Party Food Calculator

How the calculator works

The calculator multiplies the number of guests by per-person amounts published by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in its guide to planning a graduation party.

amount to make = guests x amount per guest

The per-guest figures it uses:

• Total food: 1 to 1.5 pounds
• Sandwich meat: 3 to 4 ounces
• Side dishes: 4 to 6 ounces
• Appetizers: 4 to 7 bite-sized pieces
• Punch: 6 ounces
• Cookies or bars: 1 to 2

Each result is a range, because appetites and parties differ. The low end suits a short afternoon event with snacks. The high end suits a party that runs across a mealtime.

Worked example

You are inviting 40 people to an open house.

1. Guests to plan for: 40 x 0.6 = 24.
2. Total food: 24 to 36 pounds.
3. Sandwich meat: 24 x 3 to 4 ounces = 72 to 96 ounces, or 4.5 to 6 pounds.
4. Side dishes: 24 x 4 to 6 ounces = 96 to 144 ounces, or 6 to 9 pounds in total.
5. Appetizers: 96 to 168 pieces.
6. Punch: 24 x 6 ounces = 144 fluid ounces, a little over 1 gallon.
7. Cookies or bars: 24 to 48.

If all 40 were sitting down for a meal together, you would plan for 40 and every figure would be two thirds larger.

The 60 percent rule

An open house is a party with a time window, such as “drop in between 2 and 5”. People come and go, some stay ten minutes, and some never make it. For that kind of event the Iowa State guide suggests planning for 60 percent of the guests invited.

Use the full number instead when:

• People have replied and you know who is coming
• It is a sit-down meal with a start time
• The guests are close family who will all stay to eat

Choose “Everyone stays” in the calculator for those.

Other per-person amounts

The same guide gives figures for a few specific foods that the calculator does not show separately:

• Sliders: 1.5 to 2 ounces of meat each
• Burgers: 4 to 6 ounces each
• Meatballs: 2 to 3 per person
• Cake: 1 slice per person
• Cupcakes or donuts: 1 per person

If burgers are the main dish in place of sandwiches, plan one per guest, and a few more for the people who come back.

How the pieces fit together

The total of 1 to 1.5 pounds per guest is a check on the rest. Add up what you plan to serve and see where it lands.

For 24 guests: 5 pounds of meat, 8 pounds of sides, bread, and a tray of appetizers comes to roughly 16 to 18 pounds before dessert and drinks. Dessert, fruit and extras bring it into the 24 to 36 pound range. If your plan comes out far below 24 pounds, add a side. If it is well above 36, you can drop one.

“Side dishes” means all of them together. Six ounces per person is the total across potato salad, coleslaw, beans and whatever else is on the table, not six ounces of each.

More dishes, smaller portions

The more choices there are, the less of each one people take. With two sides, plan close to the full amount of each. With five sides, guests take a spoonful of every one, and you can make less of each while keeping the same total.

The same goes for dessert. One cake needs a slice per person. A dessert table with cake, cookies and bars needs less of all three.

Tips and common mistakes

Count children separately in your head. Small children eat much less than adults, and teenagers often eat more. If half your guests are under ten, the low end of each range is plenty.

Think about the time of day. A party from 2 to 4 in the afternoon needs snacks. A party from 5 to 8 is dinner, whatever the invitation says.

Round up the things that keep. Extra buns, chips and drinks can be used later. Round down on dishes that will not survive the day.

Plan the leftovers. Have containers ready so guests can take food home, which solves the problem of having made a little too much.