Decoding Ground Beef Portions: A Closer Look at 112g Servings

Ground beef is a versatile and economical staple ingredient used in many quick and easy dishes like tacos, chili burgers meatloaf, and more. When following recipes, you’ll often see ground beef amounts listed in grams. But what does 112g of ground beef actually look like? How can you easily translate that into a usable portion? Let’s break it down!

In this comprehensive guide we’ll cover

• What 112g of ground beef equates to in common measurements
• Visualizing what a 112g serving looks like
• Nutrition facts for 112g of 80/20 ground beef
• How many calories are in 112g of ground beef
• Converting between grams and ounces
• Cooking with 112g beef portions
• Getting the most value from ground beef packages

Understanding 112g beef portions will help you follow recipes accurately, get ideal nutrition, and maximize the ground beef you buy from the store. Let’s dive in!

What Does 112g of Ground Beef Equal?

To understand the size of a 112g ground beef serving, it helps to convert it into more visual measurements:

• 112g is approximately 4 ounces of ground beef
  • Most ground beef packaging is labeled with both grams and ounces
• 1/4 pound of ground beef is 112g
  • There are 454g in 1 pound
• Around 1/2 cup of raw ground beef is 112g
  • Dense meats don’t directly match cup conversions

Visualizing a 112g Portion

Since grams aren’t the most intuitive unit, here are some visuals to understand what 112g of ground beef looks like:

• It’s about the size of a baseball or small orange
• Slightly smaller than an average burger patty
• Fits in the palm of an average adult hand
• Makes a patty about 4 inches wide when flattened

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use these visual comparisons to eyeball about a 112g portion of ground beef.

Nutrition in 112g of 80/20 Ground Beef

Let’s analyze the nutrition facts in a typical 112g serving of 80/20 ground beef:

• Calories: 284
• Total fat: 22.4g
• Saturated fat: 8.6g
• Trans fat: 1.4g
• Cholesterol: 80mg
• Sodium: 75mg
• Protein: 19g
• Iron: 2mg

So a 112g serving provides a good amount of protein along with iron and other nutrients. The higher fat content supplies flavor and juiciness. This makes 80/20 beef well suited for burgers, tacos, chili, etc.

How Many Calories in 112g of Ground Beef?

There are 284 calories in 112g of 80/20 ground beef. This represents about 14% of a standard 2000 calorie daily diet.

The high protein and fat accounts for most of those calories:

• 72% of the calories come from fat
• 28% of the calories come from protein
• 0% of the calories come from carbohydrates

When tracking your food intake, log a 112g serving of ground beef as containing 284 calories.

Converting Grams to Ounces

Since most ground beef in North America is labeled in both grams and ounces, it’s helpful to know conversions:

• 28g = 1 ounce
• 112g = 4 ounces (~1/4 pound)
• 1 pound = 454g = 16 ounces

Here are some common gram-to-ounce amounts:

• 56g = 2 ounces
• 84g = 3 ounces
• 170g = 6 ounces (~3/4 pound)
• 340g = 12 ounces (~3/4 pound)

Use these handy conversions to translate recipes and understand package labels.

Cooking with 112g Servings

112g portions are convenient for single servings in simple meals:

• Burger patties – form into patties 3/4 to 1-inch thick
• Tacos – brown crumbled beef for taco filling
• Chili – sauté and simmer in chili sauce
• Casseroles – combine with vegetables, cheese, rice, etc.
• Meatballs – roll into 1-2 inch balls and bake or simmer
• Skillet meals – sauté with veggies, eggs, beans, etc.

When batch cooking, multiply the 112g amount by the number of servings you need.

Getting Good Value from Packages

Since most ground beef is sold in 1-2 pound packages, here are tips to maximize value:

• Separate bulk packages into 112g or 224g portions and freeze
• Combine with rice, veggies, and seasonings for complete skillet meals
• Use within 2 days for peak freshness and quality
• Portion and freeze any unused amounts immediately

Getting multiple uses out of one package reduces waste and makes meal prep easier.

Understanding the size, nutrition content, and uses of 112g ground beef portions empowers you to get the most value from the ground beef you buy. Next time you come across a 112g amount in a recipe, you can translate that into a usable 1/4 pound serving. Employ these tips to cook tasty meals, reduce waste, and stick to proper portion sizes for your diet goals.