People who are into fitness and health are always talking about and debating whether you should weigh your meat before or after cooking it. This question always comes up at the top of forum boards, YouTube comments, and Snapchat Q.
This is an age-old question, that has as many people advocating on one side, as the other. So what’s the answer? When should you weigh your meat? Either. Either? How can it be either? Well, let’s take a look….
In response to the question above, many people don’t really want to know when to weigh their meat. Instead, they want to know, “Is the nutritional information on a package of meat based on its raw (uncooked) weight or its cooked weight?” For most foods, the label will show the raw/uncooked weight. The label on a package of meat, like ground beef, will tell you that it has “x” grams of protein, “x” grams of fat, and “x” calories per 4 oz. , these are the nutritional facts for the product when it is uncooked. In other words, if you want to get “x” grams of protein per meal, you would figure it out by using the raw, uncooked weight of the food. It’s a common misconception, that meat’s nutrition facts labels, are based upon the product’s cooked weight. People will cook the food, and THEN weigh-out the portion size they want, for example 4 oz. However, because meat usually loses about 25% of its weight while cooking, if you weigh your meat after cooking it, you should eat that amount instead of the protein, fat, and calorie amounts listed for 4 oz. you’re actually using a lot more than this, about 5 or 5 5 oz. (more or less depending on the type of meat, and the method you used to cook it). If you do this at every meal, you may end up eating a lot more calories than you thought you were at the end of the day, week, or month. This can definitely make it harder for you to lose weight (I know what some of you are thinking right now, but don’t worry, we’ll get there). Just give me a few more lines).
Labels usually show the weight of the food as it is, but sometimes they show the weight of the food after it has been cooked (I know, it’s confusing!). But this doesn’t happen very often. When it does, they have to say so and also say what kind of cooking these nutrition facts are based on (baking, grilling, etc.). ). But for the most part, the nutrition facts label is based on the products uncooked weight. Now to go Full Circle with all of this….
We first asked if we should weigh our meat before or after cooking it. The answer we got was either The answer is either, because when we weigh our meat isn’t the issue. The real question is:
“How can we keep accurate records of what we eat so that the amounts of macronutrients and calories we write down are correct?”
1) Look at the meat’s nutrition facts label. Unless it says otherwise, the information there is for the meat’s raw weight. For that reason, the first way is to just weigh the meat before cooking it and write down the nutrition facts label values that make sense for the amount you want to cook. Simple enough.
2) If you don’t want to weigh out each raw portion one at a time and then cook them carefully spaced apart so that they don’t mix (can you tell I’ve done this before?) Weigh the meat when it’s uncooked, or look at the total amount contained in the package. After it’s cooked, weigh it again and divide the new weight by the number of servings you wanted. This will give you the base weight. Then just portion it out. For example: Let’s say the package of raw meat you are about to cook weighs 1 lb. If you want to make two, 8 oz. portions, knowing that this package weights 16 oz. , you can cook it, weigh it after, then just divide that by two. Remember, that after cooking it, it may only weigh 12 oz. , making each of the portions now only 6 oz. However, the nutrition facts for each of these meals will be equal to that of an 8 oz. portion of raw meat.
What can you do if you don’t want to weigh raw meat or don’t know what its raw weight was?
3) Be consistent with your cooking method. All you have to do is cook the meat the same way, for the same amount of time, every time. This should give you pretty accurate and consistent numbers. Simply look up the nutrition facts for the type of meat you are cooking and the way you are cooking it. Do not use the uncooked nutrition facts on the package as a guide. Cook the meat the same way every time.
You can keep track of and record how much meat you eat in a number of different ways, as indicated. And that it doesn’t really matter how we weigh our meat as long as we can get accurate information about its nutrition.
I hope you benefited, and enjoyed reading this article. Put your ideas in the comments below if you want me to write about something else in the future. You can also find me on:
One of the best parts of cooking bacon is that delicious sizzling sound and smoky aroma filling the kitchen. However, you may notice that once all sliced and cooked up, the amount of bacon looks less than what you started with. So how much weight does bacon actually lose during the cooking process?
It turns out bacon can lose a significant portion of its original weight when cooked. The amount of shrinkage depends on a few factors, including the cooking method, thickness of the slices, and percentage of fat versus lean meat
Understanding bacon weight loss can help you determine how much to purchase and cook to end up with the quantity you need for recipes or meals.
Why Does Bacon Lose Weight When Cooked?
Bacon shrinks during cooking for two main reasons
Moisture loss – As bacon cooks, the heat evaporates moisture from the meat. Since water has weight, losing moisture during cooking decreases the total weight.
Fat rendering – Bacon contains high amounts of fat which melts and renders out as it cooks. The rendered fat is no longer part of the cooked bacon, further reducing the weight.
These two factors account for bacon’s significant weight loss when going from raw to cooked The amount of moisture and fat content impacts total shrinkage.
How Much Weight Do Different Cooking Methods Lose?
Bacon can be cooked by various methods, including baking, pan frying, microwaving, and grilling. Each technique results in slightly different amounts of moisture and fat rendering, impacting weight loss.
Pan frying – Pan frying causes the most moisture loss, resulting in about 30% weight loss. Direct stovetop heat quickly renders fat and evaporates water.
Baking – Baking is gentler, leading to around 25% weight loss as moisture and some fat slowly render in the oven.
Microwaving – Microwaving typically loses the least amount of weight, around 20%, as the rapid cooking leaves more moisture intact.
Grilling – Grilling bacon over direct high heat can cause up to 30% shrinkage like pan frying. Lower, indirect heat would lower the weight loss.
In most cooking methods, expect 20-30% less weight from the raw bacon to the finished cooked product.
