Confused about weighing ingredients

[Liz_S]

Hello

I'm a bit confused about weighing dry ingredients. I had some rice last night and weighed out 75g. The packet said 75g of cooked rice was 89calories. Once cooked I thought there seemed to be a lot of rice! I realised that it would be heavier once cooked.

Do people weigh rice/pasta etc. once cooked or is there a way of knowing how much dry product will weigh once cooked?

Realised I'd been doing this for a while now with cous cous and bulgar wheat thinking I was eating a lot less calories than maybe I had been!

However - week 5 weigh in and another 2lbs down so not all bad

[catch]

I weigh rice, pasta, etc dry and then cook it as it is easier than trying to cook the right amount and then weighing it! Most of the packs I've seen give you the calories for the dry weight, sometimes adding 'cooked as instructions' or something similar. 75g or dry rice is what I usually cook as a portion, but as you say it weighs quite a bit more than 75g once cooked!

[Geralynn]

I use an app called MyFitnessPal which is great for counting the calories. The packets give the dry weight and the app will scan the information from the barcode. You can then select the amount you need into your daily food diary. Good luck with your weight loss.

[Judywood]

I always use 50g dry weight of both pasta and rice - and 100g of new potatoes! Seems perfect to go with one portion of whatever!

[tania999]

Always weight it before cooking - there are these great little cups you can buy and you can just measure out small portions without weighing each time. Half a cup of rice is about right for one portion

[fenbadger]

Try experimenting. If that portion was too big, reduce it by degrees until you find the size that suits you. I don't have figures but rice absorbs loads of water during cooking (more than pasta hummus, cous cous etc) so of course it will weigh more. Half a cup sounds good - and always use the same cup.

[tillergirl]

Couscous. Uncooked 50g. = 185 cals

Rice. Uncooked 55g = 205 cals

Pasta uncooked 45g = 175 cals

Like others have said find something to measure 50g in ==. Yoghurt pot or something and then use that measure all the time.

It's a bit fiddly , weighing , measuring and calculating - to start off with but once you've got you measurements correct it becomes a lot easier.

I wrote all my measurements down on a piece of card and stuck them in the notice board in the kitchen as a handy guide.

[justchunkyreally]

Roughly 25g of dry rice will give you 75g when cooked. Same with pasta, when dry, it's about a third of cooked weight. that's an old w/w tip but I still use it as a guide. Sometimes it may be a bit less - depends on how well done you like it.

[Hieveeve66]

anyone start me off with how many calories is in scotts porridge oats and semi skimmed milk please to start me for my beakfast please

[Osiris275]

Measurements like that are all done dry weight, so you were right. I think 75g would be a portion if you were having it just alone.

My pasta says 75g is a portion too. I usually cook that and split it between 2 meals. Once you add sauces and fillings or toppings 75g is too much in my opinion.