Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

[DLS]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

Volume measures (fluid ounces) and weight measures (dry ounces) only equal each other for water, butter and another thing I can never remember (but it's not veggies!)

Therefore, if you measure 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces of butter, it will weigh 8 ounces, but if you measure 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces of flour it weighs 5 ounces.

If you look at fitday or the USDA nutrient database, you'll see that 1 cup of broccoli, raw weighs 88 grams. 88 gram is equal to 3.10 ounces. So 2 cups of broccoli is 167 grams or 6.2 ounces. Which means the 8 ounces of broccoli you are weighing is in reality about 2 1/4 to 2 1/3 cups. In other words, if 1 cup of broccoli doesn't weigh 8 ounces.

Look what happens if you try to weigh 8 ounces of raw spinach. the USDA says that 1 cup of spinach weighs 30 grams, which is about 1 ounce. That means if you'll have to eat 8 cups of raw spinach to get the 8 ounces of it----that's way above the 3 cup Induction limit.

When DANDR 2002 ed. first made its way across the Atlantic to the UK, the editors didn't take the fluid ounce and dry ounce difference into account. So some UKers were eating huge amounts of veggies because they were weighing 8 ounces instead of measuring 8 fluid ounces or roughly 240 ml.

I'm lost with this post. Especially the spinach one. Is there somewhere that says we "have" to eat 8 oz of spinach. I just want a more accurate reading of what I want to eat. Period. I don't want to mound up something that I shouldn't be having. But it is impossible to get "1cup" the same each time you measure broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, or spinach or whatever. Only liquids or powder products would be accurate for cups measurements to me.
My three oz of lettuce tonight was 2.4 carbs. That is about equal to the way I usually figure it at outer or inner leaves.

[LadyBethny]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

Volume measures (fluid ounces) and weight measures (dry ounces) only equal each other for water, butter and another thing I can never remember (but it's not veggies!)

Therefore, if you measure 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces of butter, it will weigh 8 ounces, but if you measure 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces of flour it weighs 5 ounces.

If you look at fitday or the USDA nutrient database, you'll see that 1 cup of broccoli, raw weighs 88 grams. 88 gram is equal to 3.10 ounces. So 2 cups of broccoli is 167 grams or 6.2 ounces. Which means the 8 ounces of broccoli you are weighing is in reality about 2 1/4 to 2 1/3 cups. In other words, if 1 cup of broccoli doesn't weigh 8 ounces.

Look what happens if you try to weigh 8 ounces of raw spinach. the USDA says that 1 cup of spinach weighs 30 grams, which is about 1 ounce. That means if you'll have to eat 8 cups of raw spinach to get the 8 ounces of it----that's way above the 3 cup Induction limit.

When DANDR 2002 ed. first made its way across the Atlantic to the UK, the editors didn't take the fluid ounce and dry ounce difference into account. So some UKers were eating huge amounts of veggies because they were weighing 8 ounces instead of measuring 8 fluid ounces or roughly 240 ml.

Yes, I see! Thanks!! I have been doing it right though because I have followed the grams recommendations in the book! Phew....!

[not2late]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

I'm lost with this post. Especially the spinach one. Is there somewhere that says we "have" to eat 8 oz of spinach. I just want a more accurate reading of what I want to eat. Period. I don't want to mound up something that I shouldn't be having.

In terms of the veggies, the book says 3 cups of veggies for induction.

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces. So if you mistakenly think that a fluid ounce is the same thing as a dry ounce, then you'll be eating 1 1/2 pounds of veggies in order to get those '3 cups' of Induction veggies.

That's why if you want to weigh your vegetables, use soliwit's list because she went through the nutrient databases and figured out how many grams 1 cup of a particular vegetable weighs.

But it is impossible to get "1cup" the same each time you measure broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, or spinach or whatever. Only liquids or powder products would be accurate for cups measurements to me.
My three oz of lettuce tonight was 2.4 carbs. That is about equal to the way I usually figure it at outer or inner leaves.

This is why professional bakers only weigh their ingredients--because they need a consistent product every time they bake. But in the US, most folks don't weigh foods. And those who actually measure their foods, use volume measurements, like cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc.

However, there is a problem with using scales to weigh foods. If a food is slightly dehydrated, then that food would weigh less than a food that isn't. For example, you buy a bag of zucchini just picked off the plant on the weekend. You don't get around to eating it until friday. Well, in the time that zucchini was hanging around your frig or on your counter, it lost some water. So the zucchini will weigh less on friday than it did on the weekend it was purchased. Which means you'll actually be eating more of the food because it weighed less and the the carb count will be higher than what is listed on the databases.

Mind boggling huh? If you're really obsessive compulsive you can really drive yourself crazy trying to keep track of things.

It is possible to measure items in cups. In fact, there are 2 volume measuring cups. A "dry measuring cup" to measure dry or semi-solid foods and a "liquid measuring cup" to measure liquid or semi-solid foods. If you look in the "Low Carb Cooking" forum, I have a thread (with pictures!) about this.

If you do use the cup measures, then it might to 'round up' the carb numbers. For example if 1 cup of food X is 2.3 net carbs, count it as 3 net carbs just to be sure.

[DLS]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

It is still too confusing to me. I don't really see that much of a difference between the two, if I weigh something slightly dehydrated, or if I measure something in a cup that has settled diffently from the last time I measured. NO ONE can ever measure and be exact. So I'm just gonna do the best I can with both ways of measuring and see if I stop losing.

Thanks for your help.

[DLS]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

TEST OF MEASURING VS WEIGHING

Okay, this evening I measured and weighed two veggies here are my findings. WEIRD!

I measured both raw. Measured first in a cup then poured onto scale.

Turnip greens 2 cups = 7.8 carbs 3.5 fiber == 4.3 net carbs
same amt 1.5 oz = 3.0 carbs 1.4 fiber == 1.6 net carbs

*** In this case I have chosen to use the 2 cup carb count as it is higher.

Red Cabbage 1 cup = 6.6 carbs 1.9 fiber == 4.7 net carbs
same amt 4.5 oz = 9.4 carbs 2.7 fiber == 6.7 net carbs

***In this case I have chosen to use the 4.5oz as it has a higher carb count.


So tell me guys, which do you think you would choose?

[not2late]

Re: Measuring broccoli and cauliflower

It is still too confusing to me. I don't really see that much of a difference between the two, if I weigh something slightly dehydrated, or if I measure something in a cup that has settled diffently from the last time I measured. NO ONE can ever measure and be exact. So I'm just gonna do the best I can with both ways of measuring and see if I stop losing.

Thanks for your help.

There's no need to experiment on yourself just to see if you'll stop losing weight. Just use soliwit's list so that you know how much 1 cup of veggies weighs.

Again, too many people mistakenly believe that a fluid ounce is the same thing as a dry ounce. They aren't the same. Because if 1 fluid ounce = 1 dry ounce, then 8 fluid ounces would = 8 dry ounces. There are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup. So if 1 cup of something weighed 8 ounces, then 1 cup of broccoli would weigh 8 ounces and 1 cup of spinach would weigh 8 ounces, which they don't as you can see from the USDA info I posted earlier.