Why do dill pickles use two-thirds a spear as a serving size? Needlessly complicated 😀

by hi-its-a-throw-away

9 Comments

  1. ashtree35

    The serving size of 1 oz / 28g is the standard reference amount specified by the FDA for pickles or any type of pickled vegetables. Companies don’t have a choice, they are required to use that as the serving size. That’s why it ends up being an awkward amount like 2/3 of a spear. You can see the FDA’s serving size guidelines for different types of food here:Β [https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.12](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.12)

  2. rara_avis0

    Just log it as 5 cal per spear. They’re so low calorie it doesn’t matter, the extra 2.5 calories are well within the margin of error of calorie labeling. I don’t even bother logging pickles.

  3. It’ll piss you off when you learn that the FDA allows for +/- 20% errors on calorie counts. So something labeled 100 calories a serving could be 80 or could be 120, you’ll never know.

    Worrying about tracking food with 5 calorie serving sizes seems needlessly complicated to me unless you are eating 10 servings.

  4. eagrbeavr

    So a whole one might be 7 calories instead of 5, big whoop Β―\_(ツ)_/Β― those 2 calories don’t make a difference unless you’re eating 10 jars of those pickles every day and only accounting for 5 cals each. Also, that 5 calorie count is not exact because every single pickle can’t be exactly the same size and the FDA allows for slight variations in the food product.

    TLDR – don’t sweat the small stuff

  5. yboy403

    I just appreciate them having the measurement by weight on there, a “spear” is never going to be a consistent size so just throw it on a scale and log it that way.

    (And about the “don’t sweat the small stuff, it’s just 3, 5, whatever cals”β€”I also have a family history of heart disease so I’m logging sodium as well.)

  6. meeeganthevegan

    Because 28g is the serving size and that’s just how big 28g is

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