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Resident Meal Cost Calculator
Per Resident Day (PRD) food cost and cost per meal — the metric long-term care and institutional kitchens use instead of a menu-price food-cost percentage. Free, no signup.
PRD — cost per resident per day
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Cost per meal
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PRD (Per Resident Day) is the standard metric in US long-term care foodservice — the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals' benchmark survey has put the typical range around $4.50-$8.25 depending on region, though this varies enormously by country, regulatory minimums, and local food costs, so treat it as a reference point rather than a target. What matters more than hitting any single number is tracking your own PRD consistently and knowing what's actually driving it.
Why institutional kitchens use PRD instead of a food-cost percentage
A menu-price food-cost percentage doesn't apply cleanly to a facility that doesn't sell individual dishes at individual prices — PRD measures the same discipline against a census instead of a check.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between PRD and food cost percentage?
- Food cost percentage divides cost by menu revenue — it needs a price per dish to work. PRD divides cost by resident-days instead, which fits a facility that serves a fixed population rather than selling individual items at individual prices.
- What counts as 'food cost' in this calculation?
- Raw food and beverage purchases for resident meals and snacks over the period — the same scope as a standard food-cost figure, before labor, packaging, or overhead.
- Is there a universal 'good' PRD?
- No — it varies hugely by country, regulatory minimums, facility type, and local food prices. US industry surveys have cited a typical range, but the more useful practice is tracking your own PRD over time and understanding what's driving any change, rather than chasing an external number.
- Why does 'meals & snacks per day' matter?
- Most residents in long-term care eat more than three discrete meals — mid-morning and evening snacks are common and add real cost. Counting them changes the honest cost-per-meal figure meaningfully.
- Does this calculator store or send my data anywhere?
- No — all calculations run locally in your browser; nothing is saved or transmitted.
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