How do you tell how much calories is in something if you just make a big pot of it? I don't know how to tell how much calories my supper has because I try to cook several different things, like stuff I put together. How do you count the calories? Add up all the ingredients you put in it and then divide it into servings or something? I hope I am not overestimating or underestimating. Help!
Usually when I serve more than one, which is often, I just add all the ingredients I used, and divide them up. For example, yesterday I made cheese and chicken penne. I calculated 1 cup of half & half, 2 tbsp of light butter, 4oz Parmesan, and 2 servings of noodles. Since that served two, I divided all the ingredients in half. Then added a 4oz chicken breast, and there ya go. It's painstaking, but worth it for an accurate number.
Usually when I serve more than one, which is often, I just add all the ingredients I used, and divide them up. For example, yesterday I made cheese and chicken penne. I calculated 1 cup of half & half, 2 tbsp of light butter, 4oz Parmesan, and 2 servings of noodles. Since that served two, I divided all the ingredients in half. Then added a 4oz chicken breast, and there ya go. It's painstaking, but worth it for an accurate number.
That's what I do too but then I write it down on the recipe so I don't forget next time. If I make up a recipe I wirte the whole thing down including the calorie count per serving. As Winter says it does take time but it's worth it. Otherwise I would start guesstimating everything.
I pretty much do the same thing. I add up all the ingredients that go into the entire meal and then divide by servings. But sometimes (like if I make Chili) It's hard to know how much the pot will serve (so I know what to divide by). In that case, I'll serve it out of my measuring cup (for everyone) and then I know what to divide by afterwards. Then I write it down so I know ahead of time next time. We really tend to eat the same stuff.
I don't know about other places, but I know on thedailyplate.com you can make meals so once you do it, you don't have to add it all up again the next time you eat it.
If it's something like soup or chili that I make a big pot of and don't really know how many it will serve, I enter everything in fitday, then pour the soup into a big bowl that will measure 16 cups. I note how many cups there were, then I dish myself up a cup at a time. That way no one else has to measure theirs, unless they want to, and I'll know how many calories I have consumed. It only adds about 5 minutes to my time (I've gotten really quick at entering things on fitday) and is well worth it.
Last night I made our "family spaghetti" for the first time since starting this program, and I used www.spark recipes.com with my spark people account. I was able to add the ingredients and then decide how many servings. Then, it gave me a nutritional breakdown for each serving. It was pretty cool! (And I was able to show my husband we could actually have our family pasta even though he is low carb!)
Hart to count calories
