Party Food Calculator: How Much Food for Your Guests
Enter guests and the type of party to get a general guide to appetizers, main dish, sides, dessert and drinks, in pounds or kilograms, plus a multiplier for your own recipes. Runs in your browser.
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Nothing is sent until you press Send. Your measurements are included only if you tick the box, and you can see the full report below first.
When to use this
- You are hosting 20 or 50 people and have no idea how many appetizers or how much of the main dish to buy.
- You want a shopping list that changes with the type of party, from cocktails to a children's party.
- You want to know how much to multiply a recipe for the number of guests.
How to use
- Choose the type of party and enter the number of adults and children.
- Say whether your guests are light, typical or hearty eaters, and set the extra for seconds and late guests.
- Optionally enter how many servings one batch of your own recipe makes.
- Press Work out amounts and read the shopping list. Copy it, download a CSV or print the page.
Examples
- Buffet dinner for 20 adults, typical appetites, 10 percent extra: Main dish 6 oz per guest x 20 x 1.1 = 132 oz, about 8.3 lb. Appetizers 4 per guest give 88 pieces, sides 8 oz per guest give 176 oz (11 lb), rolls 33, desserts 22 and drinks 66.
- Buffet for 10 adults and 4 children, hearty eaters, no extra: Four children count as 2 portions, so 12 portions x 1.25 = 15. The main dish is 6 oz x 15 = 90 oz, about 5.6 lb or 2.55 kg.
Understanding the result
The tool counts portions as adults plus children at half a portion (a full portion at a children's party), multiplied by 0.75, 1 or 1.25 for light, typical or hearty eaters. Each food category has a rule-of-thumb amount per portion. The result is that amount times the portions plus your extra percentage, with pieces and drinks rounded up. The amounts are a general guide and vary with your guests' eating habits.
Limitations
- A general guide only. Amounts depend on your guests' eating habits, the time of day, how long the party lasts and what else is served.
- The tool plans quantities, not menus. It does not know what foods you serve or how filling they are.
- Large groups are less predictable. For more than about 150 guests ask a caterer or the venue.
- Drinks are counted in servings of about 8 fl oz and do not split into types.
FAQ
How much food do I need per person for a party?
As a general guide, plan about 6 oz of main dish and 8 oz of sides per person at a buffet dinner, and about 12 appetizer pieces per person if appetizers are the whole meal. These figures are rules of thumb and vary with your guests.
How many appetizers per person should I make?
About 4 pieces before a meal and about 12 over 3 hours when appetizers are the main food. The tool adjusts both for the party type and appetite.
Do children count as a full portion?
The tool counts a child as half a portion, except at a children's party where every guest counts as one. Change the appetite setting if your children eat more or less.
How do I scale my own recipe for a crowd?
Type how many servings one batch makes. The tool divides the servings you need by that number. Then use the Recipe Scaler with the same two numbers to get the scaled ingredient list.
Why add extra?
Guests take seconds and some arrive late. The tool adds 10 percent by default, which you can change.
Is my information saved anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. The share link keeps your numbers after the # sign.
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