I think I finally figured it out. It was a real effort to find out how many calories are in COOKED pasta! The box give calories for dry. Great, I cook for my whole family, so how many calories in cooked? At first I thought it was 105 per oz. I put a modest scoop on my food scale and it was 4.3 oz! I was temporarily very upset, but thought, oh well so this tiny bit is over 400 calories, I have the room for them. I figured out my sauce and meatballs no problem. I just couldn't believe that was right so I googled and checked and rechecked and discovered that 1 cup cooked is approx 197 calories. So then I weighed one cup and it came out to 4 oz which was approx what I served myself up - I was happy that it was only half the calories I thought it was!
Sheesh! I enjoyed it though! I ate slow and savored it. My cals for the day are at 1493 and I am allowed 1750. Woot!
Weighing pasta vs. measuring is really where it's at. I have found as a "rule of thumb" 2oz dry = 4oz cooked = serving size. Whole wheat pasta will give you more "bang" for your calorie "buck".
You could do an experiment one day weigh out some dry pasta, knowing how many calories are in your selection, then cook it and weigh again. Then you know how much to put on your plate in future Good luck! xx
You could do an experiment one day weigh out some dry pasta, knowing how many calories are in your selection, then cook it and weigh again. Then you know how much to put on your plate in future Good luck! xx
This is exactly what i do...i will weigh out a single serving of things then write down what they weigh after there cook. Ive got a little cheat sheet that ive got hanging on the inside of my cabinet door, it really helps.
You could do an experiment one day weigh out some dry pasta, knowing how many calories are in your selection, then cook it and weigh again. Then you know how much to put on your plate in future Good luck! xx
smart! and keep a cheat sheet as misspriss does
TX mary - yes it can be confusing. Last week I sent an email to Ronzoni about the info on their Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta, because of conflicting info on the box.
On the back of the box, under the Perfect Pasta Guide, it reads 1 portion is 1/4 box of pasta, 2 portions is 1/2 box, 4 portions full box Well the box is not a pound, as they used to be, but 11.25 ounces instead. Still, 1/4 of that a serving???
But on the side of the box, under Nutrition Facts -
Serving size, 2 oz.
Servings per container, About 7
I totally ignore serving sizes, I have to say. They are pure fiction half the time! A can of soup (400g) is two servings? Oh really...
I too get confused with pasta and any other dried product which needs to be rehydrated when it's cooked, like rice. I realised the other day I'm probably eating a lot more calories than I thought I was when I was eating short grain rice. Darn it. And yesterday I tried spatzle for the first time and I have no idea what kind of calories was in that, really! Doing a proper experiment seems like a great idea!
For pasta, I usually figure out the calories for the whole box, and then I count scoops for myself, the boyfriend, and leftovers. Then I can figure what percentage of the whole box I ate. It's an easy way for me to get a fairly accurate measure.
I am so glad I have a food scale. When I weighed out those 4 oz and saw how little it was on my plate I was shocked. Normally I probably eat 16-20 oz with gobs of meat sauce!!! So, I ate the 4 oz with my 1/2 c. of sauce and 3 meatballs slowly and enjoyed tasting every bite. I survived! I didn't feel like I was going to die if I didn't have more. I think that might be a NSV for me!
I rarely eat pasta because it's so calorie dense. I LOVE pasta, but for me to properly enjoy it, I need to eat a lot. I need to eat a lot of food to be satisfied, and small portions depress me, lol. I've been learning to enjoy my "pasta" dishes with sauces and meat on veggies instead. So props to you for being satisfied with a small portion, that's a great NSV.
I'm a calorie counting sinner in that I don't weigh my food. I measure it when I have the option, but I eyeball most of my portions. I use the rough estimate rules like 4oz meat = size of deck of cards. I realize it's not example, but it's been working alright for me.
A serving of cooked pasta is 1 cup, or roughly the size of a tennis ball
Dry foods that have water added will vary in calories depending on how much water is absorbed. So whether you weigh the portion after it is cooked or measure it, the more water absorbed, the more the food swells and weighs.
I always use the dry count for rice and would for pasta (which I don't eat). I count 1/4 cup dry rice for one serving, which I add 2.5 times the water. I make in one serving portions, so it's easy not to overeat.
When it comes to ready made foods, I figure a count for "cooked" on the data base I am using and don't worry about it. So if I have rice from a well packed carton from a chinese restaurant, I take a heaping tablespoon and count that as 1/2 cup. 2 heaping tablespoons as 1 cup. Yes, it's true, calories add up fast. Sigh.
I recommend experimenting in the kitchen some day, figuring out what your serving utensils hold and using water, pour it into a measuring cup to get an idea of what amount of food you are scooping up. I measured my eating bowls, my glassware, my serving utensils and the amount my "tablespoon" and "teaspoon" of my dinnerware holds. I used cottage cheese (had it handy) for the bulky food measurements. What is nice is not having to always use measuring spoons and cups for everyday meals and being able to eat at the dinner table and not feel like I had to measure every single item.
I am also a big fan of the book, One Bowl by Don Gerrard. I eat all of my meals from the same bowl which hold only 2 cups of food. Works for me.
I measure dry pasta by weight and go by that. I'll usually cook 3 oz of dry and then have that over 3 days. I do just eyeball the thirds, but I don't worry too much because I know that over the 3 days, I'm getting exactly 3 oz so it all balances out. The only thing that throws me off is when my 5 year old decides he wants to eat what I'm eating and he messes with my 3 servings! lol!
Calorie Counters--I just found Fiber Gourmet pasta. It has 40% fewer calories than regular pasta without compromising taste or texture. This is nothing like the shirataki noodles. This tastes like regular pasta and it has 18g of fiber per serving.
Calorie Counters--I just found Fiber Gourmet pasta. It has 40% fewer calories than regular pasta without compromising taste or texture. This is nothing like the shirataki noodles. This tastes like regular pasta and it has 18g of fiber per serving.
I had to bump this comment. I am a HUGE fan of Fiber Gourmet. I buy the elbows in bulk and it is the only pasta I eat, and it eat it a lot. It is 1,000% worth whatever hassle you go through to order it off the internet. I love this so much that if anyone is worried about taking the plunge, post here and I will send you a serving of the elbows so that you can try it.
It is awesome and spectacular and I love it!!!
p.s. I always weigh out my amount of pasta dry and then cook it in a separate pot.
I'm tempted just not sure. Maybe I'll take the plunge and buy some offline. My local stores won't carry it.
You should give it a try! I got an email earlier this week that they now make spaghetti and lasagna shapes. I've been longing for lasagna noodles from them, so I'll be making an order soon.
Pasta is so confusing!!
weigh out some dry pasta, knowing how many calories are in your selection, then cook it and weigh again. Then you know how much to put on your plate in future 
Well the box is not a pound, as they used to be, but 11.25 ounces instead. Still, 1/4 of that a serving??? 
