75%
Romaine lettuce yields 75%
You buy romaine lettuce by its whole weight, but you only plate 75% of it. That 25% 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 head of romaine lettuce (an example AP price).
At 75% yield, your real cost is $3.33 per head EP — because $2.50 ÷ 0.75 = $3.33.
AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.Market readconfidence medium · as of 2026-06-05
About $78.00–$82.00/carton (wholesale reference), up +168.9% over the recent window.
Sources · 7
Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion