Measuring fruit & veggies...

  • I'm a little confused about the method of measuring a whole piece of raw
    fruit/veggie for my fitday food journal. Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm doing it right, but I just wanna make sure...

    Okay, the banana is a perfect example. Do I measure the banana straight from end to end, even if it curves or do I "roll" my ruler along the outside curve? And how do you measure regular inches as opposed to linear inches? (I know the definition of linear, I'm just not sure how exactly it applies to a banana or other foods.)

    Also, I haven't really payed enough attention, but is everything listed with measurements in fitday always labeled with something like, "inches long or in diameter" to help you know what method to use to measure?
  • I tend to eyeball veggies and many fruits. The calorie difference between a 1/4 cup of green pepper and a 1/2 cup of the same is pretty insignificant (like, 7 calories). Bananas I just log as "large". Some are bigger, some are smaller, but I figure it all evens out in the end.

    The most precise way to figure this stuff out is to weigh your food out. I weigh sweet fruits like strawberries and pineapple and cherries because there can be a significant calorie difference in servings.
  • I have asked myself the same thing about bananas, but haven't found an answer. I assume you roll it along the curve, but I could be wrong. Whenever possible, I now use my diet scale to measure the fruit or vegetable. It's so hard to measure the diameter or length of an irregular thing like a fruit or veggie accurately!
  • I usually estimate when it comes to fruits and veggies, use my scale if needed. For instance with banana's I just look at it and say is it about that size? I figure if I am off by an inch or so it will be ok, plus I like to estimate high with some of that stuff to help keep the calories balanced out, 10 or 15 calories overestimated on each meal may add up some day right?