Basic Culinary Math for

Child Nutrition Professionals

2016

The University of Mississippi

School of Applied Sciences
Pre-Assessment
Write a unique identifier in the upper
right-hand corner on the first page.
Any combination of numbers and letters
Something you will remember

The same identifier will be used at the

conclusion of the training on the
Post-Assessment.
Basic
Mathematical Operations

Addition (+)
Whole Numbers
Subtraction (-)
of Fractions
Multiplication (x)
Decimals
Division ()
Addition (+)
Determine purchase quantities.
Calculate number of servings needed for food
items.
Calculate inventory.
Find the solutions for many other simple
problems.
Subtraction (-)
Compare leftover food items against number
prepared minus the number served.
Determine quantities to purchase after
subtracting items in inventory.
Complete production records.
Multiplication (x)
Determine total price on multiple quantities
of items listed on a purchase order.
Calculate the total money due from meals
served in various categories.
Find the total costs of multiple servings of a
menu item.
 Calculate the cost per portion of the total
recipe.
Determine the average cost per meal.
Find the inventory turnover rate.
Rounding

Find the number, and look to the number on

the right.
Five or more, raise the score
(Add one to the original number.)
Four or less, let it rest
(The original number stays the same.)
The numbers to the right of the place you
rounded become zeros.
Decimals
Express a number or part of a number that is
less than one

.
0 __ __ __
tenths
hundredths
thousandths
Fractions

numerator

denominator
Converting
Fractions to Decimals
To convert a fraction to a decimal:
Divide the numerator (part) by the
denominator (whole)

numerator

denominator
Converting
Decimals to Fractions
To convert a decimal to a fraction:
Write down the decimal divided by 1.
Multiply numerator & denominator by 100.
Reduce your answer.
Standard
Units of Measurement
Essential for preparing and serving quality
food products
Weight or measurement of ingredients given in
numbers
Understanding
Measurement
Nutrition standard guidelines
Meal pattern requirements cups and ounces
Proper preparation methods with dietary
specifications
Volume

milliliter (mL) pint (pt)

teaspoon (tsp) quart (qt)
tablespoon (tbsp) liter (L)
fluid ounce (fl oz) gallon (gal)
cup (c)
Fluid Ounces vs. Ounces
Fluid ounces measure volume.
how much space an ingredient occupies
Ounces measure weight.
how dense or
heavy an
ingredient is
 MEASURING VOLUME AND WEIGHT
Food Item Tool Volume or Weight

1 gal beef stock liquid measuring cup volume

1 Tbsp salt nested measuring spoons volume

2 lb chopped carrots scale weight

3 c vegetable oil liquid measuring cup volume

1.5 lb butter scale weight

2 tsp garlic powder nested measuring spoons volume

nested measuring cups for

1/4 cups cornstarch volume
dry ingredients

6 lb ground beef scale weight

1 portion-size serving of
ladle volume
spaghetti sauce
Converting
Measurements
Changing the yield
Consistent measurement standards
Least number of measurements possible
Convert to a more common measure
 MEASUREMENT CONVERSIONS TABLE
Original Adjusted
Ingredient Tool
Amount Amount

flour 12 Tbsp Dry measuring cup 3/4 cup

16 fluid
vegetable oil 2 cups liquid measuring cup
ounces

water 4 cups liquid measuring cup 1 quart

baking powder 4 Tbsp dry measuring cup 1/4 cup

Weight Equivalents Chart
Decimal Fraction Decimal Fraction
Weight Weight
Equivalent Equivalent Equivalent Equivalent
1 oz 0.0625 lb 1/16 9 oz 0.562 lb 9/16
2 oz 0.125 lb 1/8 10 oz 0.625 lb 5/8
3 oz 0.1875 lb 3/16 11 oz 0.687 lb 11/16
4 oz 0.25 lb 1/4 12 oz 0.75 lb 3/4
5 oz 0.312 lb 5/16 13 oz 0.812 lb 13/16
6 oz 0.375 lb 3/8 14 oz 0.875 lb 7/8
7 oz 0.437 lb 7/16 15 oz 0.937 lb 15/16
8 oz 0.5 lb 1/2 16 oz 1 lb 1
Scaling Factor
Determine the factor divide number of
servings needed by number of servings listed
in original recipe

Number of
servings needed
Original number
of servings
Yield
For increasing or decreasing yield:
Multiply the original amount of each
ingredient by the scaling factor
May be necessary to first convert to a
common unit of measurement for some
ingredients
Convert to a Common Unit
5 lb 8 oz
16 oz = 1 lb, so 8 oz = 1/2 lb = 0.5 lb
8 oz = 0.5 lb
5 lb + 0.5 lb = 5.5 lb = 5 lb 8 oz
5.5 X 2.25 (scaling factor) = 12.375 lb
Another Example

