Party food calculator
Enter your guest count and what you are serving to see how many appetizer pieces, how much cooked protein, how many side dishes, bread rolls and desserts to order. Every figure is rounded up, and you can change any assumption to fit your menu.
What to buy
100 guests, appetizers and dinner
- Appetizers
- 500 pieces 5 per guest
- Main protein, cooked
- 38 lb or 18 kg, 6 oz per guest
- Side dishes
- 200 servings 50 lb in total, 2 dishes of 4 oz per guest
- Bread rolls
- 150 rolls 1.5 per guest
- Desserts
- 100 desserts 1 per guest
These are planning estimates, rounded up, for ordering from a caterer or shopping yourself. Check for allergies and dietary needs, and ask your caterer how they portion. Read our disclaimer.
Assumptions
The calculator uses these common rules of thumb. Change the inputs above to fit your guests.
| Appetizers and dinner | 5 pieces, 6 oz cooked protein, 2 side dishes of 4 oz, 1.5 rolls and 1 dessert per guest |
|---|---|
| Buffet | 3 pieces, 8 oz cooked protein, 3 side dishes of 4 oz, 2 rolls and 1 dessert per guest |
| Appetizers only | 5 pieces per guest per hour, kept between 10 and 15 per guest, plus 1 dessert per guest |
| Hours | only used for appetizers-only events; a dinner or buffet has a fixed cocktail hour |
| Weights | protein is cooked weight; 1 kg = 2.2 lb; each weight is rounded up separately |
| Buffer | +10% on every quantity when switched on |
| Rounding | every quantity is rounded up |
How we calculate
- Appetizers. Guests × the pieces per guest: 5 before a sit-down dinner, or 3 before a buffet. For an appetizers-only party it is 5 per guest per hour, kept between 10 and 15 per guest.
- Protein. Guests × the cooked ounces per guest (6 oz with dinner, 8 oz at a buffet) ÷ 16 oz to a pound, with kilograms converted from the same total.
- Side dishes. Guests × the side dishes per guest (2 with dinner, 3 at a buffet), each a 4 oz serving.
- Bread and dessert. Rolls per guest (1.5 with dinner, 2 at a buffet) and one dessert for each guest.
- Buffer. Every quantity gets plus 10% if you switch on the buffer, and is rounded up to whole pieces, servings and pounds.
Worked example: 100 guests, appetizers and dinner
With the default inputs (100 guests, a cocktail hour of appetizers followed by a sit-down dinner):
- 100 guests × 5 pieces each = 500 pieces of appetizers.
- 100 guests × 6 oz = 600 oz of cooked protein ÷ 16 oz a pound = 37.5, rounded up to 38 lb, or 18 kg.
- 100 guests × 2 side dishes = 200 servings, which at 4 oz each is 50 lb.
- 100 guests × 1.5 rolls = 150 rolls.
- One dessert each: 100 desserts.
Other meal types change the amounts:
- A buffet with the same 100 guests needs 3 pieces each (300), 8 oz of protein each (50 lb) and 3 side dishes each (300 servings).
- An appetizers-only party for 4 hours would be 5 × 4 = 20 pieces each, but the calculator keeps it between 10 and 15, so 1,500 pieces for 100 guests.
Questions
How much food per person should I plan for?
For a meal with a dinner, about 5 appetizer pieces during the cocktail hour, 6 oz of cooked protein, two side dishes of about 4 oz, and a dessert. A buffet runs larger because guests serve themselves, with 8 oz of protein and three sides.
Is the protein weight cooked or raw?
Cooked. Meat loses water in the oven, so a raw order needs to be heavier. Ask your caterer how much cooked weight they get from a raw pound of the cut you are serving, or buy by cooked portions where you can.
How many appetizers do I need if there is no dinner?
When the appetizers are the meal, guests eat about 5 pieces an hour. The calculator keeps the total between 10 and 15 pieces a guest, which is about 2 and 3 hours of eating, since longer parties don't need endless trays and shorter ones still need enough to count as a meal.
Do I count children as full guests?
A common rule of thumb is to count children over about 12 as adults. Younger children usually eat about half as much, so two of them can count as one guest.
Should I round up or order exactly?
Running short on food is the bigger problem, so the calculator always rounds up, and the buffer adds 10% on top. Switch it on if guests are arriving hungry, there are no other food options nearby, or the menu is a single-protein one.