Food & Cooking Calculators

Divide all ingredient quantities by the original serving count, then multiply by your target serving count. For most savory recipes this linear scaling works well. For baking, leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda, yeast) should be scaled conservatively; using 75% of the calculated amount prevents over-rising. Seasoning should be added to taste after scaling rather than scaled exactly.

Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) measure space, while weight measures mass. The problem is that ingredient density varies significantly depending on how it is packed. One cup of all-purpose flour can weigh anywhere from 120g to 165g depending on whether it was sifted or scooped. For baking especially, a 30% difference in flour will noticeably change the texture of the final product.

Log the caloric content of every ingredient used in the full batch using USDA FoodData Central as a reference. Add all ingredient calories together to get the total batch calories, then divide by the number of servings. Remember to weigh ingredients before cooking, as cooking changes weight through evaporation or absorption, which can make post-cooking estimates less accurate.

Sports nutrition research (including a 2018 meta-analysis by Morton et al.) suggests that consuming roughly 0.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal maximizes muscle protein synthesis per session. For a 75kg person, that is about 30g of protein per meal. Total daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2g/kg/day is the recommended range for those training for muscle growth.