[Avalon1957]

HELP!

IP sheets say 4 cups of vegies a day

I recently switched from broccoli (which is easy to measure) to kale (which is very compressible and therefore hard to measure). Do I put the raw kale leafs in loosely in a measuring cup ... or pack the leaves in (removing the air). If I shred the leaves I can get a lot more in the cup. If I cook the kale then I can get loads more in a cup. Maybe 5 times more. How do I know what the right amount is? Maybe I can do it by weight instead of by measuring cups. Perhaps it doesnt matter since kale is so low in calories, but I didn't want to totally mess it up.

Any advise or ideas from the experts?

[starsandrockets]

I'm a packer when it comes to veggies, including the leafy ones, cramming as much into a cup as I can. I pack my leafy veggies so they aren't loose, but I don't squish them down so much that it completely crushes them. I don't know what everyone else does, but it works for me.

Also, make sure you are measuring your kale when it's raw, not cooked.

[Avalon1957]

very helpful! thank you!

[Lizzy63]

I figure most of the leafy vegetables are so low in calories, it doesn't hurt to pack it in. Or, mostly, I just eyeball it, rather than actually pack it in. So, maybe 4 c. loosely compressed vs. 2 if you really packed it in.

[Ruth Ann]

I always just packed it fairly tight but not enough to pulverize it.

Near as I can figure out from the all-knowing google though is 1 cup of raw kale is approximately 67 grams. So if you want to be precise you could weigh it.

[Avalon1957]

Good point Lizzy,

I was reading my package of frozen kale just now

Net Wt = 8 oz (227g) (or 1/2 pound)
Total Calories = 62 calories
Total Carbs = 10g
Total Fiber = 5g
Sugars = 2g
Protein = 4g

Cooked the package makes almost a cup. But loose and frozen I am guessing it might be 2-3 cups

[Avalon1957]

Thanks Ruth Ann. I kind of wish IP gave the weights of things instead of cups.

[Ruth Ann]

Me too! BUT be careful - frozen it would be even less (I made that mistake with spinach once. 2 cups of frozen spinach is ALOT of spinach).

It takes approximately 1.5 lbs of fresh spinach (if I remember correctly) to make 10 oz of frozen spinach. I never did find a good frozen vs. cup converter for that

[JLUS]

You can Google veggie weights equal to ne cup and get a great chart! I think IP figures saying "cup" is much easier than saying you have to look up every veggie you want to eat and get the correct weight! Some people would find that too labor-intensve every day and would just start eyeballing it!

[Ruth Ann]

Hi Laurie!

Do you know of a good converter that will give you frozen cups vs. fresh cups?

[Briael]

I just grab a fistful of the leafy stuff. My hands are very large (for a woman) so I figure it works out close to a cup (or just over).

Veggies aren't the real killer on IP, so if I'm over so be it.

[Slipfree]

Avalon, I loved homemade Kale chips, but I did not like the extra carbs from the Kale.

[Avalon1957]

Thanks for the responses everyone! All useful info.

[loser58]

I used a converter that I found online to figure out the weights of the veggies I have most often. I wrote them down and taped the paper inside the kitchen cabinet above the food scale - that way I don't have to remember the weights. I can't remember which converter I used, but it took me a while to find one that made sense. I think the first one I used suggested a weight for 2 cups of broccoli that looked more like 5 cups!

[Avalon1957]

loser58, if you could post that info (cameraphone pic?) that would be useful to some of us! thanks for doing that legwork