How Much Fruit Is in a Cantaloupe? Cantaloupe Yield per Melon
A cantaloupe about 5 inches across weighs about 30 oz and gives about 14 oz of ready-to-serve fruit, 0.47 lb per pound, in the USDA Food Buying Guide; a larger 5 3/4-inch melon weighs about 40 oz and gives about 1.3 lb, 0.56 lb per pound. USDA’s nutrient database counts 49% of a cantaloupe as rind, seeds and cavity contents.
USDA yields for cantaloupe
From the USDA Food Buying Guide: how much ready-to-use or cooked product one pound as purchased gives. The figures work the same in metric: 0.47 lb per pound is 0.47 kg per kilogram.
| As purchased (USDA description) | Result, as USDA states it | Yield | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantaloupe, fresh; Whole, 18 Count (5-inch diameter, about 30 oz) | 1 lb AP = 0.47 lb (about 1-3/8 cups) ready-to-serve raw melon, 1 melon = about 14 oz EP (ready to use, raw) | 47% | FBG table |
| Cantaloupe, fresh; Whole, 15 Count (5-3/4-inch diameter, about 40 oz) | 1 lb AP = 0.56 lb (about 1-2/3 cups) ready-to-serve, raw, peeled, diced melon, 1 melon = about 1.3 lb EP (ready to use, raw) | 56% | FBG table |
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 09181) lists 49% of “Melons, cantaloupe, raw” as refuse: 39% rind, 9% cavity contents, 1% cutting loss.
How much to buy
At 56% (peeled, diced melon from 5 3/4-inch fruit):
| Ready to use | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|
| 1.00 lb (0.45 kg) | 1.79 lb (0.81 kg) |
| 5.00 lb (2.27 kg) | 8.93 lb (4.05 kg) |
| 10.0 lb (4.54 kg) | 17.9 lb (8.10 kg) |
| 25.0 lb (11.3 kg) | 44.6 lb (20.2 kg) |
Cost per usable pound
At 56%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $0.80/lb ($1.76/kg) | $1.43/lb ($3.15/kg) |
| $1.00/lb ($2.20/kg) | $1.79/lb ($3.94/kg) |
| $1.25/lb ($2.76/kg) | $2.23/lb ($4.92/kg) |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
The MiseKit app
USDA says 56% for cantaloupe. What does your last case say?
Book yields are averages. Your supplier, your cutter and your spec decide the real one. Run a yield test in MiseKit and it keeps every result, flags the cases that come in under your standard and costs each cut from what you actually got.
- Every test kept, by supplier and date
- Short cases flagged in dollars, not just percent
- Cut costs flow straight into recipe costs
Free for one location and one person. No card needed. Works on the phones your cooks already carry.
Run your own numbers
Good to know
- Bigger melons give a bigger share: the 40 oz melon yields 56% against 47% for the 30 oz one, so larger fruit lowers the cost per usable pound.
FAQ
How much fruit is in a cantaloupe?
About 14 oz from a 5-inch melon (about 30 oz whole) and about 1.3 lb from a 5 3/4-inch melon (about 40 oz), per the USDA Food Buying Guide.
How many cantaloupes do I need for 10 lb of diced melon?
About 8 large (5 3/4-inch) melons at 1.3 lb each, or about 12 smaller 5-inch melons at 14 oz each.
How much of a cantaloupe is rind?
USDA’s nutrient database splits its 49% refuse into 39% rind, 9% cavity contents and 1% cutting loss.
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (yield tables; public domain)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (refuse)
USDA figures are averages; size, grade, trim, ripeness and cooking change them. Weigh your own main items before you cost a menu on them.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.