Food Scale Cheat Sheet: How to Measure your Food for Accuracy!

The key to using your scale correctly is the TARE function. Taring the scale means zeroing it out to account for the weight of your container, ensuring you only measure the food itself.

1. Weighing Cooked Grains and Carbohydrates (Rice, Pasta, Quinoa)

Most nutrition labels for dry goods are written in dry measurements (e.g., 1/4 cup dry rice). However, the easiest way to weigh these items for tracking is after they are cooked.

Item to Weigh	When to Weigh	The Technique	Why it Matters
Cooked Grains (Rice, Pasta, Oats)	After cooking	1. Place bowl on scale. TAPE to zero (0g). 2. Scoop desired amount of cooked grain into the bowl. 3. Look up the calorie/macro data for the cooked version of that food in your app (e.g., "cooked white rice").	Cooked weight is much heavier due to water absorption, which significantly lowers the calorie density per gram compared to the dry product. Weighing cooked is easier and more precise for portions.

2. Weighing Proteins (Meat, Fish, Tofu)

The most accurate method for tracking meat calories is to weigh it raw, as cooking can cause varying degrees of water loss. However, if you are eating leftovers, you can certainly weigh it cooked.

Item to Weigh	When to Weigh	The Technique	Why it Matters
Raw Meat (Chicken, Steak, Fish)	Before cooking	1. Place plate on scale. TARE to zero (0g). 2. Place raw portion on plate. 3. Enter the raw weight (e.g., 150g raw chicken breast) into your tracking app before cooking.	Raw weight is the most consistent measurement and matches the nutrition facts provided by the USDA and most app databases.
Cooked Meat (Leftovers)	After cooking	1. Place plate on scale. TARE. 2. Place the cooked meat on the plate. 3. Look up the calorie/macro data for the cooked version of that meat in your app (e.g., "cooked ground beef").	If you weigh it cooked, you must select the "cooked" entry in your app to ensure the water loss is accounted for in the nutritional calculation.

3. Weighing High-Calorie Liquids (Oils, Dressings, Nut Butters)

These are the most common sources of tracking errors, as a tablespoon can quickly turn into two if you're pouring freely. Always measure oils and nut butter by weight (grams).

Item to Weigh	When to Weigh	The Technique	Why it Matters
Oils (Olive oil, Avocado oil)	During cooking	1. Place your pan/skillet on the scale. TARE to zero (0g). 2. Slowly pour oil into the pan until the scale reaches your desired amount (e.g., 14g for 1 tablespoon).	Measuring liquids by weight (grams) is far more accurate than by volume (milliliters/spoons) due to viscosity and surface tension.
Nut Butters (Peanut Butter, Almond Butter)	Before spreading	1. Place your knife/spoon on the scale. TARE to zero (0g). 2. Scoop your serving onto the knife/spoon until the desired gram weight is reached (e.g., 32g for 2 tablespoons).	This ensures you are not under-tracking a very calorie-dense food.

Remember, consistency beats perfection. Start by weighing just your proteins and high-calorie fats first. Once that feels routine, expand to your carbs.

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