Calories "when OVEN cooked according to instructions" - would microwave be different?

watb108
watb108 Posts: 10 Member
edited May 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
What does this food label mean exactly?

Would the calorific value be different if I heated the pie by microwave instead?

6mg7klo1uq0s.jpg

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Meaning you are adding ingredients only as directed. Adding more/less/different ingredients would change the nutrition details. Such as using more or less oil, or a different type of oil.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I imagine you'd lose more water when cooking in the oven. So 100 g oven cooked would have slightly more calories than 100 g microwaved. But this difference would be slight, so go ahead and use the oven values.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ps - If you are going to eat the whole thing yourself, it's a non-issue - use servings instead of grams.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    What does this food label mean exactly?

    Would the calorific value be different if I heated the pie by microwave instead?

    6mg7klo1uq0s.jpg

    maybe they expect that one person to deep fry it and then complain that it was higher in calories.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited May 2017
    (or taking a partial weighed serving as described above - they list the nutritional info for post-cooked for convenience)
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    I'm still confused, sorry.

    It's a single-serve cottage pie for one person.

    So if I cook the whole thing and eat it all myself then will it make any difference if I do it in the oven or the microwave?
  • sosteach
    sosteach Posts: 260 Member
    NO
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    I'm still confused, sorry.

    It's a single-serve cottage pie for one person.

    So if I cook the whole thing and eat it all myself then will it make any difference if I do it in the oven or the microwave?

    Nope. Not a bit.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    Nope
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Its still a microwave OVEN, am I right?! No difference!!
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    I think they just mean the serving size is 303g if you cook according to directions. If you microwave or use some other method, it won't be 303g. It may be 324g or 298g when you weigh it cooked. I don't think the calories will change for the whole package, but the weight will.
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    cross2bear wrote: »
    Its still a microwave OVEN, am I right?! No difference!!

    Well yes, I guess so. Just a normal microwave.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    I'm still confused, sorry.

    It's a single-serve cottage pie for one person.

    So if I cook the whole thing and eat it all myself then will it make any difference if I do it in the oven or the microwave?

    using a stove vs a microwave vs a stove isn't going to change the nutritional profile or the calories...
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the replies.

    Am I right, therefore, that in theory even if I ate it UNCOOKED it would still be the same 211kcals?

    Obviously I won't do that, but I'm just trying to get my head around it all.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies.

    Am I right, therefore, that in theory even if I ate it UNCOOKED it would still be the same 211kcals?

    Obviously I won't do that, but I'm just trying to get my head around it all.

    Don't do that! But yes, still the same 211 kcals.
  • ddddddddBatman
    ddddddddBatman Posts: 12 Member
    The box says 350g and 70 calories per 100g. That makes 245 calories. What difference does it make if some water is lost in the cooking? Surely there is still 245 calories of food?
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the replies but I find this whole area of mass/volume very confusing. I should've paid more attention at school I suppose! :(
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    It's just that depending on cooking method, more or less water weight will cook out of the finished product changing the weight of the finished product. But yes, the calories and nutrition for the package stay the same.

    So, raw it is 350 g and 211 kcals. Cooked for 35 minutes in the center rack of a preheated 200C oven and left to stand for 1 minute, it is 303 g and 211 kcals. Cooked in a pan on your stovetop or over a campfire or in your oven at 250C for 13 minutes, it's still 211 kcals, but you'd have to weigh it to see how many grams it is.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies.

    Am I right, therefore, that in theory even if I ate it UNCOOKED it would still be the same 211kcals?

    Obviously I won't do that, but I'm just trying to get my head around it all.


    Perhaps.. However, cooking some things makes their calories more bioavailable. So it might depend.

    The box says 350g and 70 calories per 100g. That makes 245 calories. What difference does it make if some water is lost in the cooking? Surely there is still 245 calories of food?

    Yes, Water has 0 calories.
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    So, raw it is 350 g and 211 kcals.

    But that's the part I don't understand.
    The weight on the box says 350g and the nutrition label says 70cals per 100g. 70x3.5 = 245cals?
    Can you explain this part please? Sorry for being thick.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    edited June 2017
    watb108 wrote: »
    So, raw it is 350 g and 211 kcals.

    But that's the part I don't understand.
    The weight on the box says 350g and the nutrition label says 70cals per 100g. 70x3.5 = 245cals?
    Can you explain this part please? Sorry for being thick.

    Right - but, if you notice the note denoted by ** - it states that, when cooked per directions, the weight is typically 303 g. Thus, 70*3.03=212. That 1 Calorie is likely due to rounding somewhere - it's likely ~69.6, rounded to 70 Cals per 100 g.

    eta: Side note: this is probably the biggest reason you'll see people recommending using raw weights, when possible, as opposed to cooked. This obviously can't happen here where the nutrition label only gives a cooked profile, though.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Honestly, if the box is a single serving and you're not adding anything to it to change the calorie count, I'd just log what's on the box. While the weight (and thus amount of food and thus calories) can and likely does vary slightly to what's on the box, I'd call it 'good enough' and carry on.
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
    If it's waitrose/M&S - Some people brush the top with milk or egg or add cheese. Some also add more mash. Sometimes these ready meals will be used in cafes and restaurants and adjusted. Calorie count only applies to the product as is.
  • celestestar
    celestestar Posts: 41 Member
    watb108 wrote: »
    But that's the part I don't understand.
    The weight on the box says 350g and the nutrition label says 70cals per 100g. 70x3.5 = 245cals?
    Can you explain this part please? Sorry for being thick.

    The weight 303g ** (211 cals) are for the whole pie has cooked per according to instruction. The calories per 100g of the pie would therefore also be for the pie as cooked per instructions. (70cal x 3.03= 212cal) The extra 1 calorie is obviously from the calorie per 100g being rounded up.
    watb108 wrote: »
    ... So if I cook the whole thing and eat it all myself then will it make any difference if I do it in the oven or the microwave?

    The only difference between cooking it in the stove oven compared to the microwave oven would be the amount of water that was evaporated while being cooked. Since water has zero calories and as long as nothing was added/removed, the pie will still have the same amount of calories (211cal) cooked in a microwave as it would be cooked in an oven.
  • watb108
    watb108 Posts: 10 Member
    Am I right that more water would be evaporated in a conventional oven as opposed to the microwave?
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    It's only referring to you not adding any other ingredients in order to cook it another way, like if you scooped it out and sauteed it or some weird *kitten*.