Growing up, parties were common. After all, having lived in 12-odd countries, most with very little modern entertainment, parties were the way to celebrate. Fortunately, great food and good company always make for a great event. Naturally, to avoid guests leaving disappointed, the question always was: how much food to prepare?
Then, I got married. Not just that, but my wife came from a large family – 4 brothers; each with a wife and 2-3 children; along with an assortment of childhood friends who are as close to her family as could be. The upshot? An intimate family function involves a minimum of 25 people, usually 42, and leftovers are a big no-no.
At the same time, Kiaramel is starting her higher education, selecting hospitality studies as one of her subjects, and preparing to start up her own business in the catering industry. This is an interesting twist as we are finally able to put theory and experience together in these guides. Here are a few rules of thumb, along with links to more dedicated guides…
1 pound of food per adult and 1/2 pound per child is normally consumed at a meal, with slightly more eaten at dinner than at lunch. Women tend to eat slightly less, around 3/4 of a pound. If the food is served as a buffet or “family style”, reduce the amount of food by 1 ounce per person.
How Much Food to Prepare per Person for a Meal?
A meal consists of a starter, entree/mains, and a dessert, with a potential salad. There may of course be appetizers prior to the main event… this makes it more complex as several combinations could yield the same result.
Appetizers
Appetizers are small, bite-sized dishes, taken before a meal, and should stimulate the appetite while giving a glimpse of what is to come. These days clever cooks even make appetizers in liquid form to increase the range of options and showcase their skill.
Appetizers are a way to feed guests while waiting for the main event to start, allowing for latecomers to arrive without disrupting the planned meal. Great examples of appetizers are cocktail meatballs/sausages, canapes, bruschetta, or even a simple chip with a dip.
A gracious host will have at least 4 different types of appetizers to create interest and cater to different preferences. Plan to serve 8 pieces to gentlemen, 6 pieces to ladies, 4 pieces to children, though they can be unpredictable.
In other words, while 6 appetizers are in a serving, individuals tend to be hungry and will eat more, especially if there is a long time delay between their arrival and the start of the meal.
having an assortment of appetizers strategically scattered across a space can also act as a natural ice-breaker as folks meander to their next preferred snack, allowing new interests to develop while subtly showcasing the venue.
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Appetizers recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 5 | 35 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 10 | 70 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 15 | 105 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 20 | 140 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 25 | 175 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 30 | 210 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 35 | 245 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 40 | 280 |
How many appetizers will a group of gentlemen eat?
A group of hungry men enjoying a drink or two can quickly alter the mood of an event. bite-sized tasty treats are an easy way to keep a gentleman’s hands busy while keeping the conversation going. While it is easy to over-cater for men, this handy chart should prevent this.
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Appetizers recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Gentlemen / Male | 5 | 40 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 10 | 80 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 15 | 120 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 20 | 160 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 25 | 200 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 30 | 240 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 35 | 280 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 40 | 320 |
How many appetizers will a group of ladies eat?
Ladies tend to consume fewer appetizers than gentlemen, though often they will tend to eat a greater assortment. Perhaps, this is simply due to a greater awareness of the delights that are to come?
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Appetizers recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Ladies / Female | 5 | 30 |
| Ladies / Female | 10 | 60 |
| Ladies / Female | 15 | 90 |
| Ladies / Female | 20 | 120 |
| Ladies / Female | 25 | 150 |
| Ladies / Female | 30 | 180 |
| Ladies / Female | 35 | 210 |
| Ladies / Female | 40 | 240 |
Starters
Starters should be light and tease the taste buds. As such, the quantities here are small, usually 1 cup of soup or stew or 3 ounces/ 1 cup of salad. Here again, gentlemen tend to eat slightly more, ladies slightly less (about 2/3rd of a cup)
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Starters recommended (soup/stew/salad), in cups |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 5 | 6 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 10 | 12 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 15 | 18 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 20 | 23 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 25 | 28 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 30 | 33 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 35 | 38 |
| Mixed (~50% Male to Female) | 40 | 43 |
How Many Starters Will a Group of Ladies Eat?
While ladies tend to eat slightly less at a meal, healthy starters tend to trigger more interest, and slightly larger portions are consumed. As such, anything from 2/3 cups to 1 cup is the norm and I tend to err on the side of caution, because, who does not like leftover soup as a quick snack the next day? Similarly, tasty salads tend to be eaten more regularly, so leftovers are never an issue.
