You might be aware that portion sizes in our country have gotten out of control. With super size fast food meals, gigantic restaurant portions, and “snack size” treats that contain three servings, it’s hard for many people to understand and visualize what a true portion of food should be.
Enter a gadget that’s small and can help with some of the trickier portions – a food scale.
Enter a gadget that’s small and can help with some of the trickier portions – a food scale.
I know I sometimes struggle with meats, chicken, and fish in particular. The rule of thumb for a portion is a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards. But what if the chicken is in strips? What if the meat is cut thin? Sometimes, cheese can be a tough portion to estimate too (speaking of which, I found a new favorite cheese I have to share with you all soon)!
You can see how someone might get confused in these cases. And yes, that’s my confused face below (not sure why I look scared!) holding my yummy grilled chicken strips that I made yesterday in preparation for dinner tonight.
You can see how someone might get confused in these cases. And yes, that’s my confused face below (not sure why I look scared!) holding my yummy grilled chicken strips that I made yesterday in preparation for dinner tonight.
Check out how this OXO food scale helps me figure out how much I should put on my salad tonight! You can place the bowl on the scale and then zero it out, so you start measuring once you put the food in the bowl.
I then add my chicken to the bowl, and voila – it quickly tells me the weight of what I’m putting in. I can easily measure and see what a 3 or 4 ounce portion – a reasonable serving size - looks like.
Some of the features that are cool about this OXO scale are the zeroing capacity, the fact that it’s small and lightweight, it can fit in just about anyone’s kitchen, and it’s digital. I also like that the bottom portion with the number pulls out – this way if you’ve got a large plate on there, you don’t have to squat down and peek underneath – just pull out the screen and look.
It’s good that you can switch between grams and ounces/pounds too. If you really like the food scale, you can also measure other items like cereals or peanut butter with the gram measurement. Just look at the labels – you’ll see a gram measurement for serving size. You can then weigh out the exact amount in that serving using your food scale. I kind of like this for cereal, since I don’t have to get a measuring cup dirty, haha. I can just put my bowl on the scale, zero it out, and then add the number of grams in the serving. Of course, you can also just use measuring tools for these too!
Food scales aren’t for everyone, of course. Most of us could easily eat healthier by simply balancing our meals better, choosing less processed food, and eating more fruits and veggies! But they can be very useful for some people, including:
Disclosure: OXO provided me with a food scale to test out, and provided the food scale to giveaway to our readers. We’re excited to host this giveaway, and only partner with companies that we feel align with our goals and mission!
It’s good that you can switch between grams and ounces/pounds too. If you really like the food scale, you can also measure other items like cereals or peanut butter with the gram measurement. Just look at the labels – you’ll see a gram measurement for serving size. You can then weigh out the exact amount in that serving using your food scale. I kind of like this for cereal, since I don’t have to get a measuring cup dirty, haha. I can just put my bowl on the scale, zero it out, and then add the number of grams in the serving. Of course, you can also just use measuring tools for these too!
Food scales aren’t for everyone, of course. Most of us could easily eat healthier by simply balancing our meals better, choosing less processed food, and eating more fruits and veggies! But they can be very useful for some people, including:
- People who like keeping food records. If you want to know the amount you’re eating, food scales provide precise measurements for foods that are typically difficult to quantify which will be helpful for keeping accurate records.
- Individuals who have hit a weight loss plateau and are trying to examine areas they may need help in. Sometimes, we get a “heavy hand” (or a “heavy eye”, so to speak). This means you may be overestimating portions without even realizing it. A food scale may help you get back on track.
- Bakers and cooks! Measuring baking ingredients with dry measuring cups can sometimes be less than accurate. Maybe you didn’t level out the scoop of flour, or maybe you didn’t fill the cup completely. A food scale gives measurements by weight, making them more accurate. You can find a lot of recipes using weights online. It’s also helpful for those of you who enjoy cooking with recipes (although we’ve all heard cooking is more of an art while baking is more of a science)!
- Those who like to eat out often. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to carry your scale around! But if you use the scale at home, it will be much easier for you to visually estimate a proper portion at a restaurant. You can then set aside the rest of that restaurant meal to take home.
Disclosure: OXO provided me with a food scale to test out, and provided the food scale to giveaway to our readers. We’re excited to host this giveaway, and only partner with companies that we feel align with our goals and mission!
RSS Feed
