Calorie/Measurement Question
 

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, yes? Does that apply to things like cauliflower and the such? Like if I am measuring a cup of cauliflower, do I measure out 8 ounces or what? :/

Fluid Ounces and Weight Ounces are different.

So, for example, 1/4 cup of water = 2 liquid ounces. But 1/4 cup of different substances may weigh different amounts (also ounces, but this time the weight kind, not the liquid kind).

If you want a cup of cauliflower, you want that measurement by volume. If you're using a weight-based calorie calculation (X calories per ounce), you want to use the weight.

Wow, I just got confused even more :o :lol:

The scale I have does ounces so about how many ounces would be in a cup of cauliflower? :/

I just found this do-dad via Google,http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking...alculator.aspx, think it could be pretty accurate? From what I can tell, it shows 1 cup of cauliflower at around 3.5 ounces.

I just have to say if that is pretty accurate, talk about an eye opener for me. I have been measuring 1 cup of whatever I am eating at 8 ounces :o

Yep - ounces WEIGHT is different than LIQUID ounces.

A cup measure has 8 liquid ounces, but depending on what you are measuring, can weigh vastly different amounts. A cup of spinach weighs about 2.6 ounces. A cup of all purpose flour weighs 4.5 ounces. A cup of peanut butter weighs 9 ounces.

Liquid ounces (like in a cup measure) measure volume. Weight ounces measure weight.

Wow, I am glad to know this. Now maybe I will finally be able to get to goal since I can calculate my calories a bit better :o :lol:


Thanks Amanda :D :hug:

I try to find the calories per ounce and weigh versus using a measuring cup. I figure going by weight is going to be more accurate. Cauliflower is 12.4 calories per ounce so 3.5 weighed ounces is only going to be about 43 calories.

You may find it easier just to switch your scale over to grams (there should be a way to toggle units). Every nutritional label I've seen gives the gram weight of a serving in additional to volume, and there is no ambiguity.

(This, BTW, is one of the reasons the metric system is really better)

I find measuring stuff like strawberries and cauliflower by the cup to be really confusing-- because they don't fit right in the cup! Weight is easier.

Hmm, wondering if you've just stumbled on another explanation for folks that are sure they are eating a low amount of calories but not losing...

I know I've been underestimating my calories. I may be farther along had I had this information. I have been measuring everything the same on my digital scale. Like 8oz of watermelon=1cup. WOW!! What an enlightening moment. I have been eating more than I thought I have.

I am confused guys. Please bear with me. So if I am eating a cup of rice, should I use my measuring cup and fill it up to 8 ounces or should I buy a food scale?

Fluid ounces and weight ounces are completely unrelated. It's like if a gallon was called a "fluid foot", so a person might be 5 feet tall and carrying 5 "fluid feet" of water, but those two quantities would have no relationship to each other.

There are 128 fluid ounces in a gallon, but a gallon of water weighs 133 ounces.

A gallon of rice would weigh many fewer ounces, but still be 128 fluid ounces because it would take up the same space.

Usually when something is given in "fluid ounces" it will SAY fluid ounces, and if it just says "ounces", they mean dry, or weight, ounces. But you have to use common sense.

One dry/weight ounce weighs 28 grams, so you can use that to check.

The best thing you can do, IMHO, is just switch to 1) all weight and 2) all metric. This confusing crap is why they rest of the world thinks we are just being pig-headed about metric.

I am trying to weigh just in ounces and not by cups but let's say for example, when I go to add my calories on my do-dad for the day and it reads 1 cup cauliflower, I need to know how many ounces in that "cup" of cauliflower so I can be sure I am calculating correctly. On the site I use, it reads 1 cup of cauliflower as 25 calories, is that too incorrect? I am so confused again :/