In Praise of a Food Scale

So retro, yet still one thoroughly modern tool for boosting your losing efforts.

Be honest: how many times have you packed way more than a serving of ice cream into a measuring cup or counted Frisbee-sized bagels as minis? Overstuffing measuring utensils and underestimating food sizes does matter, since over time those additional calories may lead to weight gain. While most of us rely on measuring cups to stay accountable, weighting your food is a great way to determine how much you’re actually eating. To see what you’re really serving up, spend a day doing a little weighing – and ry this exercise.

Check Yourself

Place an empty ½ cup on a food scale and set it to zero. Scoop a serving of your favorite ice cream into the measuring cup. Don’t fake it – stuff it like you normally do. Now note the weight. Here’s your reality check: Half a cup of regular ice cream should weigh 68 g and premium (the extra-rich variety) should weigh 106 g. How close is your serving?

Lesson Learned

While you may not decide to weigh everything you eat every day, check occasionally to see how accurate your portions are. The more you use your kitchen scale, the more you’ll become a pro at estimating how much you actually consume.