Party Food Planning 101

The Golden Rule of Party Food

The most common mistake hosts make is underestimating how much food they need. The golden rule: it's always better to have leftovers than hungry guests. Plan for 10-15% more food than your calculations suggest.

How Much Food Per Person?

Here are the standard serving sizes for popular party foods:

• Pizza: 3 slices per adult (about 1/3 of a large pizza)
• Wings: 6-8 wings per person as an appetizer
• Burgers/Hot Dogs: 1.5-2 per person
• Tacos: 3 tacos per person
• Nachos: 15 chips with toppings per serving
• Salad: 1.5 cups per person as a side
• Drinks: 2 per person for a 2-3 hour event
• Cake: 1 slice per person

Adjusting for Your Crowd

Not all parties are created equal. Adjust your calculations based on:

Increase quantities by 25% when:

• Guests are mostly adults with big appetites
• The event is during a mealtime
• There's alcohol being served (people eat more)
• It's a long event (4+ hours)
• The food is the main attraction (like a BBQ)

Decrease quantities by 25% when:

• Serving multiple types of food
• Many children attending
• It's a cocktail party with apps only
• Guests just ate or will eat elsewhere

Timing Matters

When you serve food affects how much people eat:

• Lunch parties (11am-2pm): Plan for full meal portions
• Afternoon parties (2-5pm): Reduce by 20%, people snack less
• Dinner parties (6-9pm): Full portions, people are hungry
• Late night (9pm+): Increase by 15%, late night munchies are real

The Multi-Food Strategy

Serving multiple foods? Reduce each item by 30-40%. If you're serving pizza AND wings, you don't need full portions of each. Use our calculators and toggle "Serving other food" for adjusted quantities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not accounting for no-shows: Typically 10-20% of invited guests don't attend
2. Forgetting vegetarians: Always have at least one veggie option
3. Ignoring dietary restrictions: Ask guests in advance
4. Running out of drinks: People drink more than you think
5. Not enough ice: Plan for 1 lb of ice per person for drinks, more for coolers

Start Planning

Ready to calculate? Use our free calculators: