How do I calculate the food cost of a five-product food...

Why calculating food cost is extra important for food trucks

With a food truck, you've got less room for error than in a restaurant. You have limited storage space, need to work quickly, and often have lower selling prices due to the casual setting. Every euro you undercharge directly impacts your profit.

The basic formula for food cost

For each product on your menu, you use the same formula:

Food cost % = (Total ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100

Important: always calculate with the selling price excluding VAT. For food in the Netherlands, that's 9% VAT.

• Selling price incl. VAT ÷ 1.09 = selling price excl. VAT
• Example: €8.50 ÷ 1.09 = €7.80 excl. VAT

Step 1: Make a list of all ingredients per product

For each of your five products, write down all ingredients that go into it. Don't forget anything: the oil for cooking, salt, sauce and packaging too.

Step 2: Calculate exact quantities and costs

Measure or weigh everything you use per serving. Calculate the costs based on your purchase prices. Tip: use a kitchen scale for consistency.

• Weigh meat, vegetables and other main ingredients
• Measure sauces and dressings in milliliters
• Count garnish and packaging

Step 3: Calculate the food cost percentage

Now apply the formula to each product. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen that food trucks consistently underestimate their true costs by 15-20% without proper measurement.

Common mistakes in food truck cost calculations

Many food truck entrepreneurs make the same mistakes calculating their cost prices:

• Forgetting packaging: Containers, bags and napkins cost €0.50-€1.00 per order
• Inconsistent portion sizes: One time 120g meat, another time 180g
• Calculating with price incl. VAT: This makes your food cost appear lower than it actually is
• Not counting sauces and garnish: Small amounts add up too

What to do if your food cost is too high

If a product comes in above 35% food cost, you have three options:

• Raise the price: Often the easiest solution, but check if the market will accept it
• Reduce portion size: 20g less meat can already save 2-3% in food cost
• Find cheaper ingredients: Look for alternatives without compromising quality

Food truck specific tips

A few extra tips specifically for food truck entrepreneurs:

• Account for 5-10% waste due to limited storage space
• Include fuel costs in your total cost price calculation (not just ingredients)
• Check your food cost weekly - purchase prices can change quickly
• Have a backup plan for ingredient prices that suddenly increase

Digital help with cost price calculation

Manual calculation takes time that you as a food truck entrepreneur often don't have. An app automatically calculates your food cost per dish and alerts you if ingredient prices rise.

This gives you more time for what really matters: making delicious food and serving customers.

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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

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