10 grams extra per portion seems small, but can cost you thousands of euros per year. Many kitchens increase portions gradually without calculating the impact. Here's how to calculate what this really costs and prevent it from happening.
The hidden costs of larger portions
Your chef adds a bit more meat. The cook adds an extra scoop of vegetables. Seems harmless, but these small increases can eat away at your profit without you noticing.
💡 Example:
You sell 200 grams of steak, but actually give 210 grams:
- Beef: €24/kg
- Extra 10 grams: €0.24 per portion
- 50 portions per week: €12 per week
- Per year: €624 loss on one dish
And that's just one dish...
Calculate the impact per dish
For each portion increase, you calculate the costs per gram or per piece. Do this for all main ingredients that become more expensive.
- Meat/fish: Price per kg ÷ 1000 = price per gram
- Vegetables: Usually less impact, but still count it
- Luxury ingredients: Truffle, wagyu, lobster have massive impact
- Garnishes: Small increases add up too
💡 Calculation example:
Salmon at €18/kg, 10 grams extra per portion:
- €18 ÷ 1000 = €0.018 per gram
- 10 grams × €0.018 = €0.18 per portion
- 60 portions/week × €0.18 = €10.80/week
- 52 weeks × €10.80 = €562 per year
Total impact across all dishes
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen how these small increases compound across menus. You only see the real damage after including all dishes. Each portion increase stacks up.
⚠️ Note:
Only count the dishes that actually get 10 grams more. Not all dishes have the same main ingredient.
Make a list of:
- Which dishes are affected
- How many portions per week of each dish
- What the extra ingredient costs per gram
- Calculate the yearly impact per dish
- Add everything up for the total damage
💡 Total example:
Restaurant with 5 meat dishes, each 10 grams extra:
- Steak: €624/year
- Salmon: €562/year
- Chicken: €312/year
- Pork tenderloin: €468/year
- Lamb rack: €936/year
Total loss: €2,902 per year
Calculate food cost impact
Larger portions also increase your food cost percentage. This can turn profitable dishes into loss-makers.
Formula: New food cost % = (Old ingredient costs + Extra costs) ÷ Selling price excl. VAT × 100
💡 Food cost impact:
Steak €32 incl. VAT (€29.36 excl.):
- Old costs: €9.50 (32.4% food cost)
- 10 grams extra: +€0.24
- New costs: €9.74 (33.2% food cost)
From acceptable to too high in one go.
Prevention and control
You prevent portion creep through standardization and regular checks. Without a system, every portion grows slowly.
- Weigh regularly: Check random portions during service
- Standard recipes: Document exact grams per ingredient
- Train your team: Everyone needs to know what the standard is
- Monthly check: Calculate food cost and compare with previous month
Using tools like KitchenNmbrs, you see your food cost per dish directly. If it rises without you raising prices, you know your portions are getting too big.
How do you calculate the cost impact? (step by step)
Identify affected dishes
Make a list of all dishes that get 10 grams extra of the same ingredient. Count how many portions you sell per week of each dish.
Calculate cost per gram
Divide the purchase price per kilo by 1000 to get the price per gram. At €24/kg beef, that's €0.024 per gram.
Calculate impact per dish
Multiply: 10 grams × price per gram × portions per week × 52 weeks. This gives you the yearly extra costs per dish.
Add up all dishes
Sum the yearly impact of all affected dishes. This is your total loss from the 10 gram portion increase.
✨ Pro tip
Track your 8 highest-volume dishes over the next 30 days with random portion checks. These dishes drive 70% of your food cost variance, so controlling them first gives you maximum impact with minimum effort.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to include all ingredients in the calculation?
No, only the ingredients that actually get 10 grams more. Usually that's the main ingredient like meat or fish. Vegetables typically have less impact.
What if I use different portion sizes per dish?
Calculate each dish separately. A steak going from 200 to 210 grams has different impact than salmon going from 150 to 160 grams, even though both are 10 grams extra.
How often should I check this?
Check your food cost percentages monthly. If they rise without supplier price changes, your portions are probably getting bigger than planned.
Can I prevent this without constantly weighing?
Yes, through standard recipes with exact grams and regular training. It also helps to have portion scales in the kitchen for quick checks.
What if my team deliberately gives larger portions?
Explain what it costs. €2,900 per year for 10 grams extra is often enough to convince your team of the importance of standard portions.
How do I calculate the impact for dishes with multiple protein sources?
Calculate each protein separately, then add them together. For example, if your surf and turf gets 10g extra beef and 10g extra lobster, calculate both impacts individually. The combined cost increase can be substantial.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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