Food packaging often contains a nutrition label that provides information about the nutrients present in the food when consumed, whether it is in its fresh or cooked state. However, the quantity or portion size used to calculate these nutrient levels may vary depending on whether the food is prepared or raw.
For example, if a nutrition label provides information for “1 cup” of a vegetable, this typically refers to the cooked weight of the vegetable, as the volume of the vegetable can change during cooking. In contrast, if a nutrition label provides information for “1 medium” fruit, such as an apple or a banana, this typically refers to the raw weight of the fruit.
To determine whether a nutrition label is for raw or cooked food, it is important to check the serving size and weight measurement used. If the label provides information for a cooked weight or volume, this may indicate that the food has been cooked before being measured. If the label provides information for a raw weight or volume, this may indicate that the food has not been cooked.
It is also important to note that cooking can affect the nutrient content of foods, as some vitamins and minerals can be lost or destroyed during the cooking process. Therefore, it is important to consider the impact of cooking on the nutrient content of foods when interpreting nutrition labels and planning a balanced diet.

The nutrition label on your food provides information such as calories, nutrients and other details about what you’re eating. These labels can be found on nearly all packaged food items that you purchase at the store.
Some foods and drinks have nutrition facts based on raw or cooked data, making them difficult to interpret if you’re used to weighing everything before cooking it.
Check the Label
Nutrition labels are labels found on food packages that indicate what foods are nutritious and which ones should not. They also provide information regarding calorie count, fat percentage, sugar content, salt content and other essential nutrients in a product. The information provided by nutrition labels helps people make healthier food choices and control their weight more effectively.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set forth a set of standards that the food industry must abide by when creating labels. One such requirement is using a traffic light system to inform customers how many calories, saturated fats, sugars and salt are in a food item.
Another way to check a label’s ingredients list is by scanning through it. Look for products made of real, whole foods with less than two or three lines listed ingredients. A long list can often indicate that the food has been heavily processed.
It is best to steer clear of products with a lot of refined grains, sugar or hydrogenated oils. These ingredients tend to be high in sodium and calories.
When purchasing packaged food items, check the number of servings per container and serving size in cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces or pounds.
When purchasing ground meat or poultry, be sure to read the label carefully. All packages of raw or cooked meat and poultry must include a nutrition facts panel for your reference.
Labels must include the calories, grams of total fat and saturated fat per serving size for easy comparison between similar products.
By reading the ingredients list of a single serving, you can determine how much protein, vitamins A and C as well as calcium you are getting. When selecting your nutrients for breakfast or lunch, always ensure you get an even balance of all vital elements such as proteins, vitamins A, C and E.
Additionally, strive for a diet with plenty of fiber and minimal added sugars. These essential nutrients can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as provide additional energy during stressful situations.
Check the Weight
When reading nutrition labels and seeing that a serving size is stated in raw weight, it’s essential to determine whether this means raw or cooked. Doing so can make all the difference when it comes to your calorie and macronutrient calculations.
Meats, poultry and fish typically lose around 25 percent of their weight when cooked due to water loss during preparation.
Similar to fruits, veggies typically lose around half their weight when cooked. Therefore, it’s best to weigh your foods in their raw state before cooking them.
You can check this on the nutrition facts label on the package or do an Internet search to obtain raw and cooked weights of common foods. Be sure to include the cooking method (e.g., “cooked chicken” or “broiled”) when entering your search query.
When weighing food raw before cooking it, the weights will be more consistent and accurate. This is especially true for meats and vegetables.
Another advantage to weighing your food before cooking it is that you can accurately track its calories and nutrients. This is especially useful if you use a food logging app like MyFitnessPal to keep track of what goes into each meal.
However, when you weigh your food after it has been cooked, the calories and nutrients may be inaccurate due to differences in cooking methods that alter how much liquid is present in each serving.
For instance, rice and pasta may absorb water when they are cooked, causing their weight to drastically change.
To avoid discrepancies in weight, either weigh your food before cooking it or perform a quick conversion. For this, divide the amount of cooked food by 0.75 to get an estimated raw weight for that item.
You could also try weighing your food in the same cooking pan or pot you plan on cooking it in. Doing this eliminates having to measure while it’s raw, which eliminates dishes and mess from the equation.
Check the Serving Size
When trying to calculate the calories in a food item or how much protein is in your meal, one of the most crucial steps you can take is checking the serving size. Nutrition labels on packaged foods and beverages tell you how many portions make up each container; this information helps you compare nutritional values between various items and decide which are the most beneficial choices for you.
The nutrition facts panel on a nutrition label provides details about the amount of calories, fat and other nutrients in each serving. It also lists nutrients to limit for health purposes – total fat, saturated fat, trans fat cholesterol and sodium.
When reading the nutrition label, be sure to note the serving size in both weight and familiar units. Doing this makes it simpler to estimate how many servings are included when calculating macros with My Fitness Pal or another nutrition analysis app.
For instance, if a package of instant noodles contains 45 g in its serving size, that’s an incredibly large portion but only one serving. That is why you should take your time and inspect each portion to make sure you aren’t getting more calories or nutrients than recommended in one sitting.
As a general guideline, try to eat no more food than the serving size indicated on the label. Eating smaller portions will increase satisfaction and decrease your likelihood of overeating.
Additionally, if you’re eating something with more than one serving – such as an entire package of ice cream – the label may feature a “dual column” where you can see the serving size for each different package. This makes it simple to determine how many portions are in total.
On the left-hand side of a nutrition label, there is an area that displays amounts of specific vitamins and minerals. These essential nutrients must be included for our health, so they must be listed there too. Nutrients are usually listed in grams (g) or milligrams (mg).
Check the Ingredients
The nutrition label is an invaluable tool to get an overview of what you’re consuming and whether it’s a great or bad deal. It also allows you to compare products that may appear similar but contain different amounts of the same ingredient.
A complete nutrition label will include all the standard components – energy (kilojoules), fibre, fat, protein and salt – along with the smallest serving size for each.
Additionally, you’ll be able to view the best-before date, which indicates how long food should remain fresh before spoiling or becoming unsafe to eat.
The nutrition label may not be the most thrilling part of the process, but it is essential for anyone attempting to make informed food choices. It is often what we pick up first from supermarket shelves or grocery store aisles, so it’s essential that we comprehend what is written there. Label information not only informs us; it also serves to motivate us towards healthier lifestyle choices that save money in the process!
Ilana has been a vegan for over 10 years. She originally made the switch for health reasons, but soon found herself becoming more and more passionate about the ethical and environmental implications of a vegan lifestyle. Ilana is the author of The Graceful Kitchen, a blog all about veganism. She loves to cook up delicious and nutritious vegan meals, and share her recipes with others who are interested in leading a cruelty-free life. Ilana is also a strong advocate for using whole foods as the foundation of a healthy diet, and believes that going vegan is one of the best ways to achieve this.