Comparing the Water Content of Raw vs. Cooked Meat (WIP)

For this blog, I looked at the weight of certain foods, and how a food's makeup is more than just the macronutrients we all know (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates).

The tldr of this blog:

• most meat is like 60% water
• raw meat is usually heavier than cooked meat because it loses water; about 25%
• cooked version appears denser in nutrients like protein and fat compared to its raw counterpart because there's less water diluting these component

Here’s a look at the primary components of typical foods and what they essentially break down into:

What makes up 100g of food?

Raw Beef Cooked Beef

What nutrients make up RAW BEEF STRIPS?

Rough estimates of RAW BEEF STRIPS'S nutrients

Source: USDA FoodData Database

Learn More

Water

Water is the most abundant molecule in most foods, especially in fruits, vegetables, and cooked meats. It can make up about 70% to 90% of some common fruits and vegetables, and around ~60% of meats. Even foods that seem dry, like certain cheeses and breads, can contain water content ranging from 30% to 50%.

Water is interesting because, consistently, it decreases when cooked. This is because methods like grilling, baking, or frying, which apply heat to the meat, causes the water to evaporate, reducing the overall weight of the meat, or whatever food item you are preparing.

When looking at a sankey diagram with just this information, you get the impression that the proportion of nutrients in cooked meat is higher than in raw meat.

However, the change is a little more complicated to explain. When you cook meat, it doesn't actually increase the amount of protein or fat or any other nutrient; rather, the concentration of these nutrients appears higher relative to the mass, because the piece of meat now weights a lot less. What changes is the ratio of these components to water in the meat.

Proteins

Typically, proteins should account for about 10% to 35% of your daily caloric intake, and during the cooking process, there is no transfer of protein; its amounts remain relatively stable throughout the cooking process.

Proteins are primarily broken down into amino acids, which are essential for building and repairing tissues and making hormones and enzymes. Estimates vary, but, for meat, about 10% (a little less) goes to waste, but that is also dependent on a bunch of factors, such as the quality of the meat and the health of the eater.

Fats

In a typical diet, fats should provide about 20% to 35% of total daily calories. All fat can be classified saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated or other fats, as I've written more about here. And those four categories are then are typically broken down into fatty acids and glycerol, with about 95% of the fat content going to fatty acids.

Often times, when food is cooked with additional fats, like oils or butter, there is an increase the total fat content in the cooked product, as the food is absorbing the cooking liquid and adding it to its overall makeup/weight.

Carbohydrates

In a standard diet, carbohydrates can comprise about 45% to 65% of total daily calories. However, the actual breakdown into glucose will depend on the type of carbohydrate (simple vs. complex).

• Simple carbohydrates (found in fruits, milk products, and sweeteners) break down quickly into glucose.
• Complex carbohydrates (found in grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables) take longer to digest and gradually convert to glucose.

Carbohydrates break down primarily into sugars like glucose. Raw Beef Strips don't have any carbs, but I'll point out more examples that do in further editions of this blog.

Vitamins and Minerals

While not breaking down further like macronutrients, vitamins and minerals are crucial in small amounts for various bodily functions, from bone health to immune system support.

Something interesting is the concept of Ash; it appears to be more prominent in cooked beef than raw....