Raw or Cooked? When it comes to portions… the difference matters!
Vanessa Pirro • September 25, 2025
Learn why weighing foods raw vs. cooked matters, how cooking changes portions, and how to keep meals balanced. Avoid mistakes that can affect fullness, nutrient intake, and your nutrition goals with a simple tool.
Raw or Cooked?
When it comes to portions… the difference matters!
One of the most common mistakes when following a meal plan is not considering the weight difference between raw and cooked foods. It may seem like a small detail, but it can completely change the caloric and nutritional content of your plate!
What happens during cooking?
Foods change weight mainly due to variations in their water content:
- Some absorb water (like pasta, rice, legumes)
- Others lose liquid (like meat, fish, vegetables)
The result? The weight changes… and so do the calories and macronutrients per serving!
Why is this important?
If we weigh a food cooked instead of raw (or vice versa), we risk eating too much or too little, making meals unbalanced and potentially interfering with our goals.
Let’s look at some simple examples:
-
If your portion of rice is 100 g raw and you weigh 100 g cooked, you’re eating less than half of the intended portion! This will make the meal less filling, and you might reach your next snack or meal much hungrier.
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If your portion of meat is 100 g raw and you weigh 100 g cooked, you could be eating up to 30% more than planned! Repeating this mistake can unbalance the overall composition of your diet.
Sooo...which weight should you use?
The general rule is: <u>always use the raw weight</u>, unless your nutritionist specifies otherwise.
However, if you’ve cooked multiple portions, you should use the cooked weight and calculate your share proportionally.
No calculations needed, Not a Diet does it for you!
Cooked multiple portions and don’t know how much to put on your plate?
With our free calculator, it’s super easy:
- Select the food.
- Enter the quantity from your plan (raw).
- Instantly find out your portion in cooked form.
This way, you avoid mistakes and enjoy your meal without stress! đŸ˜‰
Click here to try our calculator now
References:
Conversion coefficients from raw to cooked weight were sourced from: Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU). LARN: Reference Intake Levels for Nutrients and Energy for the Italian Population. 5th revision. Rome: SINU; 2024.