Are the ounces for meat based on raw or cooked weight?

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mrnelke
mrnelke Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started

Answers

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,029 Member

    There is no general answer.

    If you're weighing raw meat, find and use an entry in the food database that makes it clear the entry is for raw meat. If you're weighing cooked meat, find and use one that's for cooked meat, ideally the cooking method you used. (Why does cooking method matter? Because, for example,roasting or grilling tends to make meat lose some water weight or fat, but poaching tends to make it gain weight from cooking liquid.)

    I'd say weigh raw and use a raw entry when possible, because the amount of weight gained/lost in cooking can vary, even with the same general cooking method. For example, rare beef will tend to retain more moisture than well-done beef.

  • Devinda68
    Devinda68 Posts: 1 Member
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,747 Member
    edited July 10

    typically raw, unless the entry you choose says otherwise.

    If I forget to weigh, I find that beefs tend to lose 1/3 and chicken 1/4 after cooking.

    So as a rough estimate- my cooking style- 4 ounces of cooked beef was originally 6 ounces raw.

    4 ounces of cooked chicken was (very) roughly 5 ounces raw.

    This is without sauces or marinades.

    After a while, you’ll automatically weigh before cooking, so this becomes a moot point.

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