food scale? should i get one

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13

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  • amazon75
    amazon75 Posts: 165
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    I weigh and measure everything that I eat/prepare at home. When I'm going out of town for any length of time, my scale goes with me. And I keep a measuring spoon in my purse for when I'm out for things like dressing and syrup. I got the inexpensive Walmart one and I've used it so much in the 6 months I've had it that I just had to replace the battery.
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
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    Yes, buy and use one, doesn't have to be state of the art. I prefer digital. They aren't that expensive and they really are helpful especially if you are just getting a handle on how much you are eating.
  • ariant23
    ariant23 Posts: 161 Member
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    I too love mine... a handy hint is to lightly wrap in plastic wrap before doing raw meat... that way if a little drips while you're putting it on the plate, it's not a big deal to clean up. (Thanks Alton Brown (Good Eats, food network)) for turning me onto the scale and how much better it is for getting amounts of stuff right (he advocates it for baking, but it's good to learn how you can volume measure a non-liquid and get lots of different volumes for the same mass). I want to upgrade to one that does grams too, i'm always pulling out my phone to convert from grams on a label to oz on my scale. oh, and a tare function is pretty critical to making it useful.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    Use mine every day, 24.00, couldn't get by without it.
  • ♥Amy♥
    ♥Amy♥ Posts: 714 Member
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    Definitely get one! I got a cheap digital scale from WalMart for under $20 and I use it for EVERYTHING that I eat. It toggles from grams to ounces to lbs. and you can Tare it to zero it out. It's one of the best amounts of money you'll spend!
  • DataBased
    DataBased Posts: 513 Member
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    I had a $5 manual one from WalMart that worked great for YEARS, and really opened my eyes to portion sizes!
    I just picked up a $5 manual one from Target this weekend. LOVE it - and it's so great to be able to really know the portion sizes you are logging are on-target! This is it:

    13560443.jpg

    It's really neat because the top rectangular piece is a container for the food you want to weigh. After you wash the container, you put the scale part in it and cover it with a lid. Very neat and compact, which is great for those of us with small kitchens. You can get it at Target for $5.19 - here's the link:

    http://www.target.com/p/Taylor-Mechanical-Food-Scale-White/-/A-13560443?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|13560443&CPNG=kitchen&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13560443
  • sguinn75
    sguinn75 Posts: 14
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    I have one too! Sometimes it depresses the crap out of me when I am looking at all that white space on my plate but....... Eyeballing never really worked for me.
  • EmYounginTonga
    EmYounginTonga Posts: 87
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    I use mine daily!!
  • wjewell
    wjewell Posts: 282 Member
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    I ABSOLUTELY LOVEEEE mine! Best ever! Mine is maybe a little more pricy than a normal one, but I loveeee it! :) This is it.


    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UwEjdWM8KOU/TKfiafMbdAI/AAAAAAAAAG8/zNddxxM2a5c/s1600/Electronic+Food+Scale.jpg
  • mjn18
    mjn18 Posts: 74 Member
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    bump
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    I was just wondering about food scales. I've been thinking of getting one because I am not always that good at estimating, and also to learn what 1 portion of different foods REALLY are. Just wondering what someone who uses one thinks - does it help you a lot? Is it harder to log food on mfp with one? I know that a lot of items in the database have food in grams, but I don't want to constantly have to be entering new foods if something isn't in grams.

    Also, what brand do you have, how much was it, and should I buy it? :)

    http://goo.gl/RC8Ic

    It's accurate as compared to our ISO certified scales at work in our labs, so I assume that's accurate enough. It can measure in ounces or grams, is digital, and easily carries in your pocket or purse.
  • maritenour
    maritenour Posts: 107 Member
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    I really need to get one too
  • destinyshand00
    destinyshand00 Posts: 1
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    I bought a cheap on from Bed Bath an Beyond... it is digital but I used a coupon. Best 19.99 I ever spent... it it AMAZING what TRUE portions are!
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    We have 2 of them and weigh everything that we eat. Measuring is not nearly as accurate because everyone sees "1/2 cup" as a different level of full.

    Measuring is as accurate. How much is a half cup isn't a matter of opinion. It's four fluid ounces. "Handful" is a subjective, half cup is objective. The problem is people DON'T measure, they guess. About both weight and volume. Come on. Get real.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I just purchased one from Amazon that was recommended on here from some people and has over 3,000 positive reviews. It's only $25 with free shipping and you can toggle the reading from kg to grams to pounds and ounces. It has a tare button so you can zero out the weight of the plate or container. Love it!

    EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity

    This is the one I have, too. Just don't put your cell phone next to it while you're using it or it'll flip out...seriously, the batteries interfere with each other or something. Anywyay, I also paid $25 and it has been INSTRUMENTAL in my weight loss. Portion control is ESSENTIAL!!!
  • SanDiegoSarah
    SanDiegoSarah Posts: 24
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    I couldn't live without my food scale! I even weigh my cereal in the morning because I find it's so much easier than using a measuring cup. Definitely recommend getting one!
  • imthelobster
    imthelobster Posts: 179 Member
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    It is one of the best purchases I have made.

    I completely agree, it was so worth it.
  • Bonnieelizabeth
    Bonnieelizabeth Posts: 68 Member
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    It is a wise investment! We tend to overestimate what a true portion of food is. I have became very aware of this and measure food out on my plate before I sit down to eat. By doing this I am reminded to be very aware of what I am eating. Some scales weigh by grams and ounces others just ounces some others grams. By using this I do think you will meet your goal and will do it sooner and will be able to maintain for life. Cost less than 10 dollars .
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,015 Member
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    I love my scale, but I use a kind of fancy postal scale. It has oz/pounds and grams/kilos, so I can use whatever units the food is measured in. Plus, I know how much postage I would need to mail my supper first class, lol.
  • jenbooks
    jenbooks Posts: 55 Member
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    I bought this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CM8U06/ and it is fantastic.

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