Recipe Cost per Serving Calculator
Cost a batch of up to 5 items with package sizes and trim yields. A 6-serving pasta bake with $13.21 in ingredients comes to $2.20 per serving.
Last reviewed
Recipe cost per serving and menu margin
Cost per serving
$2.20
Recipe cost
$13.21
Edible-portion ingredient cost
$13.21
Of which paid for trimmed or lost parts
$0.00
Food cost of the menu price
18.3%
Gross profit per serving
$9.80
Total batch revenue
$72.00
Total batch gross profit
$58.79
Menu price at 30 percent food cost
$7.34
Ingredient 1 cost
$1.89
Ingredient 2 cost
$5.99
Ingredient 3 cost
$3.49
Ingredient 4 cost
$1.25
Ingredient 5 cost
$0.59
This 6-serving batch costs $13.21 in total ($2.20 per serving), with Ingredient 2 ($5.99, 45.4 percent of batch) as the largest cost driver.
At a $12.00 menu price, food cost is 18.3 percent and gross profit is $9.80 per serving.
Batch yield, menu price, and ingredients
- Active ingredient costs (5 of 5 slots used): slot 1 $1.89 + slot 2 $5.99 + slot 3 $3.49 + slot 4 $1.25 + slot 5 $0.59 = $13.21 batch total
- Yield split across batch = $13.21 edible portion cost + $0.00 trim or cooking loss
- Menu pricing at $12.00 per serving yields 18.3 percent food-cost share and $9.80 gross profit per portion
- Cost per serving = $13.21 batch cost ÷ 6 servings = $2.20
Purchased cost by ingredient slot (edible portion vs. trim loss)
Cost per serving and food-cost share by batch servings
Across 10 serving counts from 1 to 24, cost per serving moves from $13.21 to $0.55.
| Servings | Per serving | Food cost | Gross profit / serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13.21 | 110.1% | -$1.21 |
| 2 | $6.60 | 55.0% | $5.40 |
| 4 | $3.30 | 27.5% | $8.70 |
| 6 (closest to your input) | $2.20 | 18.3% | $9.80 |
| 8 | $1.65 | 13.8% | $10.35 |
| 10 | $1.32 | 11.0% | $10.68 |
| 12 | $1.10 | 9.2% | $10.90 |
| 16 | $0.83 | 6.9% | $11.17 |
| 20 | $0.66 | 5.5% | $11.34 |
| 24 | $0.55 | 4.6% | $11.45 |
Food cost of the menu price, by servings (down) and menu price per serving (across), with every other input as entered above.
| Servings by menu price per serving | $8 | $10 | $12 | $15 | $18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 165.1% | 132.1% | 110.1% | 88.1% | 73.4% |
| 2 | 82.6% | 66.0% | 55.0% | 44.0% | 36.7% |
| 4 | 41.3% | 33.0% | 27.5% | 22.0% | 18.3% |
| 6 (closest to your input) | 27.5% | 22.0% | 18.3% | 14.7% | 12.2% |
| 8 | 20.6% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 11.0% | 9.2% |
| 10 | 16.5% | 13.2% | 11.0% | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| 12 | 13.8% | 11.0% | 9.2% | 7.3% | 6.1% |
| 16 | 10.3% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| 20 | 8.3% | 6.6% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| 24 | 6.9% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.1% |
Food-cost share and gross profit by menu price per serving
| Menu price | Per serving | Food cost | Gross profit / serving | Batch gross profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6 | $2.20 | 36.7% | $3.80 | $22.79 |
| $8 | $2.20 | 27.5% | $5.80 | $34.79 |
| $10 | $2.20 | 22.0% | $7.80 | $46.79 |
| $12 (closest to your input) | $2.20 | 18.3% | $9.80 | $58.79 |
| $14 | $2.20 | 15.7% | $11.80 | $70.79 |
| $16 | $2.20 | 13.8% | $13.80 | $82.79 |
| $18 | $2.20 | 12.2% | $15.80 | $94.79 |
| $20 | $2.20 | 11.0% | $17.80 | $106.79 |
| $24 | $2.20 | 9.2% | $21.80 | $130.79 |
Ingredient-by-ingredient cost and trim-loss breakdown
| Ingredient slot | Package bought | Edible amount used | Usable share (%) | Edible portion cost | Trim or cooking loss | Purchased cost | Share of batch (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredient 1 | 1 lb ($1.89 pkg) | 1 lb (1 lb) | 100 | $1.89 | $0.00 | $1.89 | 14.3 |
| Ingredient 2 | 1 lb ($5.99 pkg) | 1 lb (1 lb) | 100 | $5.99 | $0.00 | $5.99 | 45.4 |
| Ingredient 3 | 24 oz ($3.49 pkg) | 24 oz (24 oz) | 100 | $3.49 | $0.00 | $3.49 | 26.4 |
| Ingredient 4 | 8 oz ($4.99 pkg) | 2 oz (2 oz) | 100 | $1.25 | $0.00 | $1.25 | 9.4 |
| Ingredient 5 | 500 mL ($9.99 pkg) | 2 tbsp (29.574 mL) | 100 | $0.59 | $0.00 | $0.59 | 4.5 |
Across 5 active ingredients, edible-portion cost is $13.21 and trim or cooking loss is $0.00, giving a batch total of $13.21 ($2.20 per serving).
