How much does an average apple weigh and how much of the meat is lost when you fry a pork steak? A new guide from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, for food professionals makes it easier to ensure that official dietary recommendations are followed by indicating measures, weights and portion sizes of various food products.
When food professionals calculate and estimate the nutrient content of food they need measures, weights and portion sizes of specific food products. A new report from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, contains updated measures and weights of approximately 850 typical food products available on the Danish market, and portion sizes of up to 180 food products and dishes. The report was prepared at the request of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
The report works well as a guide for food professionals. It assists them in estimating and deciding on portion sizes, thus ensuring that the food they serve at schools, work places and other institutions is in line with official recommendations.
Food products change over time
The food products we eat undergo changes all the time, new food products are launched on the market every day and the sizes of individual food products also change over time. The new report is an updated alternative to an article in Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition, 1996. Since then, some food products have become smaller and others bigger. For instance, in 1996 the edible part of an average apple weighed 90 g whereas today it weighs 110 g. At the same time quite a few new cuts of meat have been introduced, these are also included in the tables of the report.
The report includes measures and weight tables for 18 food groups. In each table either weight per item or weight per deciliter as well as volume by table spoon or tea spoon is stated, depending on each food product.
As regards meat, poultry and fish each table provides information about the weight of both the raw and the prepared food. Other food products such as rice and pasta get heavier when cooked; this, too, is explained in the report. In the tables on fruits and vegetables you will find both gross and net weights of the raw food products, as there will be a peeling loss to some extent. This is quite important for estimating the nutrient content when reading a recipe and going shopping.
Portion sizes indicate the amount of food put on a plate
Besides average weights the guide also contains recorded portion sizes of up to 180 food items and dishes. The portion sizes are based on surveys undertaken by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, in 1999 and 2008 of 438 Danes between 4 and 75 years, who weighed their food.
The portion sizes recorded show the amount of food which the person in question puts on his/her plate – this is not necessarily equal to the amount of food the person in question eats during this specific meal. The portion sizes recorded can therefore be used to plan e.g. buffets, where you need to know how much food Danes typically put on their plate.
Read more
Here you will find the entire report: Mål, vægt og portionsstørrelser på fødevarer (pdf, only in Danish).