Food cost calculator
What does the ingredient basket cost per saleable portion after the entered losses?
A teaching example in the units shown below.
These authored example inputs illustrate the calculation. Replace them with your own documented amounts, periods and rates; they are not measured industry averages or available offers.
Portions after ingredient preparation, before separate finished-portion waste.
Separate loss after preparation; do not count the same loss again in ingredient yield.
Price retained before the costs excluded from this ingredients-only tool.
Greater than zero through 100%. This is your planning target, not an industry recommendation.
Your entered scenario
Starting exampleCalculation updated using the entered assumptions.
- Batch ingredient cost
- $19.00
- Ingredients-only remainder per portion
- $5.89
- Ingredients-only remainder / price
- 73.6%
- Ingredient share at target price
- 30.0%
| Ingredient | Purchase quantity | Unit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredient A | 5.000 | lb | $15.00 |
| Ingredient B | 2.000 | lb | $4.00 |
Formula and interpretation
Purchased quantity = usable quantity ÷ preparation yield
Ingredient cost = purchased quantity × purchase unit cost
Saleable portions = prepared portions × (1 − finished-portion waste)
Target price = ingredient cost per saleable portion ÷ target food-cost share
Preparation yield converts an as-purchased ingredient into usable quantity. Finished-portion waste is a separate loss after the recipe is prepared.
Quantity and unit cost must use the same physical unit. Fractional expected portions are retained during calculation.
Definitions and sources
These references support the definitions and calculation boundaries. The starting numerical example is authored for arithmetic; each available business preset has its own evidence and limitations.
- Food Buying Guide: preparation yield — U.S. Department of Agriculture. Supports as-purchased versus prepared-quantity conversion; no USDA yield value is copied. Accessed September 5, 2026.
Continue with a related calculation
Connect the calculation to a complete operating plan
Review startup uses, staffing, annual results and input evidence alongside the relevant worksheets. A single calculation does not replace local quotes or a dated cash schedule.
Explore modeled business ideas →Compare financial model contents →
- Business Plan
- $49
- Financial Model
- $99
- Bundle
- $119
Coming soon. Purchases and file delivery are not enabled.
Review custom-work scope →