When it comes to Catering, the most common question is: How much do I need to order? We setup this page as a guide to help you answer that question.
Generally, an adult will eat about 1lb of food per seating. So if you are serving 4 portions of food, you need about 1/4 lb per person. If you are offering 3 portions of food, you need about 1/3 lb per person of each item.
Ordering Guide Estimator for a 3-Course Meal
Example Meal: 1 Meat & 2 Sides
| Number of people to be served | Pounds of each food group |
|---|
| 6 People | 2 lb. |
| 12 People | 4 lb. |
| 20 People | 6.6 lb. |
| 25 People | 8.3 lb. |
| 30 People | 10 lb. |
| 50 People | 16.6 lb. |
| 80 People | 26.6 lb. |
| 100 People | 33.3 lb. |
| 150 People | 50 lb. |
| 200 People | 66.6 lb. |
| 300 People | 100 lb. |
Ordering Guide Estimator for a 4-Course Meal
Example Meal: 2 Meats & 2 Sides
| Number of people to be served | Pounds of each food group |
|---|
| 6 People | 1.5 lb. |
| 12 People | 3 lb. |
| 20 People | 5 lb. |
| 25 People | 6.25 lb. |
| 30 People | 7.5 lb. |
| 50 People | 12.5 lb. |
| 80 People | 20 lb. |
| 100 People | 25 lb. |
| 150 People | 37.5 lb. |
| 200 People | 50 lb. |
| 300 People | 75 lb. |
There are a few things to answer about your particular group in order to make this guide more accurate. This is definitely an art more than an exact science.
1. Is your group going to eat a lot? Are they high school football players who are going to eat a lot? Or are they children who aren’t going to eat much? If they are big eaters, order a little more.
2. Will the food be served at Lunch or Dinner? People generally eat more at dinner than at lunch.
3. Is food an important part of the event? Are people coming there to eat? Or on the contrary, is the food just a small addition? If food is a small part of the event, order a little less.
4. How important is it that you don’t run out of food? Would you rather over order and guarantee that you don’t run out? Or is it okay if you run out? If it’s critical you don’t run out of food, order a little more.
5. Are you platting the meals so you can guarantee everyone gets equal amounts of each food? Or is it buffet style where they can take as much of their favorites as they want? The popularity of the food matters if it is buffet style. For instance, Mac & Cheese is more popular than most other sides. If you are serving buffet style, people will choose more of their favorites. Make sure to order a little more of the favorites!
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
FAQs
Serving per Person
A good estimate is to use 1.5 pounds as the amount of food to be served to one person. Subdivide this by the number of servings, taking into consideration the main dishes and side dishes.
What is the formula for catering? ›
It's pretty simple too: We just determine an appropriate size portion of any dish in ounces per person, the we multiply that times the number of guests and divide by 16 (# of oz in a pound) and just like that you get the number of pounds you'll need.
What is the rule of thumb when ordering food for a party? ›
General Ordering Rule of Thumb
The One Pound Rule = Provide one pound of food for each adult guest (not including dessert or drinks.)
How many full trays of food for 40 guests? ›
The advice above—that a full tray can feed between 20 and 40 people, depending on which caterer you're asking—has a lot of variety.
How do I figure out my portion size? ›
Dividing your plate like helps you keep portions under control and helps you eat a balanced meal. Another easy way to size up portions is to use your hand as a guide: A clenched fist is about 1 cup — and that's the amount experts recommend for a portion of pasta, rice, cereal, vegetables, and fruit.
What is the formula for portion size? ›
Once you know how much the entire finished dish weighs, divide the weight by the number of servings, which is usually listed in the recipe ("serves six," or "serves eight," for example). Round the result to an easy-to-remember number to find the average serving size.
How do you calculate how much food to order for a party? ›
Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.
What is the buffet rule? ›
Refrain from overloading your plate: Take small portions of each dish to avoid waste and ensure everyone can try each dish. Refrain from double dipping: Use a clean plate or fresh utensil every time you return for more food to avoid double dipping and contaminating the food.
How much food is needed for a party of 50 people? ›
How Much Food to Serve at a Party
| FOOD | SERVE 25 | SERVE 50 |
|---|
| Meats |
|---|
| Chicken or turkey breast | 8–9 pounds | 16–18 pounds |
| Fish (fillets or steaks) | 7-1/2 pounds | 15 pounds |
| Hamburgers | 6-1/2–9-1/2 pounds | 13–15 pounds |
35 more rowsMay 23, 2024
For local guests, plan for 85% of invitees attending. Don't forget to add spouses and children if they are invited! For out-of-town guests, plan on 55% of them attending. However, if most of them are close family who may go the distance to make it, your estimate could be higher—as high as 85%.
As a general rule, ordering 1.5 sandwiches per person is the perfect number. If you're ordering a salad or an accompanying platter, 1 sandwich per person is the preferred portion size.
What percentage do you cater for at a buffet? ›
Avoiding food waste is important, but you also don't want grumpy guests who haven't had enough to eat. If you ask wedding planners and caterers, many will say that you should cater for around 75% of all your guests. Keep in mind that not everyone will be hungry, and many people will just nibble at a buffet.
How to calculate portions for a party? ›
Rules to Plan By
Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.
How much finger food for 100 guests? ›
co*cktail Party - Allow 4-6 pieces per hour per person - where the finger food is served in place of a meal. You will serve more pieces per hour in the first 2 hours and less per hour after that. Remember snacks with meat and fried foods are more filling.
What is the ratio for catering? ›
For excellent service, the minimum service ratio for conventional sit-down meal functions with American-style service with some foods preset is one server for every 20 guests. If you are using rounds of 10, the caterer should schedule one server for every 2 dining tables.
How do you calculate meal prep portions? ›
The basic portion sizes that we want to aim for are this: 4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of grains and 2 cups of veggies per meal. I use containers that hold 3 cups of food. My containers always contain around 2 cups of veggies, 1/2 cup of protein and 1/2 cup of grains — and that's enough for ME, a 5'3” woman.
