Another silly newbie question

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Steve, I hope you read this because I have to tell you that my sister adored the pen!!!  I highly recommed Steve's creations to any and all....it was the best gift I gave anyone this year!

 I enjoyed being home last week; It was soooo hard to get back to work today..... **sigh**

Here is my silly newbie question....if you don't use a scale, how do you "measure" solid/semi-solid foods?  Two medicine cups of Cheerios seems hardly worth the effort, but two ounces weighed on the scale is quite a bit!  And how about fruit?  How can you tell if you have an ounce of peach?

I try to err on the side of caution, but daughter rolls her eyes at me and swore that there's no way she could live on the 2 tablespoons of carrots that I served her yesterday.  I added a few Wheat Thins, but then worried...how many Wheat Thins are too many? 

Like Charlie Brown says, "AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

Thanks everyone.....Lisa

I'm on lunch break, so only have a second to answer.  I'll tell you what I do.

I bought a digital scale and Wal-Mart for about $30.  It was worth it.

We measure food by volume, not weight (duh - because the pouch holds so much VOLUME, not weight).  Weight is pretty much meaningless.

I measure all my foods by tablespoons (1/8 cup for 2 tbsp, 1/4 cup for 4 tbsp, 1/2 cup for 8 tbsp).  If the nutrition facts are given by WEIGHT as opposed to VOLUME, I weigh whatever food I have already measured out on a scale and fraction out the nutrition facts based on what weight I have compared to what weight is on the nutrition facts box. 

For fruit (like apples), the very first time I ate one, I used my apple cutter (that cuts the fruit into 8 pretty equal slices).  Then I put each slice into the magic bullet and blended it until I got up to 6 tablespoons (about 1/2 apple).  Then from then on, I know that 1/2 apple was about 6 tablespoons (because there's not much size different in apple after you chew it up, etc).  I did the same thing with other fruits the first time I ate them.  You only really have to do that ONCE with fruit to kind of know from then on what size volume wise something is.  Like I know a medium banana is about 1/2 cup.  I know that because the first one I ate, I cut up and mashed into a 1/2 cup measuring cup. 

I know it sounds anal.  But it works and you only have to do it ONCE (the first time).  If you squash up a wheat thin, how many will it take to fill up a little 1/8 cup measuring spoon (or just 1 tbsp)?  I'd do that, then I'd write it on the side of the box with a sharpie or something.

But then again... I'm anal. 

Hey Lisa,

I agree with Wendy about volume over weight. Seems like a pain in the arse, but right now it's all about monitoring the volume of what you eat to keep from stretching your pouch.

As to what you're eating, right now aren't you supposed to be eating two tbs total per meal?  That's what my booklet from Gibbs office says. Anyway, you mentioned that you gave your daughter 2 tbs of carrots.  I'll assume they were cooked and soft. BUT if that was her meal, what about the protein?  You should ALWAYS AND FOREVER eat protein first. Then, if, and only if there is room left, you can add in the vegetables, then the starches....in that order.

If you need more help, PM me and I'll give you my phone #

Take care.....hope your holidays have been merry!

Hi Lisa,
Glad she liked the pen.  You made my day.
Steve