Food Portion Calculator

Meal planning made simple

Plan the right amount in 3 clear steps

Choose a food, add the people and meals, then use the preparation total or rounded shopping target.

Choose a food

Start with a preset, then edit the amount if your recipe differs.

Food category

Food item

Amount per adult, per mealweighed dry

This amount stays visible and editable; it is never a hidden nutrition rule.

2Who are you feeding?Children use the adjustable percentage shown below.

Adults & teens1 full portion each

Children60% of an adult portion

Child portion size

3Set meals and extraMeals multiply the whole plan; extra is added once at the end.

Number of meals

Extra allowance

Your portion plan

Dry pasta

4 people · 1 meal · weighed dry

Total to prepare264 g9.3 oz

Includes 10% extra (24 g)

Shopping target300 gRounded up to the next 50 g

Serving equivalents3.2adult-size portions across all meals

How the total is built

per meal → all meals

Portion calculation breakdown for adults, children and extra allowance
Group	Count	Each / meal	Subtotal
Adults & teens	2	75 g	150 g
Children	2	45 g	90 g
Extra allowance	—	10%	24 g

Base plan: 240 g. Change the visible per-person amount whenever your recipe or package gives a better starting point.

Practical portion guide

From “how many people?” to one usable food total

Portion planning is easiest when every assumption stays visible. Start with one per-person amount, scale it for the group and meals, then decide whether to add a small buffer or round up for shopping.

If the question is an individual daily energy target rather than how much food to prepare for a group, use the Calorie Calculator as a separate planning step; it does not prescribe a serving of any food.

Choose: A food and weight basis
Scale: People × meals
Plan: Extra and shopping round-up

How it works

Three decisions, in the order you need them

Confirm one adult portion

Pick a starting point, then edit it to match your recipe, package, menu, appetite, or experience. The dry, raw, cooked, or edible-weight basis is shown beside the field.

Add the eaters and meals

Adults and teens count as one portion. Children count as the percentage you select, so the assumption is explicit instead of hidden inside the result.

Choose how much flexibility you want

Add no buffer for a tightly measured recipe, or include a visible extra allowance for seconds or leftovers. The shopping target then rounds up to a practical weight.

Quick reference

Editable starting portions in the calculator

These are planning defaults, not fixed serving rules. The measurement basis matters as much as the number, and every amount can be changed before you calculate.

Food presets and their per-adult, per-meal weight basis
Food	Category	Starting amount	Weight basis
Dry pasta	Starches & grains	75 g	weighed dry
Dry rice	Starches & grains	75 g	weighed dry
Dry couscous	Starches & grains	75 g	weighed dry
Potatoes	Starches & grains	180 g	raw, ready to cook
Meat or fish	Protein foods	125 g	raw, ready to cook
Beans, lentils or pulses	Protein foods	120 g	cooked and drained
Tofu or tempeh	Protein foods	125 g	drained, ready to cook
Vegetables	Fruit & vegetables	80 g	prepared raw weight
Fruit	Fruit & vegetables	150 g	edible portion
Leafy salad	Fruit & vegetables	60 g	washed and ready to serve

Worked example

Dry pasta for two adults and two children

Adult equivalents per meal

2 + (2 × 60%) = 3.2

Base amount

75 g × 3.2 × 1 meal = 240 g

With a 10% extra allowance

240 g × 1.10 = 264 g

Prepare264 g

The metric shopping target is 300 g because the calculator rounds upward to the next 50 g. It does not silently change the exact preparation total.

Measure consistently

Dry, cooked and edible weights are not interchangeable

Dry grains absorb water

Pasta, rice and couscous become heavier after cooking. If a preset says “weighed dry,” measure it before adding water and keep the total on that same basis.

Preparation can remove weight

Peels, cores, bones, trimming and draining can make purchased weight different from edible weight. Increase the entered amount when your ingredient has unavoidable waste.

Packages and recipes can be better evidence

A product label or tested recipe may fit the exact food and cooking method better than a general preset. Replace the visible per-person amount rather than trying to correct the result afterward.

No scale? Divide the pack deliberately

Use the package’s net weight and divide it into the planned number of equivalent portions. Cups, handfuls and pieces vary, so treat them as rough checks instead of exact conversions.

Common questions

Food portion calculator FAQ

Are the suggested amounts dietary recommendations?

No. They are editable meal-planning starting points. Change the per-adult amount to match your recipe, package instructions, appetite, or individualized guidance.

Should I weigh pasta and rice dry or cooked?

The pasta, rice, and couscous presets are dry weights. Other foods show their basis beside the amount. Keep the same basis when entering a custom value and when measuring the final total.

How does the child portion setting work?

Each child counts as the selected percentage of one adult portion. The default is 60%, but it is only a visible planning assumption and can be changed from 50% to 100%.

Why is the shopping target higher than the preparation total?

The preparation total keeps the calculated amount. The shopping target rounds upward to the next 50 grams in metric mode or whole ounce in US mode so the number is easier to use at the store.

Important limitations

The presets are editable planning starting points, not nutrition prescriptions. Appetite, recipe role, age, activity, dietary needs, cooking yield, package sizes, and edible waste vary; use a package, recipe, or professional recommendation when it provides a more appropriate amount.

This formula passed its registered engineering tests and is published under an explicit site-owner policy authorization. No independent expert, QA, editorial, legal, or third-party review is claimed. Verify consequential results with a qualified professional.