Green Bean Yield: Trimmed and Cooked per Pound
A pound of untrimmed green beans gives about 0.88 lb ready to cook once the ends are off (USDA Food Buying Guide), and USDA’s nutrient database puts ends, strings and trimmings at 12%. Cooked and drained, a pound of trimmed beans gives about 0.86 lb whole or 0.89 lb cut.
USDA yields for green beans
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: 0.88 lb per pound is 0.88 kg per kilogram.
| As purchased (USDA description) | Result, as USDA states it | Yield | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beans, Green, fresh; Untrimmed, Whole | 1 lb AP = 0.88 lb ready-to-cook beans (ready to use, raw) | 88% | FBG table |
| Beans, Green, fresh; Trimmed, Whole, Ready-to-use | 1 lb AP = 0.86 lb (about 3 cups) cooked, drained beans (cooked) | 86% | FBG table |
| Beans, Green, fresh; Trimmed, Whole, Ready-to-use | 1 lb AP = 0.89 lb (about 2-3/4 cups) cooked, drained, cut beans (cooked) | 89% | FBG table |
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 11052) lists 12% of “Beans, snap, green, raw” as refuse: ends, strings and trimmings.
How much to buy
At 88% (trimmed, ready-to-cook beans):
| Ready to use | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|
| 1.00 lb (0.45 kg) | 1.14 lb (0.52 kg) |
| 5.00 lb (2.27 kg) | 5.68 lb (2.58 kg) |
| 10.0 lb (4.54 kg) | 11.4 lb (5.15 kg) |
| 25.0 lb (11.3 kg) | 28.4 lb (12.9 kg) |
Cost per usable pound
At 88%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $1.50/lb ($3.31/kg) | $1.70/lb ($3.76/kg) |
| $2.00/lb ($4.41/kg) | $2.27/lb ($5.01/kg) |
| $2.50/lb ($5.51/kg) | $2.84/lb ($6.26/kg) |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
The MiseKit app
USDA says 88% for green beans. 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
- Pre-trimmed beans cost more per pound but have no trim loss, so compare them on cost per usable pound.
FAQ
How many green beans are in a pound?
About 70 to 75 beans 4 inches long: USDA’s nutrient database weighs 10 trimmed beans at 55 g and lists 12% as ends and strings.
How many pounds of green beans do I need for 10 lb trimmed?
About 11.4 lb untrimmed (10 ÷ 0.88).
Do green beans shrink when cooked?
A little: a pound of trimmed beans gives about 0.86 lb whole or 0.89 lb cut after cooking and draining (USDA Food Buying Guide).
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.
More ingredient yields
- How Many Green Onions in a Pound? Scallion Yield
- How Many Asparagus Spears in a Pound? Trimmed and Cooked Yield
- How Much Corn Is on an Ear? Kernels per Ear and per Pound
- How Much Does an Eggplant Weigh? Eggplant Yield, Peeled or Not
- Butternut Squash Yield: Peeled Squash per Pound
- How Many Apples in a Pound? Apple Yield, Cored and Peeled