How to measure pasta

Cadamek06
Cadamek06 Posts: 1 Member
edited July 2022 in Food and Nutrition
When I am recording pasta consumed, such as one of the Barilla products, and I see something like "3 ounces" and it gives me a calorie reading, Is it saying 3 ounces of uncooked pasta = x calories or is it saying 3 ounces after cooking = x calories? Obviously the cooking process causes the pasta to absorb water and is therefore much heavier, but also the water is a zero calorie component. Just don't know how to read the results.

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,839 Member
    Uncooked pasta (without egg) is always around 360 calories per 100gr, so if your entry is similar to that, it's for uncooked pasta. Cooked pasta has a lot less calories per 100gr (the calories are 'diluted' by the added water from boiling): 100gr of cooked pasta is equivalent to a much smaller weight of uncooked pasta.
  • siberiantarragon
    siberiantarragon Posts: 265 Member
    2oz of dry pasta are approximately 180 calories.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    Pasta and rice are a pain to me.

    I measure rice and pasta in grams on a scale before cooking. I want to say minute rice is 74 grams a serving, but I always double check the box.

    After I cook it I put the serving bowl on the scale and tare it. Next you put the rice or pasta in the bowl that’s already on the scale. Get that number and divide the grams by the number of servings that you made. So if the total grams of cooked weight is 600 grams, and you made 4 servings, each serving would be 150 grams.

    I plate all the food for our family so I weigh out portions with a
    scale. It may seem complicated, but I like routine and it is just second nature to me now.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Yeah, just use the numbers on the label for "dry" uncooked pasta. Same with rice. Look for entries in the database here that match your label or create a new food entry.

    If you're cooking a batch, then weigh the entire cooked batch and do the math for the cooked weight.
  • Qbaimee
    Qbaimee Posts: 158 Member
    Pasta is easy for me. If I am cooking an 8oz package of pasta, I know there is 4 servings in it and I just weigh the cooked pasta and divide by 4.

    Rice on the other hand... piSSes me off!!! LOL..
  • nsk1951
    nsk1951 Posts: 1,304 Member
    Cadamek06 wrote: »
    When I am recording pasta consumed, such as one of the Barilla products, and I see something like "3 ounces" and it gives me a calorie reading, Is it saying 3 ounces of uncooked pasta = x calories or is it saying 3 ounces after cooking = x calories? Obviously the cooking process causes the pasta to absorb water and is therefore much heavier, but also the water is a zero calorie component. Just don't know how to read the results.

    Where are you looking that you see 3 ounces? All the packages I've ever seen measure pasta by dry weight at 2 ounces ir 56 grans, ,,, that would be dry weight. Sometimes the package will also list about how many cups cooked it would be ... I've seen that for elbow macaroni. ...

    The best suggestion I can offer is to do a kitchen experiment and write down the results ... Like ... weigh and measure the dry weight and then cook it and then weigh and measure the cooked weight .. for one portion based on the package nutrition label. Then you will know for certain and if 1 portion is not the correct amount for your serving size, you will know which way to adjust it for yourself.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    nsk1951 wrote: »
    Cadamek06 wrote: »
    When I am recording pasta consumed, such as one of the Barilla products, and I see something like "3 ounces" and it gives me a calorie reading, Is it saying 3 ounces of uncooked pasta = x calories or is it saying 3 ounces after cooking = x calories? Obviously the cooking process causes the pasta to absorb water and is therefore much heavier, but also the water is a zero calorie component. Just don't know how to read the results.

    Where are you looking that you see 3 ounces? All the packages I've ever seen measure pasta by dry weight at 2 ounces ir 56 grans, ,,, that would be dry weight. Sometimes the package will also list about how many cups cooked it would be ... I've seen that for elbow macaroni. ...

    The best suggestion I can offer is to do a kitchen experiment and write down the results ... Like ... weigh and measure the dry weight and then cook it and then weigh and measure the cooked weight .. for one portion based on the package nutrition label. Then you will know for certain and if 1 portion is not the correct amount for your serving size, you will know which way to adjust it for yourself.

    Alternate serving sizes seem to be a thing on some pasta products here. This one isn't Barilla, and the alternate size is 3.5oz not 3oz, but same concept. In this case, I think it's maybe so they can boast 23g protein per serving on the front of the package. (It's red lentil pasta.)

    4t6clkb9mg31.jpg

    OP, as others have said, it's dry (uncooked) weight. Generally, if there's no other info on the label, the serving size is as you find the food in the package, not prepared. If it's something else, there should be qualifying words like "3 oz. as prepared".
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    When we have pasta at my house, I'll make my family's in one pot, then I'll make my own after measuring what I want dry in a small pot on the side. It's a little bit of a hassle.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    nsk1951 wrote: »
    Cadamek06 wrote: »
    When I am recording pasta consumed, such as one of the Barilla products, and I see something like "3 ounces" and it gives me a calorie reading, Is it saying 3 ounces of uncooked pasta = x calories or is it saying 3 ounces after cooking = x calories? Obviously the cooking process causes the pasta to absorb water and is therefore much heavier, but also the water is a zero calorie component. Just don't know how to read the results.

    Where are you looking that you see 3 ounces? All the packages I've ever seen measure pasta by dry weight at 2 ounces ir 56 grans, ,,, that would be dry weight. Sometimes the package will also list about how many cups cooked it would be ... I've seen that for elbow macaroni. ...

    The best suggestion I can offer is to do a kitchen experiment and write down the results ... Like ... weigh and measure the dry weight and then cook it and then weigh and measure the cooked weight .. for one portion based on the package nutrition label. Then you will know for certain and if 1 portion is not the correct amount for your serving size, you will know which way to adjust it for yourself.

    Alternate serving sizes seem to be a thing on some pasta products here. This one isn't Barilla, and the alternate size is 3.5oz not 3oz, but same concept. In this case, I think it's maybe so they can boast 23g protein per serving on the front of the package. (It's red lentil pasta.)

    4t6clkb9mg31.jpg

    OP, as others have said, it's dry (uncooked) weight. Generally, if there's no other info on the label, the serving size is as you find the food in the package, not prepared. If it's something else, there should be qualifying words like "3 oz. as prepared".

    3.5 oz is pretty close to 100 grams -- I wonder if it's an attempt to have a standard amount to compare across foods as well as brands.

Categories