Yield Options in the ESHA Database: Choosing Cooked vs Raw | ESHA Research Blog

Customers often ask the question, “How do I enter the correct weight of meat when my recipe refers to a beginning raw weight, but my nutritionals need to show cooked meat values?”

The ESHA database includes yield options for many USDA and Canadian Nutrient File items that allow you to enter a beginning raw weight, but end up with cooked values for your finished recipe.

To begin, search for the cooked form of your meat, but look for indented yield options below a primary description that include terms such as “AP Raw…” or “Meas…” like this:

“AP” means “As purchased”

“Meas” means “Measured”

All of the choices for an ESHA Code with yield options report nutritional values per the description in the top line but allow you to enter the starting weight in a different form, like raw or untrimmed.

In this example, choosing any of the options for ESHA Code 15004 gives you nutritional values for the edible portion of roasted, skinless chicken breast. You can however, enter a raw weight to begin with, and the software automatically applies the appropriate yield factors to give you the corresponding cooked amount. The line that you select from the available choices, affects the resulting weight (the yield) of the edible roasted chicken breast.

If your recipe calls for 1 lb of raw, chicken breast with the bone in, click on the second line item above and enter 1 lb as the amount.

The screen below demonstrates the differences in yields for these various forms of the same chicken. The yields are calculated from USDA loss and retention factors.

Note that in this example, all of these yield choices were entered in the amount of 1 lb (453.59 g).

Each choice yields a different amount of edible portion depending on the refuse (inedible portion like bone or skin) removed.

1. The first line has a 100% yield.
   1 lb entered = 1 lb edible, cooked meat
2. The second line is automatically adjusted to account for removal of the bone and loss from raw to cooked.
   1 lb yields 238.82 g edible, cooked meat
3. The third line is automatically adjusted to account for removal of bone and skin and loss from raw to cooked.
   1 lb yields 212.28 g edible, cooked meat
4. The fourth line is automatically adjusted to account for loss from raw to cooked.
   1 lb yields 294.84 g edible, cooked meat

Raw Ingredients

Just a reminder that the primary line description indicates the form of the food and the nature of the nutrient values for all yield options indented below it.

If the primary line of the ingredient lists “raw”, then all nutrient values associated with this ESHA Code are based on the raw form of the food.

“Meas” Example

“Meas” is often used in the yield options for produce. In the examples below, one shows fresh broccoli, with an option to begin with untrimmed weight. The other example shows cooked broccoli with an option to begin with weight of the raw, frozen form.


Here’s a video tutorial of these instructions.