Why You Should Weigh Food Uncooked – Not Cooked!
Whether you’re chasing fat loss, lean muscle, or dialling in performance, accuracy is key when it comes to tracking your food. But one common mistake could be throwing your entire plan off…
Weighing food after it’s cooked!
Let’s break it down and show you why weighing food raw is the real game-changer. 💥
The Truth: Cooking Changes Weight!
When food is cooked, it absorbs or loses water – which means the final weight changes.
Examples:
- Pasta/Rice: Gets heavier when boiled
- Meat/Fish: Gets lighter when grilled or baked
So if you’re weighing it after cooking, you’re dealing with a completely different weight than what your calorie tracker expects. That’s where things go wrong.
The Problem with Cooked Weights
Inconsistent Results
Different cooking styles = different water loss/gain. Grill it one day, boil it the next—your calorie counts are all over the place.
Not What Labels Are Based On
Nutrition labels & MyFitnessPal entries are usually based on raw weights. If you’re using cooked weight, you’re not matching the data.
Easily Under or Overeat
You might be under eating protein or overeating carbs, depending on how you cook it. That slows down progress—fast.
Why Weighing Uncooked is the Way Forward
Accurate AF
When you weigh raw, you’re measuring the food in its true, original state—the way it’s shown on labels.
Consistent Every Time
No matter how you cook it, you started with the same baseline. That means better results and less stress.
Better Macro Control
You know exactly how much protein, carbs, and fats you’re putting in your body. No more guessing.
Real-Life Examples
Chicken Breast
- 100g raw = ~165 kcal
- Cooked weight might drop to 70g
- Weighing 100g cooked? You might’ve just eaten 130g raw = extra calories you didn’t count!
Rice
- 100g raw = ~360 kcal
- After cooking? Weighs around 250g
- So 100g cooked = just 33g raw = barely 120 kcal
That’s a 240-calorie difference if you think cooked and raw are the same. 😬
Pro Tips
Always weigh food raw before cooking
Track it once—don’t keep reweighing every meal
Batch cooking? Just record the raw weights of all your ingredients
Final Words
Weighing your food uncooked might feel like a small change, but it leads to massive accuracy and better results.
Whether you’re:
- Cutting for summer 💪
- Bulking smart 🍽️
- Or just dialling in discipline 🎯
This one habit makes a huge difference.
Ready to level up your diet game?
Start weighing raw. Be consistent. Stay on track.
