure, it's a lot of work, so it might depend how specific you want to be.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I am lazy so I avoid buying or eating chicken with bones.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    Stella3838 wrote: »
    Any time I weigh food that has "waste" (chicken or pork with bones, oranges, bananas, etc) I weigh it before, then I weigh the "waste" and take the difference. For meat, I still log under the boneless USDA entry. Probably as close as I'll ever get it. Sure, it's a lot of work, so it might depend how specific you want to be.

    that makes sense, good idea, but one more question--- the calorie information given on the package, or on most sites-- that would be meat only and no "waste" ?
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
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    Depends how you search for it. So, I would do something like "chicken boneless USDA" in the search box. Since it's not usually clear on the meat packaging (one would assume it's meat only), the USDA entries are widely accepted as being more accurate than many of the others.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    Stella3838 wrote: »
    Depends how you search for it. So, I would do something like "chicken boneless USDA" in the search box. Since it's not usually clear on the meat packaging (one would assume it's meat only), the USDA entries are widely accepted as being more accurate than many of the others.

    ok, all good ideas, thank you. another question-- doesn't meat cooked on the bone have more calories than cooked boneless/skinless meat, even if you take it off the bone and remove the skin ?
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    bethanyka wrote: »
    ok, all good ideas, thank you. another question-- doesn't meat cooked on the bone have more calories than cooked boneless/skinless meat, even if you take it off the bone and remove the skin ?

    If it does, it would be such a negligible difference that I would not even concern myself with it.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I am lazy so I avoid buying or eating chicken with bones.

    haha-- I USUALLY am too, but my store was out of boneless thighs, and the drumsticks were on sale...turns out to be such a project !!

  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
    edited April 2017
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    So, there's a Chicken Council... LOL! So, yes, there is a difference. And if you are eating the skin, an even bigger difference. You could always over estimate your entry, so instead of 3 oz, you put 3.2oz if you want to make sure your covered. That's why I mentioned it was close using my method. Not exact, but with all the other logging I do, I know if I miss it by 20 or so calories, it's not going to break my day.

    http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/chicken-the-preferred-protein-for-your-health-and-budget/the-nutritional-value-of-chicken/
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    Stella3838 wrote: »
    So, there's a Chicken Council... LOL! So, yes, there is a difference. And if you are eating the skin, an even bigger difference. You could always over estimate your entry, so instead of 3 oz, you put 3.2oz if you want to make sure your covered. That's why I mentioned it was close using the my method. Not exact, but with all the other logging I do, I know if I miss it by 20 or so calories, it's not going to break my day.

    http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/chicken-the-preferred-protein-for-your-health-and-budget/the-nutritional-value-of-chicken/

    oh, this link is great, thank you!
    yes, I have been overestimating, because I've been using the weight with the bone, and it's been like 12 ounces vs the 5 or so ounces it yields. which is a huge difference! wow, I could've probably had a whole extra leg.

    THANK YOU for the help, all.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
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    That's like getting free chicken!! Hooray!!

    giphy.gif
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2017
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    If eating at home without company I cut or pull the chicken off the bone and weigh it and log it using a cooked entry (and the part of the chicken it's from). I vastly prefer chicken cooked on the bone, so this is the main way I cook/log chicken.

    Use the USDA entries for cooked chicken, which vary by cooking method and part of the chicken.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    stella- I know! I am excited, my dinner which I calculated over 700 cals is only probably 400!

    lemur- thank you, this will be the way I do it from now on. Yea, the chicken cooked on the bone is a lot tastier, I agree.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
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    @lemurcat12 makes a great point. The entries will typically list cooked/uncooked and the part (breast, thigh, etc.) so just double check when you use something for the most accuracy. But, snap, that could be a good calorie savings for you OP!!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I am lazy so I avoid buying or eating chicken with bones.

    Gotta admit, this is me too... I generally buy/cook chicken breast without the skin. And trim as needed because the $1.99 per pound variety has a decent amount that needs to be trimmed.

    I do buy store brand frozen hot wings for the air fryer. Cheap & good. And just go by the package label that 5 pieces = 180 calories. I know its not perfectly accurate, but I'm ok with rounding/approximating sometimes.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    yea, it's frustrating making 2 drumsticks (baking with mixed veg for 75 minutes +) and getting 5 bites of the meat!
    but I did it to fit in the cals and even was coming close to my limit.

    I'll stick w/ the 2 drumsticks and then have a fudge pop :smiley:

  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I am lazy so I avoid buying or eating chicken with bones.

    Gotta admit, this is me too... I generally buy/cook chicken breast without the skin. And trim as needed because the $1.99 per pound variety has a decent amount that needs to be trimmed.

    I do buy store brand frozen hot wings for the air fryer. Cheap & good. And just go by the package label that 5 pieces = 180 calories. I know its not perfectly accurate, but I'm ok with rounding/approximating sometimes.

    I have an air fryer too! I love it and have yet to try the frozen wings! more ideas, more ideas.........

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