I feel like such a nutter for asking this but here it goes...

You know that logging, measuring, weighing we all have to do. Oatmeal, is that a half cup measured before or after cooking?

My only excuse for being stuck on stoo-pid here is "Seasonal". Seasonal foods that is and oatmeal happens to be a warm, winter, comfey, filling food for me. Like a warm hug from the inside out.

In case your wondering I measured before cooking. Adding a cup and half mixed berries. It was the sweetest, tastiest, bit o'winter yet. But man that was alot of food to eat!! Thank goodness I missed my morning snack or I wouldnt of had room.

Thanks for taking the time.

There are no stupid questions!! Most of the time, the nutritional "serving" size is what comes right out of the box or bag. Some boxed things (like instant mashed potatos) may have the nutritional info for both the dry measured amount and "as prepared" (because you add butter/milk for preparation). The label will usually give the basis for the measurement, such as "dry weight". It is important to note that weighing foods is much more accurate than using measuring cups -- measuring cups and spoons vary. Their nutritional data is really based on the product WEIGHT, the volumetric measure (in cups, Tbsp) are provided for our convenience.

In the case of oatmeal, yes, you are right, the nutritional info is based on the dry weight measurement. Usually 1/2 cup of oatmeal is around 150 calories. And it is wonderfully filling which is why it's so great! I like to add in a half cup of fresh cranberries (30 calories) and cinnamon, or mix in a packet of sugar free hot chocolate (25 calories). I use unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk instead of regular milk (40 calories per cup) and Splenda to sweeten to taste. I normally use the Quaker Oats multigrain hot cereal which is 130 calories per half cup (dry), so can get a large bowl of oatmeal yummy goodness for around 200 calories. It's my favorite post-run breakfast!

I cook mine in skim milk, add a packet of splenda, a box of organic raisins, and a dash of cinnamon. To mix it up, sometimes I add mandarine wedges instead of raisins.
Or frozen raspberries.
I know the raisins aren't perfect, but the little boxes they come in are the perfect serving size, so I don't overdo it.
In total I get about 250 calories in the amounts I make for myself. But all good calories, some protein, no fat, lots of fibre, and as Wilford Brimley says, it sticks to your ribs. I am rarely hungry for at least 3-4 hours. It makes a great breakfast.

I lurve my oatmeal. I like the extra thick.

Lately I make a week's worth in a pot, and stir in one zested orange, 1 can pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and about 1/2T molasses. When I reheat in the morning, I stir in a generous amount of soy milk, then after heating stir in a couple T of flax meal. Yum. I even like it cold, although with cool weather I prefer heated. It's fun getting veggies at breakfast

Every box I've ever seen lists the nutritional data for a measured dry amount.

It would seem to me that the plain, cooked amount and the plain, dry amount would have the same calorie content, assuming one follows common package directions whereby the oatmeal is cooked with water. I think it's only when you've added whatever you like to have in it that the calorie content changes. I like to add a banana, sliced up, on top of the plain oatmeal in the bowl and eat it with a big glass of skim milk. I don't know how many calories that is, but I know that they are not 'empty' calories and that it keeps me full for a few hours, and that's all I want to know.

Oatmeal is so much more fulfilling now that I'm not eating it with butter and brown sugar, like we had it when I was a kid.

It's not the calories that change. It's the volume and weight. So if the label says 150 calories for 1/2 cup, you do have know whether they're talking dry or cooked.

Today I made 1/2 c. with skim milk, added protein powder, peanut butter, berries and flax... it was yummy. It's 1/2 c. dried, the serving size I use. But I might cut back to 1/3 c or so as this was a fairly big bowl. Oatmeal is on my do almost daily list now of clean eating to lose weight. I was eating bars for convenience a lot, and there's more junk in those...

I measure my oatmeal before cooking--yes, 1/2 cup.