food scale

[celgon]

How many of you have used a food scale? Is it helpful/necessary? Which one would you recommend?

[Dominique]

I use mine all the time, even if I don’t log my intake / count calories. It’s essential for portion control and calorie awareness. Any basic electronic scale will do, you don’t need to go for a super-fancy one.

[celgon]

Thank you Dominique, that was very helpful. 😊

Celeste

[SeniorSara]

Yes, I ALWAYS use my food scale.  For me it is the #1 aid in losing weight.  It can be quite a surprise when you place the food on the scale, an amount or portion you visually think weighs say 1 oz or 35 grams, and then when the oz/grams come up on the scale you realize whoa! You need to pare it down.  I always check the packaging and use the 'grams' amount it states for a serving. It does take a good deal of dedication and perseverance using the food scale.  Getting my plate of food ready does take a bit longer to prepare having to weigh everything --- but it sure does show up on your body scale when you see a nice steady loss happening.  Guessing portion sizes is just too inaccurate.  One of my biggest surprises was when I started weighing nuts.  In the past I would dip into the mixed nuts can and eat 'several' handfuls at a time, several days a week. When I started weighing them and noticed on the can that 1oz was 170 cals -- I was shocked!  Seemed like such a small amount of my (favorite) snack food.  Doesn't take long to add up to a quick 800 cals at a sitting when just dipping into the bowl of that tasty food!  I love sliced almonds on top of my oatmeal, but I now weigh out only 15 grams, and even that adds up to 160 cals.  My favorite scale is the one I purchased many years ago from a Weight Watchers local location.  My suggestion is get one that you can 'zero out' (tare) when you set an empty bowl or paper plate on it, then when that bowl has been subtracted you can start adding your food and get an accurate reading of how many oz and/or grams. I toggle back and forth between grams and ounces when the food is on the scale.  Also it is nice to have a scale that has a generous sized FLAT surface to place the food on it. Also get a glass surface, easy to wipe clean. I often place a small paper  plate or piece of waxed paper on the scale (zero it out) and place the food then onto the little plate. Or I will place on the scale say a 1 cup measuring cup and tare it out and then add my food to it, weighing it as I fill it.  I have a paper and pencil right beside my scale and record name of food being weighed and record how many grams it is and how many ounces it is.  You can press a button on the scale I have to toggle back and forth between grams and ounces.  Then when I have weighed and recorded all the food I am going to eat I take that paper to my computer and enter it in to the Fitbit food log. 

My biggest challenge is when eating out -- and not having my scale -- I simply must be very watchful of eating smaller portions -- even to leaving some on the plate because I know it would be way over a one-portion amount.  Again, yes a food scale is a terrific tool in losing or maintaining weight.

Here is a link to an reasonably priced one: (A Farberware brand)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Farberware-Professional-Electronic-Glass-Top-Kitchen-Scale/38241740?athcp...

[Li-La]

Using a food scale is useful if calorie count is important. For example: I thought a slice of cheese was 100 calories. Out of curiosity weighed 3 slices of Swiss Cheese, which were 185 calories. All slices are not the same size, neither are Cups of something. I found Food Weight gives a more accurate number.