Party Food Quantity Chart — How Much to Cook Per Person

How much food and drink to buy, from 4 guests to 50.

Caterers do not plan parties by recipe; they plan by grams per guest and multiply. This chart does the multiplying for you, from four guests to fifty, across the seven things people actually run out of — main protein, sides, salad, bread, dessert, drinks and ice. Amounts are plated dinner portions in pounds and kilograms, with multipliers in the notes for a buffet, a barbecue or an appetizer-only party, which need more food per head rather than less. Print it, take it to the shop, and buy once.

The chart

Party Food Quantity Chart — How Much to Cook Per Person
Guests	Main protein (raw)	Side dishes	Salad / veg	Bread / rolls	Dessert	Drinks	Ice
4 adults	1.94 lb / 880 g	1.54 lb / 700 g	12.7 oz / 360 g	6 pieces	15.5 oz / 440 g	10 servings	2.2 lb / 1 kg
6 adults	2.91 lb / 1.32 kg	2.31 lb / 1.05 kg	1.19 lb / 540 g	9 pieces	1.46 lb / 660 g	15 servings	3.31 lb / 1.5 kg
8 adults	3.88 lb / 1.76 kg	3.09 lb / 1.4 kg	1.59 lb / 720 g	12 pieces	1.94 lb / 880 g	20 servings	4.41 lb / 2 kg
10 adults	4.85 lb / 2.2 kg	3.86 lb / 1.75 kg	1.98 lb / 900 g	15 pieces	2.43 lb / 1.1 kg	25 servings	5.51 lb / 2.5 kg
12 adults	5.82 lb / 2.64 kg	4.63 lb / 2.1 kg	2.38 lb / 1.08 kg	18 pieces	2.91 lb / 1.32 kg	30 servings	6.61 lb / 3 kg
20 adults	9.7 lb / 4.4 kg	7.72 lb / 3.5 kg	3.97 lb / 1.8 kg	30 pieces	4.85 lb / 2.2 kg	50 servings	11.02 lb / 5 kg
25 adults	12.13 lb / 5.5 kg	9.65 lb / 4.38 kg	4.96 lb / 2.25 kg	38 pieces	6.06 lb / 2.75 kg	63 servings	13.78 lb / 6.25 kg
30 adults	14.55 lb / 6.6 kg	11.57 lb / 5.25 kg	5.95 lb / 2.7 kg	45 pieces	7.28 lb / 3.3 kg	75 servings	16.53 lb / 7.5 kg
50 adults	24.25 lb / 11 kg	19.29 lb / 8.75 kg	9.92 lb / 4.5 kg	75 pieces	12.13 lb / 5.5 kg	125 servings	27.56 lb / 12.5 kg

Main protein is a plated dinner portion (220 g raw per adult). For other styles, scale that column: lunch ×0.77, barbecue ×1.27, buffet ×1.23, appetizers only ×0.41.
Self-service needs more than plated service, because the guest sets the portion — that is why the buffet and barbecue multipliers are above one.
Buy main protein by raw weight. It loses roughly a quarter cooking down, which these figures already expect.
Count a child as about 60% of an adult portion — three children sit between one and two adults.
Appetizer-only parties need more drinks, not less: 3 servings per guest rather than 2.5.
The ice column is what goes in the glasses. Chilling bottles or cans in a cooler needs roughly 450 g (1 lb) more per guest again, and double that outdoors in the heat.
Cook one or two extra portions beyond the chart so nobody misses out.

🧮 Need a number that isn’t on the chart? Party Food & Catering Quantity Calculator does this arithmetic for your exact figures →

Why self-service needs more food, not less

When you plate a meal, you decide the portion. At a buffet or a barbecue, the guest does — and guests are consistently more generous to themselves than a host would be. Catering portion guides put self-service at 6–8 oz of cooked protein per head against 4–6 oz plated, which is where the buffet and barbecue multipliers in the notes come from. Planning a buffet on plated numbers is the single most common way to run out.

Buy raw, serve cooked

The main protein column is raw weight, because that is what you buy. Meat loses roughly a quarter of its weight cooking down, and the figures already account for it — so do not add a margin on top for shrinkage, or you will cook half again as much as you need. If your recipe specifies cooked weight, divide by 0.75 to get back to what to put in the trolley.

The ice column is only half the ice

The ice in this chart is what goes in the glasses. Chilling bottles and cans in a cooler is a separate job and needs roughly a pound — about 450 g — more per guest again, and double that if the party is outdoors in the heat. Ice is the cheapest thing on the list and the one people most often underbuy.

Children, and the hungry-crowd adjustment

Count a child as about 60% of an adult portion, so three children sit between one and two adults on the chart. For a lighter crowd — an afternoon party, an older group, a lot of small plates — trim 10–15% across the board. Whatever you land on, cook one or two portions beyond it: the cost of a little extra is trivial next to the cost of someone going without.

Use this chart

Print it, pin it up, or post it wherever it’s useful — all we ask is a link back so people can find the calculator behind it. Copy either line:

Plain text

How Much Food Per Person Chart (Printable) — CookToolbox, https://cooktoolbox.com/reference/party-food-quantity-chart

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<a href="https://cooktoolbox.com/reference/party-food-quantity-chart">How Much Food Per Person Chart (Printable)</a> by CookToolbox

Frequently asked questions

How much meat do I need per person for a party? +

About 220 g (roughly ½ lb) of raw main protein per adult for a plated dinner, rising to 270–280 g for a buffet or barbecue where guests serve themselves. The chart multiplies that out for common guest counts, and our party food calculator will do any number you like, including a mix of adults and children.

How many drinks should I plan per guest? +

Two and a half servings per guest for a meal, and three for an appetizer-only party — people drink more when they are standing up and not eating a full plate. That is servings, not bottles: check how many your bottle size pours before you buy.

Can I print this chart or put it on my site? +

Yes — printing is what it is for. Use your browser’s print command (or Save as PDF) and the page strips the navigation, ads and colours automatically, leaving just the chart with its source line. You are welcome to print it, stick it on the fridge, or post it anywhere you like as long as you credit it with a link back.

How accurate is this chart? +

Every figure is generated from the same tested references our calculators use (USDA FoodData Central and King Arthur Baking), so the chart and the tool can never disagree. Ovens, ingredients and appliances vary, so treat the numbers as a reliable starting point and adjust to your own kit.

Sources

📖 How Much Food Per Person for a Party? Why these numbers are what they are →