How we calculate cost and nutrition

Every number on a recipe comes from its ingredient list and one shared ingredient table. Each recipe page shows its own workings under "How the cost and nutrition are worked out".

Cost per serving

Each ingredient line is turned into grams, then charged at the price per gram of the pack it is bought in. A tablespoon of olive oil costs its share of the bottle, not the whole bottle. The total is divided by the number of servings.

  • Prices: estimated typical US supermarket shelf prices in US dollars, store brand where there is one, dated October 2026. Where the US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks an item, its average price data was used as a check.
  • Pantry items: spices, oils, soy sauce and similar are charged for the amount used.
  • Not counted: salt, pepper, water and a thin film of oil for the pan.

Your total will differ with your store, your country and sales. Treat the figure as a guide for comparing recipes, not a receipt.

Calories, protein, carbs and fat

Nutrition per 100 g for each of the 80 ingredients in our table comes from USDA FoodData Central, for the form the recipe measures: dry rice and pasta, raw meat and fish, drained canned beans. The figures are added up for the whole batch and divided by the servings. They are estimates and not dietary advice; brands, portion sizes and cooking losses all change them.

Allergens

Each ingredient in the table records which of the nine major food allergens named by the US Food and Drug Administration it usually contains: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame. Packaged products differ between brands, so always check the label of what you buy.

Fridge and freezer times

Fridge times follow the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart and USDA leftovers guidance: most cooked food keeps 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or colder, and should go into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe for longer but slowly loses texture and flavour.

Cooked rice is the one place where official advice differs by country. US guidance allows 3 to 4 days in the fridge. UK guidance is stricter: cool it within an hour and eat it within 24 hours. Recipes with rice say so.

Cooking temperatures

Methods give the internal temperatures from the FoodSafety.gov safe minimum temperatures chart: 165°F for poultry and for reheated leftovers, 160°F for ground beef and egg dishes, 145°F for fish. A food thermometer is the only reliable check; colour is not.

Testing

Every recipe's quantities, timings and temperatures have been checked against the guidance above. We are cooking the recipes one by one in a home kitchen. Until then, treat cooking times as a guide and use a thermometer.

Found a mistake?

If a price, a figure or an instruction looks wrong, tell us and we will check it.