Raw to cooked weight calculator
Convert dry grain weight to cooked and back, along with the calories per portion.
Fill in the fields and the result will appear here automatically.
Converts between original raw or dry weight and cooked weight using an entered yield factor. Grains can gain water while meat can lose mass, so the factor need not exceed one. Use nutrition data for the same original state as the starting weight: package figures are not universally for dry food. The energy calculation additionally assumes that all original energy remains in the consumed cooked batch. Added oil or discarded fat are outside that assumption.
How it works
Formula and logic
Factor = cooked weight ÷ original weight. Cooked = original × factor; original = cooked ÷ factor. Batch energy = original grams × original kcal/100 g ÷ 100; cooked kcal/100 g = original kcal/100 g ÷ factor. Weight and factor must be positive; zero energy density is allowed. The other, calculated weight is ignored as input.
Example
Original rice 200 g, factor 2.5 and 350 kcal/100 g give 500 g cooked, 700 kcal total and 140 kcal/100 g. A separate illustrative food: 130 g cooked at factor 0.65 means 200 g original; original density 120 kcal/100 g gives 240 kcal and about 184.62 kcal/100 g cooked.
Fields and units
- What you know — list option
- Raw or dry weight, g — g
- Cooked weight, g — g
- Cooked/original weight factor — unitless
- Kcal per 100 g original — kcal/100 g
How to use
- — Choose whether original or cooked weight is known.
- — Measure both states of one batch to establish its yield factor.
- — Check which product state the nutrition figure describes.
- — Account separately for energy added or discarded; a mass-yield factor cannot determine it.
Method and limitations
- Calculation method
- Formula and logic
- Data or methodology source
- USDA ARS: study of particular beef-cut yields and moisture/fat losses; no universal yield factor or calorie conservation
- Limitation
- Mass yield and conserved energy are separate assumptions. This result does not measure cooked composition or prescribe a diet.
FAQ
Why are cooked calories lower than the packet says?
If only water was added and energy was retained, the same energy occupies more mass and kcal/100 g falls. That is a model condition, not a rule for every cooking method.
Which expansion factor should I use?
Weigh the original and cooked edible batch, then divide cooked by original weight. Grain, water and preparation affect yield; no universal factor is supplied.
Does this work for meat?
Yes for weight conversion: a factor below one represents mass loss. The energy estimate remains conditional because discarded fat or juices can alter the energy consumed.
Do oil and sauces matter?
Yes. Added and discarded ingredients change energy. This formula retains original energy without identifying those changes automatically.
What if I cook it longer than usual?
Measure the batch yield again. Time alone does not determine the factor: water may be absorbed or evaporate.