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Starters recommended (soup/stew/salad), in cups |
|---|---|---|
| Ladies / Female | 5 | 5 |
| Ladies / Female | 10 | 10 |
| Ladies / Female | 15 | 15 |
| Ladies / Female | 20 | 20 |
| Ladies / Female | 25 | 25 |
| Ladies / Female | 30 | 30 |
| Ladies / Female | 35 | 35 |
| Ladies / Female | 40 | 40 |
How Many starters Will a Group of Gentlemen Eat?
On a cold winter day, a hot soup goes down like a dream. In my experience, a group of men tends to eat just over a cup of soup per person, roughly a cup and a half. Similarly, I like to pack in more greens or vegetables while they are hungriest, so I tend to add a bit more salad than normal on their plates, again about a cup and a half.
| Gender | Number of people at the event | Total Number of Starters recommended (soup/stew/salad), in cups |
|---|---|---|
| Gentlemen / Male | 5 | 7.5 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 10 | 15 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 15 | 22.5 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 20 | 30 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 25 | 37.5 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 30 | 45 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 35 | 52.5 |
| Gentlemen / Male | 40 | 60 |
How Much Food to Prepare for Entreea / Mains
Mains are the heart of the meal and the permutations are endless. I tend to serve a portion per male, 3/4 of a portion per female. A very subtle difference that is rarely noticed and leaves little waste. The list below is a snapshot of the possibilities.
| Entree | Per Person | Crowd of 25 | Crowd of 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby-back ribs, pork spareribs, beef short ribs | 1 pound | 25 pounds | 50 pounds |
| Casserole | N/A | 2 to 3 13-x-9-inch casseroles | 4 to 5 13-x-9-inch casseroles |
| Chicken, turkey, or duck (boneless) | 1/2 pound | 13 pounds | 25 pounds |
| Chicken or turkey (with bones) | 3/4 to 1 pound | 19 pounds | 38 pounds |
| Chili, stew, stroganoff, and other chopped meats | 5 to 6 ounces | 8 pounds | 15 pounds |
| Ground beef | 1/2 pound | 13 pounds | 25 pounds |
| Maine lobster (about 2 pounds each) | 1 | 25 | 50 |
| Oysters, clams, and mussels (medium to large) | 6 to 10 pieces | 100 to 160 pieces | 200 to 260 pieces |
| Pasta | 4 to 5 ounces | 7 pounds | 16 pounds |
| Pork | 14 ounces | 22 pounds | 44 pounds |
| Roast (with bone) | 14 to 16 ounces | 22 to 25 pounds | 47 to 50 pounds |
| Roast cuts (boneless) | 1/2 pound | 13 pounds | 25 pounds |
| Shrimp (large — 16 to 20 per pound) | 5 to 7 shrimp | 7 pounds | 14 pounds |
| Steak cuts (T-bone, porterhouse, rib-eye) | 16 to 24 ounces | 16 to 24 ounces per person | 16 to 24 ounces per person |
| Turkey (whole) | 1 pound | 25 pounds | 50 pounds |
Side Dishes
| Side Dish | Per Person | Crowd of 25 | Crowd of 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, corn kernels, peas, black-eyed peas, and so on | 3 to 4 ounces | 4 pounds | 8 pounds |
| Corn on the cob (broken in halves when serving buffet-style) | 1 ear | 20 ears | 45 ears |
| Pasta (cooked) | 2 to 3 ounces | 3 1/2 pounds | 7 pounds |
| Potatoes and yams | 1 (medium) | 6 pounds | 12 pounds |
| Rice and grains (cooked) | 1 1/2 ounces | 2 1/2 pounds | 5 pounds |
Desserts
| Dessert | Per Person | Crowd of 25 | Crowd of 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownies or bars | 1 to 2 per person | 2 1/2 to 3 dozen | 5 1/2 to 6 dozen |
| Cheesecake | 2-inch wedge | 2 9-inch cheesecakes | 4 9-inch cheesecakes |
| Cobbler | 1 cup | 2 9-x-9-x-2-inch pans | 4 9-x-9-x-2-inch pans |
| Cookies | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 dozen | 6 to 8 dozen |
| Ice cream or sorbet | 8 ounces | 1 gallon | 2 gallons |
| Layered cake or angel food cake | 1 slice | 2 8-inch cakes | 4 8-inch cakes |
| Pie | 3-inch wedge | 2 to 3 9-inch pies | 4 to 5 9-inch pies |
| Pudding, trifles, and the like | 1 cup | 1 gallon | 2 gallons |
| Sheet cake | 2-x-2-inch piece | 1/4 sheet cake | 1/2 sheet cake |
