Cups vs. Grams - An Older Thread Gone Missing!

[hapankorppu]

Someone once posted about imperial and metric measurements and in that thread there was a link to a site which had the exact gram value for the amount of one cup for all kinds of vegetables and fruits... for example one cup of celery was 100 grams. I can't find that thread anywhere! I've tried the forum search with various different word combinations - alas, no luck! I've also tried Google in hopes of finding the site - with no luck. Soon I will try a crystal ball!

The imperial measurements are too difficult for me; I'm used to the exact science of grams, litres and metres. Now a couple of days ago it dawned on me that the translator of DANDR has made mistakes with the cups and such when converting them and so I have also been doing Atkins slightly wrong. This is why I really need to find that post and the site so I can check the right amounts and continue confidently on this WOL. I already tried to make myself a cup but using it felt so very, very strange. I want my pretty little grams!

Does anyone remember the thread I'm talking about? HELP?!

[not2late]

The USDA website is what I think you are looking for.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Sort of topic related but I ran into a few students at the Culinary Institute of America a few weeks ago. We were discussing why weighing solid foods were more accurate than measuring them in cups or spoons.

[hapankorppu]

Thank you so much, not2late! That is exactly the link I was looking for. I even googled USDA but could not find that database! Now I can search the allowed foods and make myself a list. Yes!

Heh, I hope your conversation was more fruitful than the ones I've had with my US friends. They've had a nasty habit of turning into my dad does Atkins better than your dad -sort of yapping because they loves their cups as much I love my grams...

[not2late]

The culinary students were telling me that cup measures were greatly inaccurate and that the most precise way to measure solid foods is to weigh them. They even told me to buy The Book of Yields as a reference. Apparently in cooking school, they have a course devoted to accurate measuring.

They didn't get into the grams vs. ounces thing, but they were very adamant about weighing solid foods. Liquids, like cream or water, need to be measured in milliliters or fluid ounces for accuracy.

Anyhow, I find the USDA website invaluable for odd-shaped veggies or for veggies I don't want to slice into pieces to fit into a cup measure.

[tickletussler]

Happy, not trying to confuse you or anything, but I noticed that the imperial cup is slightly smaller than the metric cup ie

1 imperial cup = 225mL
1 metric cup = 250mL
(nearly an ounce difference between the 2 cup measurements)

It's driven me completely crazy trying to follow DANDR with all the imperial measurements but slowly I'm working it out.

Remember to keep this website handy too (that is if you haven't already got it)
http://www.onlineconversion.com