Raw ↔ Cooked Weight Calculator
Estimate cooking yield for meat, grains, and other foods. Choose a preset food, enter weight, and convert in either direction.
How raw to cooked weight conversion works
Food changes weight during cooking because water and fat move in or out of the food. Meat usually loses water and fat, so cooked weight is often lower than raw weight. Dry grains and pasta absorb water, so cooked weight becomes much higher than dry weight.
This is why a raw to cooked weight conversion calculator is useful for meal prep, calorie tracking, and recipe scaling. If your macro plan says “200g cooked chicken” but you only have raw chicken, you can quickly calculate how much raw meat to buy and cook.
The core formula
The calculator uses a simple yield ratio:
- Cooked weight = Raw weight × ratio
- Raw weight = Cooked weight ÷ ratio
Where ratio means cooked-to-raw. A ratio below 1 means the food loses weight during cooking. A ratio above 1 means it gains weight (usually by absorbing water).
Typical yield ratios (starting points)
Cooking yield varies by method, time, temperature, and doneness. Use these as practical estimates:
- Chicken breast: around 0.75
- Ground beef: around 0.70
- Salmon: around 0.78
- White rice (dry to cooked): around 3.00
- Brown rice (dry to cooked): around 2.60
- Pasta (dry to cooked): around 2.25
- Quinoa (dry to cooked): around 2.70
- Lentils (dry to cooked): around 2.40
For the most accurate tracking, weigh one full batch raw and cooked, then create your own custom ratio for future use.
Why this matters for nutrition tracking
If you track calories and protein, raw-vs-cooked confusion can create big errors. Logging 200g raw chicken is not the same as logging 200g cooked chicken. The calorie density changes after moisture loss, and serving weight shifts significantly.
- Use one consistent method (raw or cooked) in your food logs.
- If your app entry is cooked but you measure raw, convert before logging.
- For batch cooking, calculate once and portion by cooked weight.
Practical examples
Example 1: Chicken breast (raw to cooked)
You start with 800g raw chicken and use a 0.75 ratio.
- Cooked weight = 800 × 0.75 = 600g cooked
Example 2: White rice (cooked to raw)
You need 300g cooked rice, and your dry-to-cooked ratio is 3.0.
- Raw (dry) rice needed = 300 ÷ 3.0 = 100g dry rice
Tips to improve accuracy
- Use the same cooking method each time (bake, grill, boil, etc.).
- Track whether foods are covered/uncovered while cooking.
- Drain consistently (especially ground meat and legumes).
- Measure after resting if that is your normal routine.
- Save your personal ratio once you find it.
Frequently asked questions
Is one ratio correct for every recipe?
No. Ratios are estimates. Thickness, cooking time, equipment, and hydration can all change final weight.
Should I log food raw or cooked?
Either can work, as long as you stay consistent and use matching nutrition database entries.
Can I use this for meal prep containers?
Yes. Calculate expected cooked yield, then divide total cooked weight into equal portions for accurate servings.