Edible Yield Calculator for Trim and Peel Loss
Use this edible yield calculator to see how much of the chicken, fruit or vegetables you buy is left after trimming, peeling or deboning, and what the edible part really costs.
Measure your edible yield
Foods (example measurements shown, not reference yields; replace them with your own)
Weigh the food as you bought it, then weigh only the part you will eat after trimming, peeling or deboning. The price is optional.
Weights are shown to 0.1 g (0.01 kg from 1 kg up), percentages to 0.1% and prices to 2 decimals. Results come from your measurements, so they apply to that batch only.
How the edible yield calculator works
The edible yield calculator compares two weights you measure yourself: the food as you bought it and the part that is left to eat after trimming, peeling or deboning. Edible yield is the second weight as a share of the first. Everything else follows from that one ratio:
yield % = edible weight ÷ weight as purchased × 100
trim loss = weight as purchased − edible weight
cost per edible kg = price paid ÷ edible weight in kg
amount to buy = edible amount you need ÷ (yield % ÷ 100)
The two weights can use different units, such as 1.5 kg bought and 1,000 g edible, or pounds and ounces. They are converted exactly before the sums are done. Only weights are accepted, because a cup or a litre of chopped vegetables has no fixed weight. Results are shown in grams and kilograms.
Worked example: chicken, mango, potatoes, cauliflower
These are example measurements that show how the edible yield calculator does the sums, not reference yields for these foods. The edible amount needed is 500 g:
| Food | Bought and edible | Yield | Cost per edible kg | Buy for 500 g edible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole chicken (skinned, deboned) | 1.5 kg for Rs 900; 1 kg edible | 66.7% | Rs 900.00 | 750 g |
| Mangoes (peeled, stoned) | 1 kg for Rs 300; 650 g edible | 65% | Rs 461.54 | 769.2 g |
| Potatoes (peeled) | 2 kg for Rs 240; 1.7 kg edible | 85% | Rs 141.18 | 588.2 g |
| Cauliflower (florets) | 800 g, no price; 480 g edible | 60% | — | 833.3 g |
The chicken cost Rs 600 per kg on the scale at the shop, but once skin and bones were removed the meat cost Rs 900 per kg, half as much again. A third of the price, Rs 300, paid for the parts that were trimmed away. Across all four foods, 5.3 kg was bought and 3.83 kg was edible, an overall yield of 72.3%.
How do I measure edible yield?
Measure edible yield with a kitchen scale, weighing the food before and after preparation. Put a bowl on the scale, press tare, and weigh the food exactly as it came from the shop. Prepare it the way you normally do, then weigh only the part you will eat. Keep the peel, seeds, bones or trimmings on a separate plate; weighing them as well is a useful check that the two piles add up to the starting weight. Then enter both numbers in the edible yield calculator above.
- Use the same scale for both weights. Small scale errors matter less when both numbers share them.
- Decide what counts as edible. Chicken skin, broccoli stalks and potato peel are eaten in some kitchens and not in others. Enter what you actually serve.
- Weigh a full batch, not one piece. A whole bag of potatoes or a whole bird averages out the differences between pieces.
- Weigh before cooking. Cooking changes the weight again, so keep trimming and cooking separate.
Why does yield change the price?
Yield changes the price because you pay for the whole item, including the parts you throw away. A shelf price per kg tells you what the purchased weight costs; the cost per edible kg tells you what the food on the plate costs. Two foods with the same shelf price can have very different edible costs, and a boneless cut that looks expensive can work out cheaper than a bone-in cut once trimming is taken into account.
Once you know the edible cost, use it in the recipe cost calculator for a truer cost per serving. To compare pack sizes of the same food first, try the grocery unit price comparator. If you buy mangoes by the crate in summer, our guide to mango varieties and health benefits covers the popular kinds, and the papaya guide covers another fruit you peel and seed before eating.
What this calculator does not do
- It does not supply typical yields. Every figure comes from your own weights. Published yield tables exist, but your knife, your shop and your produce may differ.
- It does not cover cooking. Water and fat lost or gained in cooking are a separate step.
- It does not judge what is safe or healthy to eat. It only compares weights and prices.
Sources and further reading
- USDA Economic Research Service, Fruit and Vegetable Prices documentation: adjusting retail prices for the removal of inedible parts, and dividing the edible amount by the share kept to find the amount to buy.
Weigh once, enter both numbers, and the edible yield calculator turns any shopping list into the amount you really need to buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Divide the edible weight by the weight as purchased and multiply by 100. A kilo of mangoes that gives 650 g of flesh after peeling and removing the stones has a yield of 650 ÷ 1,000 × 100 = 65%. The other 35%, or 350 g, is trim loss. Weigh both amounts on the same kitchen scale for the most reliable figure.
Divide the price you paid by the edible weight in kilograms. If 1 kg of mangoes costs Rs 300 and gives 650 g of flesh, the edible part costs 300 ÷ 0.65 = Rs 461.54 per kg, not Rs 300. Peel, stones, bones and trimmings are paid for but not eaten, so the edible cost is never lower than the shelf price.
Divide the edible amount you need by the yield written as a decimal. For 500 g of mango flesh at a 65% yield, buy 500 ÷ 0.65 = 769.2 g of whole mangoes. Individual fruits, vegetables and cuts vary, so round up or buy a little extra when the exact amount matters.
No. Edible yield compares the weight you bought with the weight left after trimming, peeling or deboning, before any cooking. Cooking then changes the weight again as food loses or absorbs water and fat. USDA food price research treats the removal of inedible parts and cooking changes as two separate adjustments, so measure cooked weight separately if you need it.
Yield depends on the food and on how it is trimmed. Size, ripeness, variety, how thickly you peel, how much fat you cut away and how closely you work around bones all change the result. That is why the edible yield calculator uses your own weights instead of fixed figures. Weigh a few batches to see your usual range.