1. What is Raw to Cooked Weight Conversion?

Raw to cooked weight conversion calculates the weight of food after cooking based on its raw weight and a conversion factor. This is important for accurate nutritional tracking and recipe measurements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the conversion formula:

Where:

• \( CW \) — Cooked Weight (g)
• \( RW \) — Raw Weight (g)
• \( F \) — Conversion Factor (unitless)

Explanation: The conversion factor represents how much the food shrinks during cooking. A factor greater than 1 indicates weight loss during cooking.

3. Importance of Weight Conversion

Details: Accurate weight conversion is crucial for nutritional calculations, recipe scaling, portion control, and dietary planning, especially when tracking macronutrients and calories.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter raw weight in grams and the appropriate conversion factor for your food type. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are typical conversion factors for common foods?
A: Conversion factors vary by food and cooking method. Meat typically has factors of 1.3-1.7, vegetables 1.1-1.5, and grains 2.0-3.0.

Q2: Why does food weight change during cooking?
A: Weight changes occur due to water loss, fat rendering, and protein denaturation during the cooking process.

Q3: How do I determine the conversion factor for a specific food?
A: Weigh the food before cooking, cook it using your preferred method, then weigh it again after cooking and cooling. The factor is raw weight divided by cooked weight.

Q4: Does the conversion factor change with different cooking methods?
A: Yes, boiling, baking, grilling, and frying can produce different conversion factors due to varying moisture loss and fat content changes.

Q5: Should I use this for nutritional calculations?
A: Yes, this conversion helps maintain accurate nutritional tracking when recipes provide raw weights but you consume cooked food.