Planning a party and not sure how much food to buy? Enter how many adults and kids are coming, then pick the type of party: a Full meal, Appetizers in place of a meal, or Snacks between meals. For a meal, tick what you’re serving and choose the main dish and how many sides. You get a shopping list with pounds of meat, cups of each side, appetizer pieces, rolls and dessert servings. Kids count as half portions. Choose Big eaters for teens or a game-day crowd, and add 10% for a buffet.
How it works: each adult counts as one portion and each child under 12 as half. Light takes off 15%, Big eaters adds 25% and the buffet option adds 10%. Per adult portion the calculator plans ½ lb raw boneless meat or fish (about 6 oz cooked), ¾ lb raw bone-in meat, 1½ burgers or hot dogs, or 3 slices of pizza; ½ cup of each side (with 4 or more sides, 1½ cups in total shared between them); 1½ oz of salad greens with 2 tablespoons of dressing; 1½ rolls; and 5 appetizer pieces before a meal. For appetizers instead of a meal it plans 6 pieces in the first hour and 4 for every hour after, and for snacks between meals 4 and then 2. Dessert is one serving per guest, kids included. These are common catering rules of thumb, and every amount is rounded up.