How Many Green Onions in a Pound? Scallion Yield
A pound is about 29 medium green onions, 4 1/8 inches long, or 17 large ones, going by USDA’s nutrient-database weights and its 4% for rootlets. With the tops, a pound of whole green onions gives about 0.83 lb ready to serve; without the green tops, it gives 0.37 lb (USDA Food Buying Guide).
USDA yields for green onion
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: 0.83 lb per pound is 0.83 kg per kilogram.
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 11291) lists 4% of “Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw” as refuse: rootlets.
How much to buy
At 83% (green onions with tops, ready to serve):
| Ready to use | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|
| 1.00 lb (0.45 kg) | 1.20 lb (0.55 kg) |
| 5.00 lb (2.27 kg) | 6.02 lb (2.73 kg) |
| 10.0 lb (4.54 kg) | 12.0 lb (5.46 kg) |
| 25.0 lb (11.3 kg) | 30.1 lb (13.7 kg) |
Cost per usable pound
At 83%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $2.00/lb ($4.41/kg) | $2.41/lb ($5.31/kg) |
| $3.00/lb ($6.61/kg) | $3.61/lb ($7.97/kg) |
| $4.00/lb ($8.82/kg) | $4.82/lb ($10.62/kg) |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
The MiseKit app
USDA says 83% for green onion. 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
- If a recipe uses only the white and light green part, cost it at 37%, not 83%: the tops are most of the weight.
FAQ
How many green onions are in a pound?
About 29 medium (4 1/8 inches long) or 17 large green onions. USDA’s nutrient database weighs them at 15 g and 25 g without rootlets, which are 4% of the onion.
How much of a green onion is usable?
About 83% with the tops and 37% without them, per the USDA Food Buying Guide.
How many green onions do I need for 1 lb sliced?
About 1.2 lb with tops (1 ÷ 0.83), or about 2.7 lb if you use only the bottoms (1 ÷ 0.37).
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.
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