Weighing Food

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Does anyone weigh their meat before or after cooking it? Since starting MFP, I have been cooking and then weighing meat.

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  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,007 Member
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    I weigh it after I cook it.
  • dmcforthewin
    dmcforthewin Posts: 135 Member
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    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
    Ok. I Am planning to eat 4 ounces and I thought there might be a different amount with non cooked verses cooked, when actually weighing it at the end.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
    Ok. I Am planning to eat 4 ounces and I thought there might be a different amount with non cooked verses cooked, when actually weighing it at the end.

    There is. Cooking causes water to evaporate, which means your cooked weighs less than it did when it was raw.

    The key is choosing the right entry in the database. If you are weighing it cooked, you need to find a database entry that specifies cooked. The USDA entries often include a cooking method, like "chicken, breast meat, roasted" or something like that.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
    Ok. I Am planning to eat 4 ounces and I thought there might be a different amount with non cooked verses cooked, when actually weighing it at the end.

    There is. Cooking causes water to evaporate, which means your cooked weighs less than it did when it was raw.

    The key is choosing the right entry in the database. If you are weighing it cooked, you need to find a database entry that specifies cooked. The USDA entries often include a cooking method, like "chicken, breast meat, roasted" or something like that.

    This. You can do either; just be sure you're choosing a correct entry for cooked/raw. Generally raw is considered more accurate since it eliminates the variable of how much water was evaporated in the cooking, but isn't always practical.
  • SarahAnne3958
    SarahAnne3958 Posts: 78 Member
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    When I still used a food scale I weighed everything, including meat, before cooking, (but thawed if it was something I was defrosting). Same with grains-did dry weight before cooking them.
  • TryingAgain521
    TryingAgain521 Posts: 5 Member
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    I think the nutritional data on the package is pre-cooked because it will depend on how you prepare the food.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I think the nutritional data on the package is pre-cooked because it will depend on how you prepare the food.

    Yep. Unless the nutrition info on the package specifically says "as prepared" or something like that, the package is for raw. The entry you need to find in the database for cooked will be different than the package.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    I think the nutritional data on the package is pre-cooked because it will depend on how you prepare the food.

    Yep. Unless the nutrition info on the package specifically says "as prepared" or something like that, the package is for raw. The entry you need to find in the database for cooked will be different than the package.

    Bacon is the big exception to the generally weighed raw rule (I know you know - just pointing out for general knowledge. Plus, I get to talk about bacon! Mmm bacon...)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    before.

    now i want bacon
  • dmcforthewin
    dmcforthewin Posts: 135 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
    Ok. I Am planning to eat 4 ounces and I thought there might be a different amount with non cooked verses cooked, when actually weighing it at the end.

    There is. Cooking causes water to evaporate, which means your cooked weighs less than it did when it was raw.

    The key is choosing the right entry in the database. If you are weighing it cooked, you need to find a database entry that specifies cooked. The USDA entries often include a cooking method, like "chicken, breast meat, roasted" or something like that.

    That makes sense to looked for the version of cooking. I weigh my raw hamburger meat into 4 oz and then I free it and then just cook that amount.
  • dmcforthewin
    dmcforthewin Posts: 135 Member
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    pinuplove wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    I weigh it before. Personal preference. Less mess.
    Ok. I Am planning to eat 4 ounces and I thought there might be a different amount with non cooked verses cooked, when actually weighing it at the end.

    There is. Cooking causes water to evaporate, which means your cooked weighs less than it did when it was raw.

    The key is choosing the right entry in the database. If you are weighing it cooked, you need to find a database entry that specifies cooked. The USDA entries often include a cooking method, like "chicken, breast meat, roasted" or something like that.

    This. You can do either; just be sure you're choosing a correct entry for cooked/raw. Generally raw is considered more accurate since it eliminates the variable of how much water was evaporated in the cooking, but isn't always practical.
    Thanks so much! Will be sure to look for cooked or raw from now on.

  • dmcforthewin
    dmcforthewin Posts: 135 Member
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    Thanks everyone! Everyone seems to have the same idea. I will just make sure to look into the food database for raw or cooked, when putting in my food entries.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,485 Member
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    Compare what you find with the USDA entry.
    Once you have it saved in your diary you know the entry is correct every time you use it.
    It is a bit of work at the beginning, but once you have your diary filled with the correct entries logging gets a whole lot easier.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1

    Cheers, h.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    Completely agree with this ^^^^
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    Weigh only what you are going to eat. If a roasted chicken has a half cup of grease in the roasting pan, then you should only weigh it raw if you plan on drinking the chicken fat. Same for bacon. Not drinking the bacon fat that renders out? don't weigh it. And, as others have said, use an entry from USDA that corresponds to what you are weighing, i.e. raw or cooked.
  • dmcforthewin
    dmcforthewin Posts: 135 Member
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    Compare what you find with the USDA entry.
    Once you have it saved in your diary you know the entry is correct every time you use it.
    It is a bit of work at the beginning, but once you have your diary filled with the correct entries logging gets a whole lot easier.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1

    Cheers, h.

    Thanks for the advice!