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Estimating Food Quantities




Source of Recipe


Food Network


Recipe Introduction


Estimating how much food your guests will eat!
For individual meats, fish, poultry:


5-6 ounces protein per person

Food Network Kitchens: "Take bones into account and add more weight if necessary. Don't worry about the loss during cooking unless the meat has a lot of fat and it's going to really shrink. Then estimate a little higher."
For multiple-meat meals and buffets:


4-6 ounces protein per person

Food Network Kitchens: "Estimate a similar quantity per person even when serving more than one protein, because people will taste some of everything."
For pasta:


For a sit-down dinner, a pound of pasta will serve 4-6

For a buffet, a pound will serve 8-12

Food Network Kitchens: "Double the normal amount of servings for a buffet, because people won't eat as much pasta when they're filling their plates with other foods as well."
For vegetables:


With a premixed salad, estimate one handful person.

One head of lettuce will feed about 5 people, taking into account different sizes--four medium heads will serve 15-20

Food Network Kitchens: "Think about how much you serve when you buy for your own family. If you buy a head of broccoli, how many servings do you usually get out of it? Some people cook the stems, other discard them."
For cocktail parties--finger foods, hors d'oeuvres, and appetizers:


Professional caterers estimate 10-12 items total per person

Food Network Kitchens: "Make 3-4 items per person of the more complicated hors d'oeuvres. For the easier things, make many more. Remember, the estimate of 10-12 items might not work if people know you're a serious cook, because no one will eat before they come to your party and they'll all be starving."
Additional Tips:

Hors d'oeuvres if serving dinner:


3 side dishes (2 savory, 1 sweet), with different textures (smooth, crunchy), and varying colors (greens, browns)
Side dishes:


3 side dishes (2 savory, 1 sweet) with dfferent textures (smooth, crunchy) and varying colors (greens, browns)

1 cup savory side per person

1/2 cup sweet side per person (apple sauce, cranberry sauce, etc.)
Beverages:


1/2 bottle of wine per person

Non-alcoholic beverages (about 20% will not drink), 1 cup per person of seltzer, ginger ale, and water
Desserts:


Calculate one full portion of dessert per person

For multiple desserts, people will taste smaller portions of more items. A cake that serves 10 will yield 15 portions if you're also having a tart.