You Ask, I Answer: Serving Sizes
I looked at the nutrition label for Jif To Go and now I am extremely confused.
The label lists two serving sizes.
One is for the whole cup, [which contains] 390 calories.
The [other serving size is for] “1/2 cup (32g)” which has 190 calories.
Okay, fine. But then I look at the regular standard jar of Jif peanut butter, and its label says:”2 Tablespoons(32g)=190 calories.”
[What I can't understand] is how, according to these two labels, a half cup of peanut butter weighs as much as two tablespoons?
– Corey Clark
(location withheld)
Ah, good ol’ serving size puzzles.
Let’s work this one out.
The “1 cup” mentioned on the Jif-to-Go food label is not a literal 1 cup measurement, but rather refers to container (AKA “cup”) of Jif-to-Go, which contains four tablespoons of peanut butter.
In other words, one Jif to Go cup (notice my wording — it is very different from saying “a cup of Jif To Go”) contains a quarter cup of peanut butter.
Therefore, half a container of Jif To Go offers the standard two-tablespoon serving you see on peanut butter jars.
Dizzy yet?
Corey said on January 16th, 2009
This is the second worst labeling trick I’ve ever seen. The worst was a banana muffin. I glanced at the label and saw 200 calories. Decent breakfast. I eat the thing, tastes great. Look back at the label: “Serving size=1/2 muffin” WHAT? I just ate 400 calories without realizing it? And who eats half a freaking muffin?