Factors Affecting Bacon Weight Loss
Certain characteristics of the bacon you’re cooking can also impact the total weight loss:
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Thickness – Thicker sliced bacon loses more weight as it has more moisture and fat to render. Thinner slices shrink less with less initial content.
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Fat content – Bacon with more fat and marbling experiences more fat rendering, increasing weight loss. Leaner bacon loses less.
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Cooking temperature – Higher heat extracts moisture faster and renders more fat, increasing weight loss. Lower temperatures have less impact.
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Cook time – The longer bacon cooks, the more moisture evaporates and fat renders, leading to more weight loss.
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Ingredients – Flavored bacon with extra sugar or maple coating can lose slightly more weight as the sugars caramelize off.
Typical Weight Loss Percentages
While amounts vary, here are some general weight loss percentages for different bacon types and cooking methods:
- Thin sliced bacon – 15-20% loss
- Thick sliced bacon – 25-30% loss
- Turkey or lean bacon – 18-22% loss
- Pan frying – 28-32% loss
- Baking – 22-26% loss
- Microwaving – 18-22% loss
So for example, if you start with 10 oz of thick sliced bacon pan fried, expect around 2.5-3 oz of weight loss, leaving you with 7-7.5 oz cooked.
How to Account for Bacon Weight Loss
Knowing bacon shrinks when cooked, here are some tips to end up with the quantity you need:
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Weigh bacon before and after cooking to determine your typical weight loss percentage.
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For recipes, add 25-30% more raw bacon than cooked amount required.
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Cook extra to allow for shrinkage if you’ll use bacon for multiple meals.
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Choose thicker slices if you want crisper cooked bacon, as more moisture will evaporate.
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Opt for thinner slices if you want to maximize quantity after cooking.
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Cook low and slow at lower temps to retain more moisture and minimize loss.
Weight Loss in Other Pork Products
Bacon isn’t the only pork product that loses weight when cooked. Here are some other examples:
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Sausages – Fresh sausages can lose 10-15% of weight when cooked as moisture and fat render.
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Ham – A cooked and smoked ham loses around 15% of weight after heating or glazing.
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Pork chops – Chops can shrink up to 30% during grilling or pan frying due to moisture and fat loss.
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Pork roast – Roasts decrease 15-20% during roasting as collagen breaks down and fat renders.
Any type of raw pork will shrink to some degree during cooking. Keeping this in mind when portioning will ensure you end up with the quantity of meat needed.
Cooking Experiments to Determine Weight Loss
If you want to get specific numbers for your own bacon’s weight loss, do a cooking experiment:
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Weigh strips of raw bacon before cooking. Record weights.
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Cook bacon using your typical method (pan fry, bake, etc.) until done to your liking.
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Weigh the cooked bacon immediately after cooking while still hot.
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Compare the raw and cooked weights. Calculate the percentage of weight lost.
Repeat this process several times to get an average weight loss percentage. You can also test different brands, thicknesses, or cooking methods. This will provide real-world numbers tailored to how you cook bacon.
Maximizing Your Bacon
Armed with the knowledge that bacon loses 20-30% of its raw weight when cooked, you can more accurately grocery shop, meal plan, and cook the perfect quantity of this breakfast staple. Weighing bacon before and after cooking provides real-world numbers.
While shrinkage leads to less quantity, the tradeoff is irresistibly crispy, flavorful bacon cooked to perfection. So enjoy every tasty morsel knowing exactly how much it weighed before hitting the pan!
How to Lose Fat by Eating Bacon – Dr. Berg
FAQ
What is the yield of cooked bacon?
Do I weigh bacon raw or cooked?
How much does bacon shrink?
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Mass start (g)
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Mass end (g)
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Mass loss (g)
|
|
12.5
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3.3
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9.2
|
|
13.6
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4.5
|
9.1
|
|
11.6
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3.5
|
8.1
|
|
13.7
|
4
|
9.7
|
How much weight can a pound of cooked bacon lose?
The amount of weight loss depends on a number of factors, including the cooking method, the thickness of the bacon, and how crispy you like your bacon. On average, a pound of raw bacon will yield about 3/4 to 1 pound of cooked bacon. This means that a pound of cooked bacon will have lost about 1/4 to 1/3 of its weight during cooking.
Does Bacon lose calories when cooked?
The short answer is yes, bacon does lose calories when cooked. When bacon is cooked, some of the fat renders out of it, which in turn lowers the calorie count. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a single slice of cooked bacon contains about 43 calories, while an uncooked slice contains about 80 calories.
How many calories are in a gram of cooked bacon?
However, since most people do not eat raw bacon, we need to compare calorie values for cooked versus uncooked weight. Bacon loses 60% of its weight when “cooked to perfection”, so the 100 gram raw bacon (312kcal) becomes 40 grams of cooked bacon worth 172 calories!
How does Bacon lose water & fat?
Bacon is primarily composed of water, fat, and protein. When bacon is cooked, it loses water and fat through rendering, which means that the water and fat are melted and drip off the bacon as it cooks.
How many calories are in a slice of bacon?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a single slice of cooked bacon contains about 43 calories, while an uncooked slice contains about 80 calories. However, it’s important to note that the calorie count varies depending on the fat content of the bacon, as well as the way in which it is cooked.
Does cooked bacon have more calories than raw bacon?
As a result, the calorie count per gram of cooked bacon is higher than that of raw bacon. For example, a single slice of raw bacon may contain 80 calories, while a slice of cooked bacon may contain only 43 calories. However, when comparing the same weight of cooked and uncooked bacon, the calorie count of cooked bacon will be higher.