---
title: "Party Food Quantity Calculator | Kindred Picnic"
description: "Work out how much food to make for a party, buffet or potluck, per adult and child, with every rule of thumb shown and editable. Metric and US units."
url: https://kindredpicnic.cyou/
---

# How much food for a party?

Tell us who is coming and how long you will eat, and get shopping amounts for every dish. The per-person amounts are starting assumptions in plain sight: change any of them to suit your crowd.

## How the estimate works

Each row starts from a rule-of-thumb amount per adult, shown in the **Per adult** column. It is multiplied by your guests, with each child counted as half an adult portion, then adjusted for appetite and a 10% margin for seconds. These are planning assumptions gathered from common catering practice, not official standards, so change any number and the totals follow.

Serving two mains? Set **Dishes** to 2 and the total is split between them, since people take a little of each. For a snacks-only party, finger food is counted per hour, and the snack-table amounts assume about three hours and scale with the length you enter.

## Keeping a buffet safe

Shared food often sits out for hours. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service advises never leaving food out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90 °F (32 °C). Keep cold dishes at or below 40 °F (4 °C), for example on ice, and hot dishes at or above 140 °F (60 °C). Putting out smaller platters and refilling them keeps more of the food safe.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service: [“Danger Zone” (40°F–140°F)](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/danger-zone-40f-140f).

## More planners for your gathering

One page each, and they keep working offline once loaded.

- [Party drinks calculator](https://kindredpicnic.cyou/drinks-calculator/): Beer, wine, soft drinks, water, ice and cups for any length of party.
- [Potluck sign-up sheet](https://kindredpicnic.cyou/potluck-sign-up-sheet/): An editable sign-up sheet with your own categories, printable on Letter or A4.
- [BBQ quantity calculator](https://kindredpicnic.cyou/bbq-calculator/): Burgers, sausages, chicken and veggie options per guest, buns to match, safe temperatures.
- [Picnic checklist](https://kindredpicnic.cyou/picnic-checklist/): Tick off food, blanket, sun cream and bin bags; add your own items and print it.

## Recommended

Two free tools from elsewhere that are handy when a party is organised online.

### Party sign-ups without the spam

Booking a picnic spot or ordering invitations through a site that wants your email? CleanTempMail gives you a temporary address instantly, with no sign-up, and the inbox clears itself after three days.

[Get a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/)

### Ordering supplies from a shop you do not know?

Before paying a website you have never used, look its domain up with WebTraceCheck's free lookup to see when it was registered, or open the link in a disposable cloud browser that is deleted after your session.

[Check a shop's domain](https://webtracecheck.com/dns-lookup)

## Questions

**How much food per person for a party meal?**

Our starting point for a sit-down meal is about 6 oz (170 g) of main dish, 5 oz (140 g) of starchy sides and 4 oz (110 g) of salad or vegetables per adult, plus bread and dessert. Hearty eaters, long evenings and teenagers need more.

**Are the weights raw or cooked?**

Mains and sides are cooked, ready-to-serve weights. Buy more raw meat than the total shown, and more again for bone-in cuts, because meat loses weight as it cooks.

**Does it remember my numbers?**

Yes. Your guests, units and edited assumptions are saved in this browser only, and Reset assumptions puts the defaults back.