Food Yield Calculator
Enter what you bought and what you can actually use. Get your yield %, trim loss, the true cost per usable unit and how much to order — the numbers that really drive your food cost.
Your numbers
- Enter the as-purchased weight to calculate yield.
Results
- Yield
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- Trim loss
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- Trim weight
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- Yield cost factor
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- Total purchase cost
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Yield is the share of a product you can use after trimming and prep. The lower your yield, the more each usable pound really costs — because you still paid for the trim.
How to calculate yield
- Weigh as purchased. Record the weight and price of the product the way you bought it (bone-in, untrimmed).
- Weigh what's usable. Trim and prep, then weigh the edible portion you can actually serve or sell.
- Divide. Yield % = usable weight ÷ as-purchased weight × 100.
- Find the true cost. Divide the as-purchased price by the yield to get the real cost of each usable unit.
Worked example
Beef tenderloin: A 10 lb tenderloin at $12/lb trims down to 7 lb usable. Yield is 70%, and the true cost of the usable beef is $17.14/lb — not $12.
Why it matters: Pricing a dish off the $12 as-purchased cost instead of the $17.14 usable cost quietly erases your margin.
AP vs EP: as-purchased vs edible portion
AP (as-purchased) is the product as it arrives — the weight, count and price on the invoice. EP (edible portion) is what is left to cook or serve after trimming, peeling, boning or cooking.
Three formulas cover almost every costing and ordering job: Yield % = EP ÷ AP × 100. EP cost = AP cost ÷ yield (as a decimal). AP quantity to buy = EP quantity needed ÷ yield (as a decimal).
Example: a prep list needs 12 lb of peeled, diced onion and onions yield about 90%. Order 12 ÷ 0.90 = 13.3 lb as purchased. At $0.90/lb AP, the usable onion really costs $0.90 ÷ 0.90 = $1.00/lb.
Food yield percentage chart
Typical trim and cooking yields for common products. Use them as a starting point for costing and ordering — cut, spec, supplier and knife skills all move the number, so confirm your own with a yield test.
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Asparagus, trimmed | 50–60% |
| Bell pepper, cored and seeded | 80–85% |
| Broccoli, trimmed (florets + peeled stems) | 60–70% |
| Carrots, peeled | 80–85% |
| Celery, trimmed | 70–80% |
| Garlic, peeled cloves | 85–90% |
| Mushrooms, button, trimmed | 95–98% |
| Onions, yellow, peeled | 88–92% |
| Potatoes, peeled | 80–85% |
| Romaine, cored, outer leaves removed | 70–80% |
| Tomatoes, cored | 90–95% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Avocado, peeled and pitted | 65–75% |
| Cantaloupe, peeled and seeded | 50–60% |
| Lemons, juice only | 35–45% |
| Pineapple, peeled and cored | 50–55% |
| Strawberries, hulled | 85–90% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Beef tenderloin (PSMO), fully trimmed | 60–75% |
| Pork loin, boneless, trimmed | 85–90% |
| Whole chicken → boneless, skinless meat | 45–55% |
| Whole salmon → skin-on fillets | 55–65% |
| Whole round white fish → skinless fillets | 35–45% |
| Shrimp, shell-on → peeled and deveined | 75–85% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Ground beef 80/20, cooked and drained | 70–75% |
| Bacon, cooked crisp | 30–40% |
| Prime rib / roast beef, roasted | 70–80% |
| Brisket, trimmed and smoked | 45–55% |
| Rice, dry → cooked (weight gain) | 250–300% |
| Pasta, dry → cooked (weight gain) | 200–250% |
Trim yield vs cooking yield
Trim (raw) yield measures what you lose during fabrication. Cooking yield measures what you lose — or gain — during cooking: meat loses moisture and rendered fat, while rice and pasta absorb water.
