Without scales, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of your nutrition and accurately weigh food (unless you’re a pro at eyeballing food). This is why I strongly advise learning everything you can before you start tracking your macros. You’re going to be working really hard and exerting a lot of effort, so try to do it as efficiently as you can.
This seems to confuse so many people. Does it really matter whether you weigh your food using the raw weight or the cooked weight?
Straightforward answer: Always raw, uncooked weight where possible. While some people prefer to weigh their food after cooking is complete, this method may not always be the most accurate for monitoring your macros.
Use rice as an example. The absorption of the water would obviously result in a greater weight at the end of the cooking process if you cooked rice in 1 cup of water as opposed to 3 cups of water. (Even though the quantity of the rice hasnt changed).
Another example is chicken breast. Another excellent example is pasta, which can reduce from a 100 gram serving to 70 grams or less depending on the cooking method. Additionally, be sure to weigh pasta in raw form before water absorption.
Weighing and keeping track of each ingredient, whether raw or cooked, is crucial when preparing a meal for a larger group. After cooking, weigh everything again and divide the total by the number of servings. Calculate the servings based on the amount of protein source you need and use. For instance, if chicken is the source of your protein and you need about 100 grams per serving, the raw weight could be 500 grams, and you’ll need 5 servings.
Now. If you’re new to tracking, check out my book MACROS, for more information, sample meal and exercise plans, and 65 recipes with full macro breakdowns. When it comes to tracking meals while dining out, however, this is a whole other can of worms. Visit www. for more details on tracking and weighing your food to achieve your individual health and fitness goals. thebod. com. au.
Raw vs cooked meat weight conversion
Raw to cooked meat conversion: Raw weight x 0. 75 (example: 4oz raw x 0. 75 = 3oz cooked).
Cooked to raw meat conversion: Cooked weight / 0. 75 (example: 8oz cooked / 0. 75 = 8oz raw).
Regardless of the type of meat you use, you can safely assume that it will lose about 25% of its weight during the cooking process.
I have personally used chicken breast to test this a few times, and I can attest that it is quite accurate. It will almost always cook down from 8 ounces of uncooked chicken to 6 ounces of cooked chicken when comparing cooked vs. uncooked chicken.
The nutrition information on a package of meat is based on the weight of the raw meat.
I advise weighing the raw meat before cooking for convenience and to eliminate any uncertainty. During the cooking process, you’ll probably add seasonings, sauces, or marinades, which could change the final weight.
However, there will undoubtedly be instances where you can only weigh your cooked meat, particularly if someone else is doing the cooking. In those circumstances, this conversion will be useful.
You can divide an 8-ounce serving of cooked chicken by 0 if you find yourself in that situation. 75, you’ll discover that the nutrition is equivalent to about 11 ounces of raw chicken. Even though it won’t be exact, that will be a very close estimate.
Raw to cooked conversions for various foods
You probably want to know how to convert from raw to cooked weight, or vice versa, if you’re reading this.
Since each food conversion is unique and there are numerous factors to consider, no conversion will ever be 100% accurate. Before we get into the actual conversions, keep in mind that the weight can vary depending on a number of factors:
What is the weight difference between raw and cooked chicken?
Typically, chicken shrinks by about 25% after cooking. When cooked, this holds true for all meats and fish. In other words, if you start with a 20-ounce piece of chicken, after cooking it, it will probably weigh closer to 16 ounces.
Use the weight of the chicken after it has been cooked to calculate the specific nutrients in your meal if you are counting calories.
Although it may not always be exact, subtracting 25% of the weight from the raw chicken will usually get you very close.
FAQ
How much is 100g raw chicken cooked?
Is 4 oz of raw chicken the same as cooked?
Here is a general guide to converting portions of meat and poultry from raw to cooked: According to Dubost, it’s reasonable to assume that cooking will cause you to lose about a quarter of the weight of meats. Therefore, four ounces of boneless, raw meat will yield about three ounces of cooked meat.
Do you weigh chicken breast before or after cooking?
The most accurate way to measure your food is when it’s raw because when you cook anything, either it absorbs water or it evaporates. For instance, cooked chicken weighing 100 grams will be less than uncooked chicken.
How much is 4oz cooked chicken?
Poultry shrinks down by about 25 percent. Compared to what you might expect from fattier cuts of meat like pork butt or beef brisket, you get a higher meat yield this way. However, it still implies that after cooking, 4 ounces of raw chicken will only weigh 3 ounces.