Target menu price and gross margin benchmarks
| Food-cost target band | Target food cost (%) | Target menu price | Gross profit per serving | Batch revenue | Batch gross profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine dining / high-labor target | 25 | $8.81 | $6.60 | $52.83 | $39.63 |
| Full-service restaurant target | 28 | $7.86 | $5.66 | $47.17 | $33.96 |
| Standard food-service benchmark | 30 | $7.34 | $5.14 | $44.03 | $30.82 |
| Casual / bakery / high-volume target | 35 | $6.29 | $4.09 | $37.74 | $24.53 |
USDA Food Buying Guide AP-to-EP yield reference
| Food as purchased (AP) | USDA FBG table | Edible portion (EP) per 1 lb AP | Usable share (%) | AP lb needed per 1 lb EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onions, mature, fresh, whole | Section 2 (p. 2-35) | 0.88 lb ready-to-serve or -cook raw onion | 88 | 1.14 |
| Carrots, fresh, without tops | Section 2 (p. 2-23) | 0.83 lb trimmed, peeled carrots | 83 | 1.20 |
| Broccoli, fresh, untrimmed | Section 2 (p. 2-20) | 0.81 lb ready-to-cook broccoli | 81 | 1.23 |
| Potatoes, white or russet, whole | Section 2 (p. 2-42) | 0.81 lb ready-to-cook pared potatoes | 81 | 1.23 |
| Apples, fresh, 125-138 count whole | Section 3 (p. 3-8) | 0.78 lb raw, cored, peeled apples | 78 | 1.28 |
| Beef, ground, at most 15 percent fat | Section 1 | 0.75 lb cooked lean meat | 75 | 1.33 |
| Lettuce, romaine, untrimmed | Section 2 (p. 2-31) | 0.64 lb ready-to-serve raw lettuce | 64 | 1.56 |
| Bananas, fresh, regular, whole | Section 3 (p. 3-11) | 0.64 lb peeled, 1/2-inch slices | 64 | 1.56 |
| Beef, chuck roast, with bone | Section 1 | 0.54 lb cooked lean meat | 54 | 1.85 |
| Asparagus, fresh, whole | Section 2 (p. 2-9) | 0.53 lb ready-to-cook trimmed, raw asparagus | 53 | 1.89 |
Published USDA Food Buying Guide average yields across Sections 1, 2, and 3; enter the usable share into any ingredient slot to account for peel, bone, or cooking loss.
How recipe cost, trim yield, and menu food-cost percentage work
Most recipes use only part of a store package. They also measure food in smaller units than the label prints. For each active row, this tool converts the amount used into the package unit. It uses exact factors from NIST Handbook 44 (2026) Appendix C and NIST SP 811 Appendix B.8. Next, it divides package price by package size and multiplies by the converted amount. If a recipe gives dry cups for a pound bag, convert volume to weight first with the cups to grams calculator. King Arthur Baking's chart notes that "A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces or 120 grams."
Raw food loses weight when you peel, trim, core, or cook it. The USDA Food Buying Guide (FNS-634) separates food as purchased (AP) from the edible portion (EP) served. The guide states that "The yield information provided in this guide represents average yields based on research conducted by USDA." When usable share is under 100%, the tool divides the edible cost by that share. That shows the full purchase cost and splits out trim loss in dollars. You can check 36 produce yields in the as-purchased vs. edible portion calculator.
Adding the five rows gives the total batch cost. Dividing batch cost by servings gives the cost per serving. When you enter a menu price above $0.00, the tool divides cost per serving by menu price. That gives your food-cost share, gross profit per serving, and batch gross profit. A second table shows target menu prices for kitchen food-cost goals from 25% to 35%. To resize a batch before costing, use the recipe scaling calculator, the batch yield and servings calculator, or the food for a crowd calculator.