For a cooked protein, multiply the two. A brisket with an 85% trim yield and a 55% cooking yield has a total yield of 0.85 × 0.55 ≈ 47%, so brisket bought at $5.50/lb costs about $11.76 per cooked, sliced pound. Enter the AP weight and the final cooked weight in the calculator to get the combined number in one step.
How to run a yield test (butcher's test / cutting test)
- Pick a typical case. Use a normal delivery, not the best or worst one. Record the AP weight and the invoice price per pound.
- Fabricate as usual. Have the person who normally preps it do the work, the way they normally do it.
- Weigh every output. Weigh usable product, usable trim (bones for stock, trim for grind or staff meal) and true waste separately.
- Calculate. Yield % = usable weight ÷ AP weight × 100; EP cost = AP price ÷ yield. Credit valuable trim at what you would otherwise pay for it.
- Repeat and standardize. Run the test three times, average the results and use that as your standard. Re-test when you change supplier, spec or cut.
Yield FAQ
What is yield percentage?
Yield percentage is the share of a product you can use after trimming and prep, calculated as usable (edible-portion) weight divided by as-purchased weight, times 100.
What is the difference between AP and EP cost?
AP (as-purchased) cost is the price you pay per unit at delivery. EP (edible-portion) cost is the true cost of the usable product after waste — always higher than AP cost when there is any trim loss.
How do I calculate EP cost?
Divide the as-purchased price per unit by the yield percentage (as a decimal). For a $12/lb item at 70% yield: $12 ÷ 0.70 = $17.14 per usable pound.
What is a yield cost factor?
The yield cost factor is as-purchased weight divided by usable weight (or 1 ÷ yield). Multiply your AP price by this factor to get the EP cost.
Why is yield important for food cost?
Menu prices set from the as-purchased cost ignore trim and waste, so your real food cost is higher than you think. Costing from the EP cost protects your margin.
What is a good yield percentage?
It depends on the product — leafy greens may yield 60-70%, while portioned proteins can exceed 90%. Track your own yields and compare batches to spot waste.
How do I calculate how much to buy (AP quantity)?
Divide the edible-portion amount you need by the yield as a decimal. Need 10 lb of trimmed tenderloin at a 70% yield? Buy 10 ÷ 0.70 = 14.3 lb as purchased. Enter your yield test and the usable amount you need above, and the calculator does it for you.
What is a food yield percentage chart?
A yield chart lists typical usable percentages for common products — for example, peeled onions around 90% and pineapple around 50%. It is a starting point for costing and ordering; your own yield tests are more accurate because cut, spec and prep method change the result.
What is cooking yield?
Cooking yield is cooked weight divided by raw (pre-cooking) weight, times 100. Roasts and ground beef lose weight and land below 100%; rice and pasta absorb water and land above it. Multiply trim yield by cooking yield to get the total yield of a cooked item.
How do you do a butcher's yield test?
Weigh a typical case as purchased, fabricate it the usual way, then weigh usable product, usable trim and waste separately. Yield % is usable weight divided by AP weight; EP cost is the AP price divided by that yield. Repeat three times and average.
How do I calculate food waste percentage?
Waste % = waste weight ÷ total weight × 100 — the mirror image of yield. For prep waste on one product, that is the trim loss this calculator shows: an item with a 70% yield has 30% trim loss.
Is this calculator free?
Yes — it runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and your numbers never leave your device.
Want your real yield tracked automatically?
MiseKit turns every weighing into one number: the money your kitchen loses to over-trimming, shrink and write-offs — ranked by item.
See how MiseKit worksRelated guides
- Food Cost Control: How to Control Food Costs in Restaurants and Cafes
- How to Reduce Food Waste in Restaurants: Causes, Formula, Solutions
- FIFO Food Storage: What It Is and How to Implement It in Your Restaurant
- How to Negotiate With Restaurant Suppliers: Tips and Contract Terms
- How to Price a Menu: Food Cost Formula, Strategy & Menu Engineering