1. Conversion of food into
nutrients:
Recipe Calculation
Nazma Shaheen, PhD
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University
of Dhaka

2. Steps for recipe
calculations
• Collect recipes
• Decide on recipe calculation system
• Enter all necessary NVs of all
ingredients into your system
• Run calculation programme
• Document

3. Yield and retention factors
• Yield factor (YF): % weight change in
foods or recipes due to cooking.
• Nutrient retention factor (RF): % retention
of nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals, in
food or dish after, e.g. storage, preparation,
processing, warm holding or reheating.
• Edible coefficient (ED): % weight loss
when discarding inedible weight from a food
Published ED, RFs and YF not available for all foods. Best to
measure ED and YF

4. Recipe calculation
systems
1. Summing of raw ingredients (not
recommended)
2. Ingredient method
3. Total recipe method
4. Mixed method (yield at recipe level and
nutrient retention at ingredient level)

5. Ingredient method
• Sum weight of each ingredient as in
consumed recipe (edible, yield and retention
factors applied at ingredient level)
• The nutrient values of the recipe will be
calculated based on the weight of the
relative proportion of each ingredient
• Check that yield factors are applied to
fluids

6. Advantages
• need to know weight loss at ingredient level
(what is also needed to calculate value of
cooked food)
• no need to decide to which category recipe
belongs
• unequal weight loss of ingredients taken into
account
• Disadvantages
• only estimated weight loss of recipe (not
measured for whole recipe)

7. Total recipe method
Sum weight of each raw ingredient as
in recipe
• Measure fat and water change
• Apply yield and retention factors at
recipe level based on food group of main
ingredient

8. Total recipe method
Advantages
• weight loss is measured, therefore more precise
• Disadvantages
• more measurements needed
• need to decide to which category recipe
belongs
• unequal weight loss of ingredients not taken into
account

9. Calculation methods for
recipes
Ingredient Ingredient 1: NV x 1/YF x RF
Ingredient 2: NV x 1/YF x RF
Method Ingredient 3: NV x 1/YF x RF
------------------------------------------
Recipe: Sum of above
Recipe Ingredient 1: NV
Ingredient 2: NV
Method Ingredient 3: NV
----------------------------------------------
Recipe: Sum of above x 1/YF x RF
Mixed Ingredient 1: NV x RF
Ingredient 2: NV x RF
Method Ingredient 3: NV x RF
----------------------------------------
Recipe: Sum of above x 1/YF

10. Cooked foods are single ingredient recipes
to calcualte NVs of cooked foods based on same food
(raw or other cooked method)
Concept:
- NV of raw/cooked food derived from national FCT
- apply yield factor linked to a specific cooking
method (weight loss can be water and/or fat).
- apply retention factors
- for fatty meat and poultry (> 5% fat in raw food)
used as foods, a fat loss (FL) coefficient will be
applied as fat is leaking out of the food

11. Steps for recipe calculation
 Select or develop appropriate recipe
 Collect the weight and nutrient content data for
each ingredient
 Correct the ingredient nutrient levels for weight
of edible portions where appropriate
 Correct the ingredients for the effects of cooking
 either
- if data for the cooked ingredients are not
available, use yield factors to adjust from raw to
cooked weight;

12. Cont……….
or
If data for the cooked ingredients are not
available, use data for the uncooked ingredients and
apply yield factors to adjust for weight changes and
retention factors for nutrient losses or gains during
cooking
Sum the weight of the ingredients to obtain the weight
of the recipe
Sum the nutrient values of the ingredients to obtain the
nutrient value of the recipe
Adjust the recipe weight and nutrient levels to reflect
changes in fat/water contents when the whole mixture is

13. Cont……….
cooked; make any additional refuse adjustments;
apply retention factors if available for the whole
recipe.
Determine the quantity of prepared food produced by
the recipe.
Determine the final values per weight (e.g. per
100g), volume(e.g. per cup) or serving portion, as
described

14. Recipe Calculation Systems
1. Ingredient Method
 Sum weight of each ingredient as in
consumed recipe ( edible, yield, retention
factors applied at ingredient level).
 The nutrient values of the recipe will be
calculated based on the weight of the
relative proportion of each ingredient
 Check that yield factors are applied to
fluids

15. Example for Ingredient method of recipe
calculation
Chicken Curry
200g raw chicken meat n.s.[xEDxRC]=138g curry
chicken meat without inedible
200g Potato[xEdx RC]=132.72g curry potato without
inedible
200g water[xRc]= 100g water left in cooked recipe
Total weight: 371 g total recipe weight as consumed
For 100g recipe : 371/3.71 =>
(138/3.71g+132.7/3.71g+100/3.71g)
Vitamin Mineral Loss(VML) are applied at recipe
level

16. Recipe calculation Systems
2.Total recipe method
 Sum weight of each raw ingredient as in
recipe
Measure water & fat change
Apply yield & retention factors at recipe
level based on food group of main ingredient

17. Example for Total recipe method
 Chicken Curry
200g raw chicken meat
200g raw potato
200g water
Total: 600g raw recipe weight=> 400g cooked recipe
weight
Nutrients of raw ingredients
For 100g recipe = --------------------------------- x 100
Weight of cooked recipe
Vitamin Mineral Loss(VML) are applied at recipe level

18. Exercise
 Calculate the nutrient content of Pishpash
Ingredients Vegetable oil 14g
Rice 28g Cumin 1g
Lentil 28g Turmeric 0.5g
Potato 10g Onion 10g
Carrot 10g Salt 2g
Spinach 5g Water 350ml
Potato, Carrots, Onion and Spinach are sliced into small
pieces & then is mixed with all the other ingredients.
Water is then added and allowed to cook till the
grains and vegetables are very soft & semi solid.
Weight of cooked pishpash = 120g

19. Let us take a balanced
diet for
perfect Health