Sorry, how many servings per packet?

Deviette · July 2018

Excuse the rant.

So in almost every supermarket I've shopped in, you can buy those packets of fresh tortellini. They're yummy, and freeze well. Perfect for a lazy dinner. Wonderful. One packet does two people for a nice filling meal. And recently I've noticed that the calories per serving seems to be lower than I remember it being at my local Sainsbury's. Wow, that's great...right? Expect then I looked at the number of servings. "Per 1/3 Packet".

I'm sorry, no. Nobody is having 1/3 of a packet. They're having half of one. Doing a little bit of research it appears that they might've slightly increased the weight of the pack, so there is actually more in the packet. But not enough for another person (based off the previous serving size). It's quite clearly a cynical attempt to make their product seem more healthy/less calories than it is.
Side note: Interestingly, on the online shopping store, the same packets are listed for two people

So you guys got any more ridiculous serving sizes?

TavistockToad · July 2018

on the rare occasion i buy it, i have a whole pack to myself! :laugh:

all cereal... 30g... yeah, no!

livingleanlivingclean · July 2018

I don't think I've ever looked at serving sizes on a packet - our labels have per 100g info as well, so I just go by that and eat as much as I like (or as much as I can fit in)

I do think single pieces of normal sized food (1 cookie, 1 bar etc) that are more than 1 serving are ridiculous.

MichelleWithMoxie · July 2018

Microwave Popcorn. That should come with an advanced degree to figure out the maths needed to determine 1 serving size.

kommodevaran · July 2018

I'm so happy I live in a country where "serving sizes" isn't a thing. Calories per 100 grams, and self control, is sufficient to make a decision.

Deviette · July 2018

kommodevaran wrote: »

I'm so happy I live in a country where "serving sizes" isn't a thing. Calories per 100 grams, and self control, is sufficient to make a decision.

I'm not sure it's required on labels here (UK) as not everything has a serving size. Most things do though, so maybe it's that there are certain things that have exemptions.

I think the idea is that it should be able to give you an vague idea of what a sensible portion size should be, reducing food waste by preparing too much food. Similar foods may not translate to same amounts. So for example, rice and couscous tend to have a similar roles on my plates for different meals, but I wouldn't know, off the top of my head, how much a serving size should be. Without this I'd probably over compensate (as I used to before I bought food scales and paid attention to portion sizes), and then not eat and throw away the excess.
Edit for a much better example: It also means that when you buy, say, a packaged sandwich, it'll tell you how calorific the pack is, and not just letting you work it out yourself using the weight and package size.

Generally I like it as a concept but, of course, some companies take this as an opportunity to try and make their food seem less calories than is sensible.

Actually my most annoying one has got to be when you buy something and the serving size doesn't decide evenly into a packet. For example: Packet size 100g, serving size 30g. Or: Pack of 5 chicken wings: 3 servings.

Lounmoun · July 2018

Some frozen pizzas give a serving size as 1/5 of a pizza. Cutting a pizza into 5 pieces is awkward. I doubt anyone is really cutting their pizza that way.

Nativestar56 · July 2018

Some packets of crisps have silly serving sizes. The individual packets of mini cheddars that they sell next to the sandwiches as part of a meal deal in the supermarkets are 50g. Nutrition info: 128kcal per serving. Sounds great until you see that 25g is a serving so if you eat the packet its 256kcal. And hardly anyone has the restraint to only eat half a packet, especially when they're marketed as part of a single person's lunch.

snickerscharlie · July 2018

Nutritional labels with ridiculously small serving sizes, although misleading, aren't illegal, unfortunately.

All the more reason why anyone interested in weight management needs to learn how to interpret them correctly.
Nutritional values here are also listed in grams, thankfully, which makes figuring out how much it 'costs' a lot easier.

But yes, this practice seems deliberately deceptive.

snickerscharlie · July 2018

One of my favs is Pop Tarts. 2 Pop Tarts come in each individually sealed package. Serving size? Only one of 'em.

TavistockToad · July 2018

snickerscharlie wrote: »

One of my favs is Pop Tarts. 2 Pop Tarts come in each individually sealed package. Serving size? Only one of 'em.

yes!!!! :laugh:

beaglady · July 2018

I recently bought single packets of Fig Newtons, listed at 100 calories per serving. Except that a serving is one cookie, and there are 2 in the pack.

cheryldumais · July 2018

Yup, bought naan once thinking it was 180 calories per piece. Wow great deal right... Then I rechecked the pkg and saw it was for half a piece? Who eats half a piece of bread?

layladrew26 · July 2018

Microwave rice is meant to be 2 portions a packet @ around 200 cals per portion. Seems quite low in calories but its a tiny portion for one person. Ok if your having chips with it though or a tonne of veg.

seska422 · July 2018

I'm also irritated by about. Don't tell me that servings per container is about 2 or about 5 or whatever.

Campbell's soup did everything they could to hide the number of calories in a whole can before the new labeling rules made them disclose that. The serving size was by volume but the amount in the can was listed by weight and a can had about 2 servings. I ended up filling an empty can with water so that I could weigh the water to get the volume of the can.

ruqayyahsmum · July 2018

Protein cookies
A serving is half a cookie

What random weirdo is sat slicing a cookie in half to save for another day

hesn92 · July 2018

Lots of individually packaged muffins and cookies etc. will list a serving as "half a muffin" like wtf?? Who eats half a muffin? And a bag of chips at Jimmy Johns, a serving is "half a bag" ? um what? Why would you sell them individually packaged if it's not meant to be ONE SERVING!

nutmegoreo · July 2018

I had a granola cereal that came in individual packages. There were 4 packages in the box. Number of servings per box? 10. Each packet was 2.5 servings.

hesn92 · July 2018

nutmegoreo wrote: »

I had a granola cereal that came in individual packages. There were 4 packages in the box. Number of servings per box? 10. Each packet was 2.5 servings.

LOL they should not be allowed to do that. What are you supposed to do, keep that last half serving and then combine it with half a serving from the next packet??

Running_and_Coffee · July 2018

ruqayyahsmum wrote: »

Protein cookies
A serving is half a cookie

What random weirdo is sat slicing a cookie in half to save for another day

My husband found a big box of sliced-in-half Larry's protein cookies in Ziploc bags. I am that random weirdo!! I stopped eating them a while ago....a TON of calories for such a small slice of a pseudo treat!

peleroja · July 2018

cheryldumais wrote: »

Yup, bought naan once thinking it was 180 calories per piece. Wow great deal right... Then I rechecked the pkg and saw it was for half a piece? Who eats half a piece of bread?

This is the one I came to mention. Naan always seems to have half a piece as the serving size and it drives me crazy. Who is cutting that little six-inch round in half?

I like to use them as the base for a quick pizza-type snack for my husband, but I can't bring myself to eat them because 300 calories for a boring piece of bread...nope.

Sorry, how many servings per packet?

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