Figuring out serving sizes is making me want to break things

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  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    Stick with the scale. It won't steer you wrong.

    When it comes to counting calories for peanut butter, I'd be absolutely lost without it.


    please elaborate. I use the "ping pong ball" size as a guide (for 2 tbsp), and eyeball it.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I always go by the scale and not the measuring cups when measuring things out that are not liquids. I find sometimes even measuring cups vary by brand and type in the amount they actually hold.

    I only use measuring cups for baking now... My little kitchen scale has become by best friend!

    Baking is more accurate by weight as well, you just have to do the conversions, or buy cookbooks with weights.
  • ifarteditstinks
    ifarteditstinks Posts: 3
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    OK, not to sound silly, but did you zero out the weight of the cup itself? I do that but sometimes my scale goes wonky--I have to really watch that--could that be? Good luck

    If I hadn't zeroed out the scale after putting the cup on it, it would have been over 28g before I even put any cheese in it. :tongue:
    3
    agreed. :)
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
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    logicaly you will be eating more calories then before, but what you though you where eating won't change. i have the same scale, love it!
  • buckeye25osu
    buckeye25osu Posts: 2
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    Slices of cheese I'm using are 19g and are 60 or 70 cals. So 28g is roughly a slice and a half which would be between 90 and 105 cals. Your shredded cheese is 110cals so thats in the ballpark.
  • BoxingClever
    BoxingClever Posts: 25 Member
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    The 1/4 cup comes from the pre-shredded cheese. In other words if you had a hunk of cheese that would fit in a 1/4 cup before it is shredded it would weigh 28g.

    This makes sense, but it doesn't make sense that they would then put that as the serving size on the SHREDDED cheese. A 1/4 cup of solid cheese is not the same as 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. So why would they use the same serving size? It seems like common sense to use WEIGHT for anything that's not a liquid.

    Okay, I realize that my *****ing about it is ultimately pointless, but it just boggles my mind that whoever writes up the nutritional info actually thinks this is the best way to do it. :huh:
  • jujuwoome
    jujuwoome Posts: 32
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    Go by the grams not the container you are measuring it in.
  • PWanks
    PWanks Posts: 22 Member
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    The weight would be the accurate measurement. They just "estimate" that 28g would be 1/4 cup. Go by the weight.
  • BoxingClever
    BoxingClever Posts: 25 Member
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    Hmmm... I measure out 7 grams of shredded cheese every single morning to go into my eggs... My scale has it as MUCH MUCH less then what your scale is showing!! Are you sure that your scale is correct? Maybe it is malfunctioning? I could easily fit 28 grams of shredded cheese in one of my 1/4 measuring cups.

    The scale is brand new, and while I realize that doesn't mean it can't be wrong, I have tested it with other things to make sure it's accurate and haven't had any problems at all.
  • elid
    elid Posts: 209 Member
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    Anyway, bottom line is this: If I'm using the weight instead of the measuring cups measurement, I'm going to be eating considerably larger portions. I'd like to know if that means I'm also eating more calories. Is that a stupid question?

    I don't think it's a stupid question. Here:

    Let's say a serving size of something is 100 calories. They list it as 1/4 cup or 50 grams. If you measure by the cup, you get about 25 grams. So if you use the volume measurement alone, you're getting 50 calories. However, if you go by weight, it's a lot more than just 1/4 cup.

    So to answer your question, if you go by weight in a case like I outlined, yes technically you'll start eating more calories, because while you were eating 50 before, now you'll be eating 100. However, your measurements will be more accurate, and you'll get to eat more food for what you were once counting as 100 calories.
  • natalieg0307
    natalieg0307 Posts: 237 Member
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    And to make things even worse......the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows for a 20 percent margin of error when documenting nutritional information on food labels
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    For curiosity sake, and since I was going to have 1 oz. of cheese anyway... I just cut off 1 oz. of cheese from my block, grated it, and it fit nicely into my 1/4 c. measuring cup. It actually had a little bit of room left. *shrug*
  • andrejjorje
    andrejjorje Posts: 497 Member
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    I agree with you.
    I've been having problems figuring out serving sizes ever since I started tracking, so I bought a scale. I'm making tacos tonight, and I wanted to figure out the servings of all the ingredients.

    The serving size for the shredded cheese is 1/4 cup (28g). Out of curiosity, I weighed out the 28g IN the 1/4 cup measuring cup. As you can see in the photo, it's heaping and falling all over the place because it will not fit in the cup. It actually FILLED the 1/2 cup measuring cup, which would mean 28g is TWICE AS MUCH cheese as 1/4 cup. Even squishing it down wouldn't get it to fit in the 1/4 cup.

    [img][/img]


    So.....WHICH IS IT?? Which serving has 110 calories as the package states? Because obviously 28g has quite a few more calories than 1/4 cup. Why the hell can't they just make the serving sizes according to WEIGHT for everything that's not a liquid?? How the hell is anyone supposed to know how many calories they're consuming when the measurement system is so completely f**ked?? :explode:

    OMG, this is beyond frustrating.
  • mrsjennifermaffei
    mrsjennifermaffei Posts: 469
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    Honestly, I would write down the amount for 1/4 calorie wise and just take the cheese thats over flowing and put it back. If it's less...it's only going to help your diet, not hinder it. I've never had set backs because of something like this. I go towards the smaller end of things if I'm in doubt. Good luck.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    I stand by my first original thought: try weighing on saran wrap, then put to the measuring cup. You may be surprised. My scale acts so crazy if I 0 it out with anything on it. Don't know why, but it just messes it up.

    Additionally, I'd always err on the side of caution: use the 1/4 c. and if it's less calories then so be it (maybe a bigger loss in the end). If it's more, though, then yikes....over time could mean a gain or less loss.
  • JaimeBrown5
    JaimeBrown5 Posts: 324
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    Yeah actually come to think of it.. my cheese is 30g for each serving and your 28g looks like WAY more than my 30g. I know you said that you've tested it, but something isn't right.
  • Sabresgal63
    Sabresgal63 Posts: 641 Member
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    Did you weigh your measuring cup before you put the cheese in it? Buy a food scale, its your best bet. I have one that I bought at Target for $5 and I just love it!
  • RockChick1984
    RockChick1984 Posts: 239
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    sorry, but this post is making me :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
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    That definitely looks like 2-3oz of cheese. :P I WISH that was only 110 calories but it couldn't be as a simple cheese stick which is less cheese then that is 80 calories.

    I think your scale is wonky or I've been screwing myself over for awhile. :mad:
  • BoxingClever
    BoxingClever Posts: 25 Member
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    Did you weigh your measuring cup before you put the cheese in it? Buy a food scale, its your best bet. I have one that I bought at Target for $5 and I just love it!

    Uh.... its sitting on a food scale in the photo. And yes, I did weigh the cup before putting the cheese in it. (if I hadn't weighed the cup, the scale would have read over 28g before I even put any cheese in it)

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