- About the Estimated Serving Size (ESS) of a Recipe
- Adjusting ESS by Adjusting Serving Number (for a "My Recipe" only)
- Adjusting ESS by Adjusting Ingredient Amounts (for a "My Recipe" only)
- ESS is Used for Calculating Nutrient Values
- Relationship Between ESS and Portion Size
About the Estimated Serving Size (ESS) of a Recipe
The estimated serving size (ESS) of a recipe is the sum of the edible portion (EP) amount of each ingredient divided by the serving number. If an ingredient does not have an EP percentage, then its EP amount is the same as its as purchased (AP) amount. The estimated serving size is calculated as follows:
EP amount of all ingredients (as purchased (AP) amount x food's EP percentage) / servings = estimated serving size.
| Ingredient | AP Amount | Multiplied by the Food's EP Percentage | EP Amount | Divided by Servings | Estimated Serving Size |
| Beef, Short Ribs | 8164.66 g | 66% | 5388.67 g | ||
| Liquid Smoke | 170.17 g | - | 170.17 g | ||
| Celery | 202.05 g | - | 202.05 g | ||
| Onion | 320.02 g | - | 320.02 g | ||
| Base, Beef Paste | 71.98 g | - | 71.98 g | ||
| Tap Water | 56813.11 g | - | 56813.11 g | ||
| Black Ground Pepper | 1.6 g | - | 1.6 g | ||
| Vegetable Shortening | 307.49 g | - | 307.49 g | ||
| Flour | 187.50 g | - | 187.50 g | ||
| Total - 12332.59 g | 50 | 246.65 g; 8.70 oz |
The Estimated Serving Size is located in the Recipe Information section (screenshot below). The system displays the ESS in grams and ounces, and as such will perform the necessary conversions of ingredients not originally in grams and ounces. The EP percentage of an ingredient (i.e., food item) can be viewed when you open the food item.
Clicking the scale icon (
How EP Amount of a Food is Calculated
As noted, the EP amount of a food item (i.e. ingredient or prepared food) is used to calculate the ESS. The EP amount of a food item is calculated as follows:
| AP Amount | Multiplied by the Food's EP Percentage | EP Amount |
|
12 lbs |
66% | 7.92 lbs (3592.45 g; 126.72 oz) |
Adjusting Estimated Serving Size by Adjusting Serving Number (for a "My Recipe" only)
By adjusting the serving number of the recipe (for a "My Recipe" recipe only), the ESS adjusts accordingly.
Examples below:
| AP Amount | Multiplied by the Food's EP Percentage | EP Amount | Servings | Estimated Serving Size |
|
12 lbs (5443.10 g; 192 oz) |
66% | 7.92 lbs (3592.45 g; 126.72 oz) |
40 | 89.81 g; 3.17 oz |
| 50 | 71.85 g; 2.53 oz | |||
| 60 | 59.87 g; 2.11 oz |
Adjusting ESS by Adjusting Ingredient Amounts (for a "My Recipe" only)
By adjusting the ingredient's AP amount (for a "My Recipe" recipe only), the estimated serving size adjusts accordingly. Examples below:
| AP Amount | Multiplied by the Food's EP Percentage | EP Amount | Servings | Estimated Serving Size |
|
12 lbs (5443.10 g; 192 oz) |
66% |
7.92 lbs (3592.45 g; 126.72 oz) |
50 | 71.85 g; 2.53 oz |
|
18 lbs (8164.66 g; 288 oz) |
11.88 lbs (5388.67 g; 190.08 oz) |
107.77 g; 3.80 oz | ||
|
28 lbs (12700.58 g; 448 oz) |
18.48 lbs (8382.38 g; 295.68) |
167.65 g; 5.91 oz |
ESS is Used for Calculating Nutrient Values
When viewing the nutrition content of a recipe, the nutrient values are calculated based on the ESS.
Relationship Between ESS and Portion Size
The ESS is a weight measurement displayed in grams and equivalent ounces, and as noted is the sum of the edible portion (EP) amount of each ingredient divided by the serving number.
Depending on the recipe, the portion size of the recipe is measured in volume, weight, or special unit of measure (which in turn uses a volume or weight as its base).
Because different food items have different densities, the ESS weight will not always be equal to the portion size. For example, a 1/2 cup of croutons would have a different weight than a 1/2 cup of mashed potato. The portion size and ESS for a recipe are shown in the example screenshots below.
In addition, if the recipe has water as an ingredient and the water is then discarded before serving, the ESS would still account for the weight of the water, and therefore the ESS would be more than the portion size. For example, in the pork chop recipe below, the ESS weight is affected by the ingredient of tap water.