portions

How Much Food Per Person for Catering? (2026 Portions Guide)

How Much Food Per Person for Catering? (2026 Portions Guide) Plan 1 to 1.25 pounds of total food per adult for a catered meal — roughly 6 oz of meat, 5 oz of sides, 3 oz of salad, and 3 oz of dessert for a seated dinner. Buffets need 10-15% more because guests serve themselves, and children eat about half an adult portion. The fastest way to turn guest count into a shopping list is our Catering Portions Calculator(/food/catering-portions-calculator), which converts heads into pounds, drinks, and a buffer in one click. I have helped friends and family size food for everything from a 28-person backyard graduation party to a 140-guest wedding reception, and the single most expensive mistake I see is the opposite of running out: over-ordering. At that graduation party we ordered for 28 adults at full portions and ended up throwing away nearly 9 pounds of pulled pork...