Should I Weigh Foods Cooked or Raw?
Whether you should weigh food raw or cooked depends entirely on the items you select in the food database.
Some food in the tracker will explicitly state that the nutrition information is based on a cooked weight. If the food is not said to be cooked, you can assume the nutrition information is based on its raw weight and you should weigh it that way.
Typically, the nutrition information on packages is based on how food is packaged. Please keep in mind that if you choose to weigh foods cooked, the chance of error is greater because different cooking methods can change the final weight.
Why cooking changes the numbers
Heat moves water in and out of food, and that shifts the weight on your scale even though the calories and macros haven’t changed. Two patterns cover most of what you’ll cook:
- Generally, meat, poultry, and fish weigh 25% less after cooking.
- Foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, and quinoa will absorb water and largely increase volume.
To be as accurate as possible, you should weigh foods raw, especially carbohydrates that absorb water in the cooking process.
If you batch cook
If you prefer to cook foods in large quantities to plan for the week, we would recommend:
- Searching for food entries that specify the nutrition information is for cooked weight.
- Assume the volume of many proteins will decrease by about 25% after being cooked.
Pick a method, stay consistent with it, and your numbers will hold up. Accuracy isn’t about being perfect on any single meal, it’s about not stacking the same error day after day.