5 lb 8 oz
5 x 16 (# of oz in 1 lb) = 80 oz
80 + 8 = 88 oz
88 x 2.25 (scaling factor) = 198 oz
198 16 (# oz in 1 lb) = 12.375 lb
Final Conversion

12.375 lb = 12 lb + 0.375 lb
0.375 lb x 16 (# oz in 1 lb) = 6 oz
12.375 lb = 12 lb 6 oz
ground beef needed to prepare 225
servings of the recipe
Decisions
Round up to the nearest measurable amount,
when necessary
Spices, seasonings, and herbs
Eggs
 Sunshine Salad
Recipe Yield Increase
Amount for Converted Scaling Calculated Amount for
Ingredient
50 Servings Quantity Factor Amount 100 Servings

lettuce, romaine 1.3 lb 19 oz 38 oz 2 lb 6 oz

lettuce, green leaf 1 lb 16 oz 32 oz 2 lb

carrots, shredded 7 oz 7 oz 14 oz 0.88 lb

Mandarin
oranges, canned,
1 qt + 1 c 5c 2 10 c 2 1/2 qt
light syrup,
drained

orange juice 4 1/4 c 4.25 c 8.5 c 8 1/2 c

sugar, lt. brown,

1/3 c 1/3 c 2/3 c 2/3 c
packed

vanilla extract 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

 Tuna Salad
Recipe Yield Decrease

Amount for Converted Scaling Calculated Amount for

Ingredient
100 Servings Quantity Factor Amount 75 Servings

canned
16 lb 4 oz 260 oz 195 oz 12 lb 3 oz
chunk-style tuna

fresh onion,
2 lb 8 oz 40 oz 30 oz 1 lb 14 oz
chopped

fresh celery,
4 lb 4 lb 3 lb 3 lb
chopped
0.75
dill pickle relish 2c 2c 1.5 c 1 1/2 c

hard-cooked eggs 16 eggs 16 eggs 12 eggs 12 eggs

low-fat
5 lb 3 oz 83 oz 62.25 3 lb 14 oz
mayonnaise
Calculating Unit Cost
Units are food products that can often be
divided into smaller portions.
Calculating unit cost is
necessary to determine
portion cost.

A pizza is cut into slices.

Each slice represents a PORTION.
Calculating
Unit and Portion Costs

Unit cost = case cost # of units

If a school serves pre-prepared pizza that costs
$36.00 per case and there are 6 whole pizzas in each
case, what is the unit cost for each pizza?

Portion cost = unit cost # of portions

Assume the school cuts each pizza into 8 portions.
What is the portion cost of the pizza?
As Purchased Foods
Needs some preparation before they are
ready to be served

Food products as the food establishment

receives them
Edible Portion Food &
As Served yield
Ready to be served

The weight of the menu item that is available

to serve the customer after it is cooked

The difference between AP food and EP food

determines the As Served (AS) yield.
Food Buying Guide for
Child Nutrition Programs
Provides information an the edible yield
percentages of various foods

Assists menu planners in determining the

amount to purchase

Currently being updated to include resources

for the new Nutrition Standards for School
Meals
Food Buying Guide
Calculator
Individual calculators for each of the food
groups outlined in the Food Buying Guide

Used to determine how much product to

purchase
Determining the
Amount to Order

1. Multiply ounces per student times the

number of students.
=
2. Divide the number of ounces needed by the
yield percentage.
. = .
3. Convert to pounds.
, . = . = .
Costing Recipes
For an Entire Recipe:
Determine the cost of each ingredient.
Add the cost of all ingredients.
Divide the total cost of the recipe by the yield
for the cost per serving.
 Powerhouse Chili
Recipe Yield: 100 servings
Ingredient Amount Unit Cost Total Cost
fresh onions, diced 6 lb $0.95/lb $5.70

fresh garlic, minced 8 oz $6.20/lb $3.10

low-sodium vegetable stock 12 1/2 c $3.88/qt $12.13

canned low-sodium black beans
12 lb $1.28/lb $15.36
drained, rinsed
fresh red bell pepper, diced 1/2 2 lb 8 oz $1.25/lb $3.13

canned low-sodium diced tomatoes 11 lb 12 oz $1.38/lb $16.21

canned low-sodium tomato sauce 3 1/2 qt $2.70/qt $9.45

chili powder 4 oz $9.53/lb $2.38

Total Recipe Cost $67.44

As-Served Portion Cost $0.67

Post-Assessment
Write the same personal identifier used for
the Pre-Assessment in the upper right-hand
corner.
When you complete the assessment, place
it face down on your table.
 Institute of Child Nutrition
The University of Mississippi

Mission: To provide information and services that promote

the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs
Vision: To be the leader in providing education, research,
and resources to promote excellence in child nutrition
programs
www.theicn.org ~ (800) 321-3054
ICN values your input and comments
regarding this training.