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Calorie Confusion?!

3 replies

RavenLG · 29/05/2018 20:26

So after a bit of clarification if someone can help tbh.

Using MFP to count calories, generally going in the right direction (nearly a stone off, but several to go!) but I'm getting really frustrated with calories on packets being so confusing.

This evening meal. Homemade Spaghetti Bolognese on a bed of spinach (just because I forgot to add the spinach when I batch cooked earlier in the week!).
Calories in meat/sauce were straight forward and worked this out when I batch cooked.
Spinach, no problem weigh and job done.
Now the spaghetti. Namely Asda Wholemeal Spaghetti... major confusion.
500g pack, 6 servings but recommend 75g of DRY pasta per person... those maths don't add up for one.
Pack states each 'prepared as directed' 1/6 of the packet contains 266cals.
Back also states 75g of dry pasta will give 180g of cooked pasta. But when I weighed cooked it was almost 260g! I can allow 10/15g here and there but that much of a difference?!
Nutritional info states 100g = 148cals. (Which works out about 266cals for 180g so all fine).
But their recommended dry weight gave loads more than wet weight, and the recommended weight doesn't tally with the dry weight and weight of the packet.
What do I mark down for calories? 266 as I weighed out 75g as recommended? Or 385cals worked out from 100g=148cals?

I'm so genuinely confused. I know I'm probably overthinking but I wish things we're a little bit more transparent.

OP posts:
AnotherOtter · 30/05/2018 11:01

This is the kind of thing that confuses me too! I think with pasta the difference in the cooked weights depends on how long you boil it for. If you boil for a short time until it is just cooked and al dente then it will not absorb as much water and weigh less than if you boil it a long time and it's very soft. I go by dry pasta weight when logging it in MFP.

Grasslands · 30/05/2018 14:52

I use shaped pasta (rotini, fusilli etc) as it’s easier to measure in my 3/4 cup measuring tool. I think it’s easy to confuse dry measure (weight) with the wet measure (volume size measures).

RavenLG · 30/05/2018 16:23

Otter I did think that re: boiling after I posted. I do tend to prefer spaghetti very soggy (Italians would be horrified probably).
I did end up just measuring dry weight, it just ends up so confusing, it’s no wonder people get confused and under estimate!

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