Sometimes I like to pretend I’m a scientist.
I even have a white lab coat.
When I was in high school, my mom bought our first food scale. At the time it seemed like just another household appliance taking up space on our countertop, but now, I use my food scale for almost everything (ice cream is an exception because most of the time I eat it straight out of the tub).
Measuring out ingredients and meals on the tiny, little weight-calculating device in my kitchen is my version of a science lab. 32 grams peanut butter, 11 grams honey, 17 grams oats, 7 grams chocolate chips. That’s my favorite treat.
Clearly, my food scale and I go way back, and these are three reasons why you need your very own food scale, too:
You Can Get Away With Using Only One Dish
During the school year, I have my time delegated to the minute. I wake up at 5:07am Monday through Friday, and once that alarm clock dings, I have exactly 63 minutes to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, get my things together, and leave for the gym. Each minute has a specific task to accomplish and each minute counts, so you better bet I am always looking for ways to be more efficient.
When using a food scale, you eliminate the need to wash various measuring spoons because you can pour everything in the bowl straight from the container. As I scurry out the door, I am left with only one dirty bowl and spoon to clean, which is also a bonus for people who hate washing dishes.
Food Scales Are More Accurate
Here is where my cute lab coat comes into play. Curious as to whether or not there was a huge difference between what a measuring spoon tells you is a serving and what a food scale tells you is a serving, I grabbed a bag of chocolate chips and went to my lab AKA my kitchen. One serving of mini chocolate chips is 1 tablespoon, or 14 grams, so I measured out the tasty treat using both methods, counted them out one-by-one, and the results were shocking.
A measuring tablespoon says that there are 108 chocolate chips in a serving. My food scale says? 178. Have you been shorting yourself of chocolate chips all these years? Personally, that is motivation enough for me to use my food scale, but for people who are prepping for competitions and following stricter meal plans, it also makes it easier to know exactly what you are putting in your body so you can make changes as necessary.
You Can Trade in Your Bodyweight Scale for a Food Scale
Everyone says it, and I’m going to say it, too, but bear with me. All foods are healthy in moderation. Let’s say it again, all foods are healthy in moderation. We tend to overlook portion sizes when it comes to consuming our favorite foods, but if one of your goals is to nourish your body with the best foods, portion size is key.
If the mirror is the best determinant as to whether you are making progress towards your goals, and if muscle is more lean than fat, why are we still using bodyweight scales to determine our progress? Instead, I encourage you to simply use a food scale to measure out everything you eat for a few days. See if your portions are similar to what you have been eating. Make sure that the measuring cup of spinach you use for a salad is an actual serving size of 30 grams so that your not shorting yourself of nutrients.
If we eat the foods and portion sizes that our bodies are designed to use as fuel, a bodyweight scale should be the least important tool in your fitness journey. So, this year, I am strictly using my food scale to live a healthy lifestyle rather than focusing on the number on my bodyweight scale because it clears your mind of a weight standard, too. #livehappy
Go ahead, be a scientist for a day. Invest in a food scale and play around to see how different measuring spoon measurements and food scale measurements really are. But don’t forget that ice cream doesn’t belong on the scale and being one or two grams off isn’t the end of the world. So grab your lab coat, and get experimenting!