What is a tablespoon?

Anyone know how a tablesppon is measured?
Here is what I am trying to ask.
Is a Tablespoon of peanut butter a scoop using a tablespoon that is evenly leveled off at the top? or is it mounded up a little so that what is above the spoon rim is no more than what is below the rim?
Like when you scoop up sugar or flour you see it forms a little mound over the rim of the spoon.

Provide any referances to back up your answer, if you have it.

Thank you.

A tablespoon needs to be leveled off to be as accurate as possible.

Hi.

As someone already said , a tablespoon is a leveled off  not overflowing.

I thought you may be interested in seeing this little video, is a 3min video in someone else blog and it's very interesting, check in bottom of the page:

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/0 7/i_love_this_fat_loss_secret_vi.php

Hope this helps.

 

Just to clarify, tablespoons need to be measured with a measuring spoon set.  Regular tablespoons from your silverware do not provide accurate measurements.  Whether measuring flour, sugar, or peanut butter, you need to make sure it is level with the top of the spoon.  A tablespoon is equivalent to 1/16 of a cup, or 1/2 of a fluid ounce.  A tablespoon of peanut butter usually weighs about 14 grams.

Also, to give you another conversion that can help - 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.

And it does have to be level. Otherwise it would depend entirely on what you were measuring - peanut butter can "mound" a lot more than salt can, and water can barely mound at all.

I agree, it should be level.

You mean getting 5 pounds of chocolate in a tablespoon isn't just a tablespoon of calories....shoot. 

Original Post by psychson:

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/0 7/i_love_this_fat_loss_secret_vi.php

Hope this helps.

 

Anyone who is really committed to watching calories should take a look at this video.. I have used a scale for items such as meat and fruit but since watching this video, I now use it for everything! I did my own test with random foods I used to measure out and you really can tell a difference.. 

Although the OP asked about measuring spoons, I strongly recommend weighing out pb rather than measuring it...

A standard measuring tablespoon holds half a fluid ounce.  This website might help you

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001723.html

Thank you all. Hopefully that will break my plateau.
I was doing good losing 12lbs in 3weeks, then something went wrong and went flatline. So looking back at my food logs looks like started eating peanut butter sandwhichs for breakfast every day about that time. Just need to measure properly.

I always measure my cereal and spreads (especially high fat/calorie things like my favorite nutella hahaha) and then always level it off with a metal spatchula....my family and friends think I'm nuts that I measure in the first place and then when I do this they are like "oh give me a break"....but see it makes a HUGE difference (I'm not just crazy) I am so going to show them this video haha

In addiiton to being common sense, I actually learned about "leveling" ina  home ec. cooking class I took back in high school where the teacher was a measuring fanatic hahaha....another tip I learned and follow: also remember to "pack" your food into the measuring spoon/cup (especially if it fluffy or liquidy in nature) because otherwise you could be getting LESS than you wanted as well (although perhaps that isn't always a bad thing hahaha)

Along the same line...I have a question regarding serving sizes. The other night, I cooked 2 packages of brown rice, which should have been a total of 6 cups....so I served myself 1.5 cups, my hubby 2.5cups and 1 cup for my lunch the next day. When you add that up, it's only 5 cups....and I make sure they are level....so where did the other cup of rice go?

Original Post by tokyoturnip:

Thank you all. Hopefully that will break my plateau.
I was doing good losing 12lbs in 3weeks, then something went wrong and went flatline. So looking back at my food logs looks like started eating peanut butter sandwhichs for breakfast every day about that time. Just need to measure properly.

 The exact same thing happened to me. I even made a post about it to warn everyone haha. I was getting like 300+ calories more a day than I thought. But with peanut butter, even a tablespoon levelled off isn't always entirely accurate. Your best bet is a food scale.

Well, I find a scale to be a pain in the butt and I can't buy one right now.  Now I know to have it BELOW the rim rather than level...hey, if I go a little bit below 'below the line', maybe I will actually skip a few calories. Yay, haha.

Original Post by psychson:

Hi.

As someone already said , a tablespoon is a leveled off  not overflowing.

I thought you may be interested in seeing this little video, is a 3min video in someone else blog and it's very interesting, check in bottom of the page:

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/0 7/i_love_this_fat_loss_secret_vi.php

Hope this helps.

 

This is exactly why I use weight (never volume) to measure anything - there is WAY too much room for error.

Original Post by lovinmylife24:

Well, I find a scale to be a pain in the butt and I can't buy one right now.  Now I know to have it BELOW the rim rather than level...hey, if I go a little bit below 'below the line', maybe I will actually skip a few calories. Yay, haha.

 I got my scale for $4.  It's not fancy but it works!

A tablespoon is more than you might think surpringly. You need a measured tablespoon to see precisely how much a tablespoon is that's for sure. Get a chepy plastic one, better yet, get a set of measuring spoons. They're essential, as are measuring cups.

I use a scale too for meat, etc. but from my experiences if you use a leveled measure (cup, measuring spoon, etc.) it is pretty much accurate....

As someone who once developed an ED from becomming obsessive with measuring and stuff...don't get too carried away....the fact that you are consciously portioning out your food rather than just digging in like the average person accounts for A LOT even if it is always 100% accurate!

Original Post by psychson:

Hi.

As someone already said , a tablespoon is a leveled off not overflowing.

I thought you may be interested in seeing this little video, is a 3min video in someone else blog and it's very interesting, check in bottom of the page:

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/0 7/i_love_this_fat_loss_secret_vi.php

Hope this helps.

thanks for posting that........ i'm off to buy a scale today!