Hong Life CalculatorsUnderstanding the cooking yield calculator — concept and principle
Food changes weight when it is cooked. Meat loses water and melted fat, so it gets lighter; rice and pasta absorb water, so they get heavier. This calculator converts between raw and cooked weight using average yield factors. It is useful for buying the right amount for a recipe, portioning meals and logging nutrition, since most nutrition data and labels refer to raw or dry weight.
How it is calculated
- Raw → cooked: cooked weight = raw weight × factor.
- Cooked → raw: raw weight = cooked weight ÷ factor.
Factors used: roasted beef or pork 0.75 (about 25 % loss), chicken breast 0.70, browned minced beef 0.65, rice 2.5 (raw to cooked) and dry pasta 2.2. Weights are in grams.
The principle
When muscle is heated, its proteins contract and squeeze out water, and fat renders out; the hotter the meat gets, the more it shrinks, which is why well-done meat is lighter than rare. Grains and pasta do the opposite: starch absorbs water and gelatinises, roughly doubling to tripling their weight. A yield factor is simply the average ratio of cooked to raw weight measured under typical conditions, and the reverse conversion divides by the same factor.
Worked example
Defaults: 500 g, beef or pork roast, raw → cooked.
- Factor = 0.75.
- Cooked weight = 500 × 0.75 = 375 g.
Reversing: 375 g cooked ÷ 0.75 = 500 g raw, so about 125 g was lost as juices and fat.
| Weight (g) | Result (g) |
|---|---|
| 125 | 93.75 |
| 250 | 187.5 |
| 375 | 281.25 |
| 500 | 375 |
| 625 | 468.75 |
| 750 | 562.5 |
| 1,000 | 750 |
How to read the result
Use the cooked figure to plan portions: if you want about 150 g of cooked meat per person, buy about 150 ÷ 0.75 = 200 g raw roast each. For calorie and protein tracking, weigh food cooked and convert back to raw before using raw-weight nutrition data. Lean cuts and gentle cooking lose less; fatty mince, high heat and long cooking lose more. Rice yield depends strongly on the variety and how much water you use.
Common mistakes
- Using raw nutrition values for cooked weight, which understates calories and protein per gram.
- Weighing cooked food together with bones or the pan juices.
- Applying the meat factor to bone-in cuts, where bone does not lose weight.
Frequently asked questions
How much does chicken shrink when cooked?
Boneless breast commonly loses roughly a quarter to a third of its weight, depending on method and doneness.
How much dry rice for one person?
Many people use about 70–90 g dry rice per serving, which becomes roughly 175–225 g cooked at a 2.5 factor.
Does resting meat change the weight?
Slightly; some juice runs out, and carry-over cooking continues for a few minutes.
Sources: USDA Agricultural Research Service — USDA Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry (2014). · Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking (Scribner) — meat and starch cooking.