Converting package units to recipe units accurately
Invoices price food by the box, jug, or sack, while recipes call for ounces, grams, cups, or spoons. Per NIST Handbook 44 (2026) Appendix C, one avoirdupois pound is 16 ounces (453.59237 grams). One US gallon is 231 cubic inches, or 4 quarts, 8 pints, 16 cups, 128 fluid ounces, 256 tablespoons, and 768 teaspoons (3,785.411784 mL). By contrast, FDA nutrition labels under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii) use rounded sizes where "a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL), a tablespoon means 15 mL, a cup means 240 mL, 1 fl oz means 30 mL, and 1 oz in weight means 28 g." You can convert across all of these in the kitchen measurement converter.
A fluid ounce measures volume (about 29.57 mL), while a dry ounce measures mass (about 28.35 g). Moving between weight and volume depends on each food's density. One US cup holds 227 g of water, 120 g of all-purpose flour, 89 g of rolled oats, or 340 g of honey. For that reason, each row asks for matching unit kinds: both counts, both weights, or both volumes.
Recipe cost, AP-to-EP yield, and menu food-cost formulas
Edible cost_i = (price_i ÷ size_i) × used_i × unit factor_i Purchased cost_i = edible cost_i ÷ (yield_i ÷ 100), trim loss_i = purchased cost_i − edible cost_i Recipe cost = Σ purchased cost_i, loss cost = Σ trim loss_i Cost per serving = recipe cost ÷ servings Food cost % = (cost per serving ÷ menu price) × 100, gross profit = menu price − cost per serving
Worked recipe costing and USDA cost-comparison examples
Default 6-serving pasta bake ($12.00 menu price): Row 1 is 1 lb dry pasta from a 1 lb box at $1.89 ($1.89). Row 2 is 1 lb ground beef at $5.99 ($5.99). Row 3 is 24 oz sauce from a 24 oz jar at $3.49 ($3.49). Row 4 is 2 oz cheese from an 8 oz bag at $4.99 (2 ÷ 8 × $4.99 = $1.2475, or $1.25). Row 5 is 2 tbsp (29.57353 mL) olive oil from a 500 mL bottle at $9.99 ($0.5909, or $0.59). The batch total is $13.2084 ($13.21), or $2.2014 ($2.20) per serving. At a $12.00 menu price, food cost is 18.3% and gross profit is $9.80 per serving ($58.79 for the pan).
USDA green bean cost check (Introduction, pages I-50 to I-51): Suppose you serve 100 quarter-cup portions of heated cut green beans. The USDA guide compares fresh beans (9.1 lb AP at $0.30/lb), canned beans (14.0 lb AP at $0.24/lb), and frozen beans (8.7 lb AP at $0.86/lb). Fresh beans cost $2.73 in total, or $0.0273 per serving; the guide prints "0.091 x 0.30 = $0.027". Canned beans cost $3.36 in total, or $0.0336 per serving; the guide prints "0.140 x 0.24 = $0.034". Frozen beans cost $7.48 in total, or $0.07482 per serving; the guide truncates to "0.087 x 0.86 = $0.074". Canned beans cost less per pound ($0.24 vs. $0.30), but draining liquid means 100 portions take 14.0 lb canned vs. 9.1 lb fresh. Fresh beans win per serving; use the can size conversion calculator when swapping No. 10 and No. 300 cans.
Trim-loss beef braise (4 servings, $18.00 menu price): Row 1 uses 0.83 lb peeled carrots from a $1.66/lb bag at 83% yield. USDA Section 2 prints "1 lb AP = 0.83 lb trimmed, peeled carrots". Row 2 uses 0.88 lb peeled onions from a $1.76/lb bag at 88% yield. USDA Section 2 prints "1 lb AP = 0.88 lb ready-to-serve or -cook raw onion". Row 3 uses 1.50 lb cooked lean beef from raw 85%-lean beef at $6.00/lb and 75% yield. USDA Section 1 prints "1 lb AP = 0.75 lb cooked lean meat". You must buy 1.00 lb carrots ($1.66, with $0.28 peel loss), 1.00 lb onions ($1.76, with $0.21 skin loss), and 2.00 lb raw beef ($12.00, with $3.00 cooking loss). Batch cost is $15.42 ($11.93 edible plus $3.49 loss), or $3.86 per serving (21.4% of $18.00).
Assumptions, unit boundaries, and scope limits
- All package prices and menu prices are entered by you. Default numbers ($1.89, $5.99, $3.49, $4.99, $9.99, and $12.00) are examples, not live market prices.
