Enter the number of adults, children, and meals you're planning, then select a food category and specific ingredient to get recommended portion sizes for proteins, carbs, and fats. Your results show the total quantity to buy or cook, plus a per-person breakdown — so you cook exactly what you need and reduce waste.
Total Quantity to Cook / Buy
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Portion Per Adult
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Effective Portions
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Macronutrient Type
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Approx. Calories (Total)
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A standard dry pasta portion for an adult is around 75–80g, which roughly doubles in weight once cooked. For dry rice, aim for 70–75g per adult per meal. A practical tip is to use a kitchen scale rather than estimating by eye — it takes seconds and prevents both over-cooking and waste.
A typical protein portion for an adult is 100–150g of cooked meat or fish per meal. For chicken breast or salmon, 125–130g raw per adult is a reliable guide. Vegetarian proteins like tofu or cooked lentils are usually served in 150–200g portions due to lower calorie density.
Children aged 3–10 are counted as 0.5 of an adult portion, and toddlers (1–2 years) as 0.25. Teenagers (11–18) are counted as 0.75. The calculator uses these weighted multipliers to produce a realistic total quantity rather than simply multiplying the adult portion by headcount.
Cooked grains, proteins, and vegetables can usually be refrigerated safely for 2–3 days. Portion leftovers into individual containers right away so they're easy to reheat as a next-day lunch. Many proteins and cooked legumes also freeze well for up to three months.
The portions in this calculator reflect standard dietary guidance for balanced meals rather than a specific calorie-deficit diet. If you're following a weight-loss plan, you may want to reduce carbohydrate portions by 20–30% and increase vegetables to fill the plate. Always consult a registered dietitian for personalised advice.
Dry pasta roughly doubles in weight when cooked — so 75g dry becomes approximately 150g cooked. Dry rice expands even more, with 70g dry yielding around 200–210g cooked. Keep this in mind when reading packaging weights versus what goes into the pot.
Consistently over-estimating how much food you need is one of the biggest drivers of household food waste. Cooking to portion means less surplus food that gets thrown away, lower grocery bills, and fewer emissions associated with food production and disposal.
Yes — set the 'Number of Meals' input to the number of days or sittings you're prepping for, and the calculator will scale the total quantity accordingly. For example, prepping lunches for 2 adults across 5 days means setting adults to 2 and meals to 5.