- 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 | 6441 g | 66% | 4251 g | ||
| Celery, Fresh | 9.7 oz (275 g) | 275 g | |||
| Onion, Yellow | 9.7 oz (275 g) | 275 g | |||
| Pepper, Black Ground | 0.57 tsp (1 g) | 1 g | |||
| Flour, All Purpose | 1.14 cups (143 g) | 143 g | |||
| Margarine, Solids | 1.14 cups (257 g) | 257 g | |||
| Base, Beef Paste | 0.19 cups (45 g) | 45 g | |||
| Water, Tap | 1.14 gal (4319 g) | 4319 g | |||
| Total - 9556 g | 50 | 191.32 g; 6.77 oz |
The Estimated Serving Size is located in the Recipe Information section (first 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.
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 |
|
14.2 lbs (6441 g; 227 oz) |
66% |
9.37 lbs (4251 g; 150 oz) |
Adjusting ESS 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.
- Increasing the serving number decreases the ESS (i.e., the individual serving size is smaller because there are more servings).
- Decreasing the serving number increases the ESS (i.e., the individual serving size is larger because there are less servings).
Examples below:
| AP Amount | Multiplied by the Food's EP Percentage | EP Amount | Servings | Estimated Serving Size |
|
14.2 lbs (6441 g; 227 oz) |
66% |
9.37 lbs (4251 g; 150 oz) |
40 | 239.15 g (8.44 oz) |
| 50 | 191.32 g (6.75 oz) | |||
| 60 | 159.43 (5.62 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 |
|
14.2 lbs (6441 g; 227 oz) |
66% |
9.37 lbs (4251 g; 150 oz) |
50 | 191.32 g (6.75 oz) |
|
18 lbs (8165 g; 288 oz) |
11.88 lbs (5388 g; 190 oz) |
267.59 g (9.44 oz) | ||
|
26 lbs (11793 g; 448 oz) |
17.16 lbs (7783 g; 274 oz) |
327.47 g (11.55 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.
- If the ESS is increased, then the nutrient values increase accordingly.
- If the ESS is decreased, then the nutrient values decrease accordingly.
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 food items have different densities, the ESS weight will not always be equal to the portion size. For example, the weight of a 1/2 cup of croutons is lighter than the weight of a 1/2 cup of mashed potato.
In the vegetable stew recipe below, the portion size is 1 cup and the ESS is 304.93 g (13.03 oz).
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 vegetable stew recipe below, the ESS weight is affected by the ingredient of tap water.