- Recipe cost covers raw food only. It leaves out sales tax, delivery fees, labor, utilities, packaging, and plate waste.
- Each amount used is the edible portion called for by the recipe. Dividing by usable share (default 100%) gives the gross purchase cost and assumes trimmings have no salvage value.
- USDA Food Buying Guide yields are research averages across seasons and packing plants. Your kitchen yield will vary with produce grade and knife work.
- Units convert with exact NIST Handbook 44 (2026) Appendix C and NIST SP 811 Appendix B.8 factors within the same kind (count, weight, or volume).
What to do with your recipe cost per serving
Check your costliest ingredient first. The table and bar chart rank each slot's share of the batch. Trimming the price or portion size of a meat or cheese that makes up 45% of the batch saves far more than changing spices or oil.
Weigh a test batch before and after trimming. Compare your ratio with the USDA yield table on this page (such as 83% for peeled carrots or 88% for raw onions). Enter your real percent into the usable share box so peel, bone, and shrinkage costs are built into every portion.
Compare bulk and pre-cut items on cost per edible serving, not shelf price per pound. Pre-washed greens or frozen vegetables cost more per pound, but a 100% usable yield can make them cheaper per plate than whole produce with heavy trim loss.
Use the servings-by-menu-price grid to test portion counts. If cutting a pan into 8 portions instead of 6 drops food cost from 24% to 18%, check that the smaller portion still fits your menu.
Recipe cost per serving and menu pricing questions
Why does the calculator ask for usable share after trimming?
Written recipes list the trimmed, edible amount—such as 1 lb of peeled carrots or 8 oz of broccoli florets. At the store, you pay for the untrimmed as-purchased (AP) weight. In the USDA Section 2 yield table, 1 lb of carrots without tops gives 0.83 lb of peeled carrots (83% usable share). Dividing the edible cost by 0.83 covers the 17% peel loss you paid for.
Why can't I mix weight units and volume units on the same ingredient row?
Ounces and grams measure mass, while fluid ounces, cups, spoons, and milliliters measure volume. Foods have different densities. On King Arthur Baking's chart, 1 US cup holds 113 g of whole wheat flour, 198 g of granulated sugar, 213 g of packed brown sugar, or 312 g of maple syrup. Because no single factor links weight and volume, convert the recipe amount to match the package kind first.
How is food-cost percentage calculated from cost per serving?
Food-cost percentage is the cost per serving divided by the menu price per serving, times 100: `food cost % = (cost per serving ÷ menu price) × 100`. A dish that costs $3.00 per serving and sells for $10.00 has a food-cost share of `3.00 ÷ 10.00 = 30.0%`. That leaves $7.00 per serving in gross profit to pay for labor, overhead, and profit.
How do I reverse-calculate a menu price from a target food-cost percentage?
Divide the cost per serving by the target food-cost decimal (`target menu price = cost per serving ÷ target decimal`). At the default cost of $2.2014 per serving, a 30% food-cost goal takes a menu price of `$2.2014 ÷ 0.30 = $7.34`. A 25% goal takes `$2.2014 ÷ 0.25 = $8.81`. The target menu price table runs 25%, 28%, 30%, and 35% goals for you.
What if my recipe has fewer or more than five ingredients?
If your recipe has fewer than five items, enter `0` for `amount used` on the extra rows. The tool skips zero rows and hides their unused fields. If your recipe has more than five items, combine minor spices into one row, or run two passes and add the totals.
Why can a higher price per pound result in a lower cost per serving?
Shelf price per pound applies to the container weight, which includes packing liquid, rinds, bones, or stems. In USDA Section 3, whole honeydew melon has a 46% cubed yield (1 lb AP gives 0.46 lb cubes). That makes a $1.50/lb whole melon cost $3.26 per edible pound, while pre-cubed melon at $2.99/lb (100% yield) costs less per serving.
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, Introduction (FNS-634) (page modified Aug 1, 2025)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide, Section 1: Meats/Meat Alternates Yield Table (page modified Oct 23, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide, Section 2: Vegetables Yield Table (page modified Oct 23, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide, Section 3: Fruits Yield Table (page modified Oct 23, 2026)
- NIST, Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (current version)
- NIST, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SP 811), Appendix B.8 (page modified Aug 18, 2025)
- eCFR, 21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food (current version)
- King Arthur Baking, Ingredient Weight Chart (current version)
More in Recipe Scaling Calculators and Cooking & Food Calculators.