70%
Kale yields 70%
You buy kale by its whole weight, but you only plate 70% of it. That 30% loss is real cost the invoice never shows — here's the math.
Yield is the fraction of an ingredient that actually reaches the plate after you clean, peel, and trim it. What you pay is the AP (as-purchased) price; what it costs on the plate is the EP (edible-portion) price.
Coring, ribs, and bruised outer leaves are the loss. Weigh what you actually plate, not what you carry in from the walk-in.
Say your invoice shows $2.50 per lb of kale (an example AP price).
At 70% yield, your real cost is $3.57 per lb EP — because $2.50 ÷ 0.70 = $3.57.
AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.Yield breakdown
| As-purchased (AP) | 100% |
|---|---|
| Edible portion (EP) | 70% |
| Lost to trim | 30% |
Source: CIA Standard Yield Tables.
Common questions
What is the yield of kale?
Kale typically yields 70% edible portion of its as-purchased weight, per the CIA Standard Yield Tables.
How much kale is lost to trim?
About 30% of the as-purchased weight is lost to cleaning, peeling, and trimming before it reaches the plate.
How do you calculate the edible-portion cost of kale?
Divide the as-purchased price by the yield: EP cost = AP price ÷ 0.70. At 70% yield, the trim makes your real plated cost meaningfully higher than the invoice price.
Market readconfidence low · as of 2026-07-16
About $18.00–$26.00/carton (wholesale reference), flat +0% over the recent window.
Higher than 26 of its last 26 weekly reads — near the top of its recent range.
Cheapest in Atlanta (~$18.00), priciest in Detroit (~$34.50).
Hold. Inside its usual range — nothing to do.
Enter your price to compare it against this public wholesale reference.
One pricing methodology backs the level, and the markets disagree on direction.
Sources · 1
Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion