Party food calculator
Party Food Calculator: How Much Food Per Person
Tell us who is coming, what kind of party it is and how long it runs. You get a shopping list for appetizers, the main, sides, dessert, drinks and ice.
Type of event
Shopping list
Dinner party for 10 adults, 3 hours
- Appetizers
30 to 50 pieces
3 to 5 pieces each while guests settle in before the meal.
- Main protein
3.8 to 5 lb cooked
6 to 8 oz cooked per adult, half for kids. Buy about 5.1 to 6.8 lb raw, since meat loses roughly a quarter of its weight cooking.
- Sides (3 kinds)
about 2.5 lb of each
4 oz of each side per person. Add a green salad on top if you like.
- Dessert
10 to 20 servings
1 to 2 servings per person. Two kinds means guests can pick.
- Drinks
40 to 50 drinks
2 each in the first hour, then 1 per hour, for beer, wine, cocktails and soft drinks together. A 750 ml bottle of wine pours about 5 glasses.
- Ice
about 10 lb
About 1 lb per guest for chilling drinks and filling glasses. Outdoors on a hot day, plan on more.
Appetites vary. Round these numbers up if your guests are big eaters or the evening may run long.
Planning rules
The numbers behind the list
Appetizers
4 to 6 pieces each in the first hour, then 2 to 4 each hour when no meal follows. 3 to 5 before a meal.
Main course
6 to 8 oz of cooked protein per adult. Buy about a third more raw weight.
Sides
About 4 oz of each side per person, with three or four to choose from.
Dessert
One to two servings per person.
Drinks
Two in the first hour, then one per hour. A bottle of wine pours about five glasses.
Ice
About 1 lb per guest.
When to buy more
Round up for a hungry crowd, a late start, an outdoor event or a lot of teenagers. Buy a little less when you are serving many dishes, because guests take a bit of everything and fill up on variety.
Buffets and potlucks
At a buffet, people take small portions of many dishes. The protein figure is the total across all your mains, so two meats share it. At a potluck, ask guests to cover different courses so you do not end up with seven desserts.
Questions
Common questions
- How much food do I need per person for a party?
- For a sit-down meal plan on 6 to 8 oz of cooked meat or fish, about 4 oz of each side, one or two servings of dessert and a few appetizers. If the party is appetizers only, plan on 4 to 6 pieces per person in the first hour and 2 to 4 more for each hour after.
- How many appetizers per person?
- With a meal following, 3 to 5 pieces each is plenty. With no meal, count 4 to 6 pieces in the first hour and 2 to 4 per hour after that, and offer a few different kinds.
- How much should I plan for kids?
- Half an adult portion of food is a good starting point. Drinks run about one an hour for children. Kids at a party tend to graze, so keep easy things like fruit, crackers or sliders on hand.
- How much ice do I need?
- About 1 lb per guest, or a little more for an outdoor party in warm weather. If you are also chilling bottles or cans in a cooler, count more.
- Should I round up?
- Yes, when in doubt. Appetites vary with the time of day, the crowd and how good the food is. Leftovers are easier to deal with than a platter that runs out halfway through.