Yield and trim guide for recipe costing
Yield is the share of what you buy that ends up on the plate. If you pay for a 10 lb case and only 7.5 lb is usable after trimming, your yield is 75%, and every usable pound costs a third more than the invoice price per pound.
Why it matters
Skip yield and you under-cost every dish that uses trimmed produce, whole fish, or butchered proteins. Romaine at $1.60 a head with a 75% yield really costs $2.13 per usable head. On a high-volume salad, that gap is the difference between a 26% and a 35% plate.
How to run a yield test
- Weigh the item as purchased (AP weight).
- Trim, peel, portion, or cook it the way your kitchen actually does.
- Weigh the usable product (EP weight, edible portion).
- Divide EP by AP. Repeat on two or three deliveries and use the average.
Run the test with the cook who preps it every day, not the most careful person in the building. You want the yield you actually get.
Typical starting points
These are rough ranges to use until you run your own test. Your supplier, spec, and knife work will move them.
| Item | Rough usable yield | What you lose |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow onions | 85–90% | Skin, root, top |
| Carrots | 80–85% | Peel, ends |
| Romaine | 70–80% | Outer leaves, core |
| Russet potatoes (peeled) | 80–85% | Peel, eyes |
| Pineapple | 50–55% | Rind, core, crown |
| Whole chicken (meat off the bone) | 60–70% | Bones, skin, fat |
| Beef tenderloin, untrimmed | 65–75% | Silverskin, chain, fat |
| Whole salmon to fillet | 55–65% | Head, frame, skin |
Cooking loss counts too
Proteins lose weight in the oven or on the grill. If a 6 oz raw patty cooks down to 4.5 oz, and your recipe is written in cooked weight, the cooking yield is 75%. Pick one (raw or cooked) and use it consistently on the recipe.
Putting yield into your costing
Use the yield % column in the free plate cost calculator or spreadsheet template. Then read how to calculate food cost percentage to price the dish.
Questions
How do you calculate yield percentage?
Divide the usable (edible portion) weight by the as-purchased weight and multiply by 100. 7.5 lb usable from a 10 lb case is a 75% yield.
How does yield affect recipe cost?
Divide the as-purchased cost per unit by the yield. At a 75% yield, every usable unit costs a third more than the invoice price per unit.
Cost your menu with real pack prices
A fully loaded 7-day free trial of AI+. No credit card. 10 receipts and 5 AI recipes included.
Start 7-day free trial