Guides · 5 min
How Much Food per Person? Amounts for 10, 20, 30 and 50 Guests
The amounts first: buffet and BBQ quantities for 10, 20, 30 and 50 guests. Then the portions per person behind them, and how to plan for children and vegetarians — or enter your own numbers in the calculator.
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Estimated total amounts for all guests entered. Vegetarian portions use your vegetarian guest count.
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Create a partyQuick answer: buffet for 10, 20, 30 and 50 guests
10 guests: 2.5 kg of meat or fish, 3.3 kg of sides, 44 appetizer pieces, 11 desserts and 0.9 kg of bread.
20 guests: 4.9 kg of meat or fish, 6.6 kg of sides, 88 appetizer pieces, 21 desserts and 1.8 kg of bread.
30 guests: 7.3 kg of meat or fish, 9.9 kg of sides, 132 appetizer pieces, 32 desserts and 2.7 kg of bread.
50 guests: 12.1 kg of meat or fish, 16.5 kg of sides, 220 appetizer pieces, 53 desserts and 4.4 kg of bread.
All amounts are for adults and already include a 10% buffer. Split the sides into three dishes — for 20 guests that is three bowls of 2.2 kg each.
BBQ: how much meat per person
At a barbecue people eat more meat and fewer sides. For 10 guests plan 3.6 kg of meat, for 20 guests 7.1 kg, for 30 guests 10.6 kg and for 50 guests 17.6 kg — about 350 g per adult including the buffer.
Sides for the same groups: 2.9 kg, 5.8 kg, 8.6 kg and 14.3 kg. Bread: 1.1 kg, 2.2 kg, 3.3 kg and 5.5 kg.
Portions per adult
Buffet: 220 g of meat or fish (180 g of vegetarian protein for vegetarians), 300 g of sides, 4 appetizer pieces and 80 g of bread.
BBQ: 320 g of meat (220 g vegetarian), 260 g of sides, 3 appetizer pieces and 100 g of bread.
Sit-down meal: 220 g of meat or fish (180 g vegetarian), 220 g of sides, 3 appetizer pieces and 60 g of bread. Everyone gets one dessert, plus 5% extra.
Children and vegetarians
A child counts as 60% of an adult portion. Vegetarians get the vegetarian protein amount instead of meat or fish; the sides are shared by everyone.
Example: a family buffet with 25 guests, 8 of them children and 5 vegetarian: 4.3 kg of meat or fish, 0.9 kg of vegetarian protein, 7.2 kg of sides, 96 appetizer pieces, 27 desserts and 2 kg of bread.
Potluck: turn the amounts into a bring list
When guests bring the food, the totals matter less than who brings what. Give each dish an amount — for example "pasta salad, 2.2 kg" — and let guests claim one item each.
That way you avoid five pasta salads and no bread. Venuva's bring list does exactly this: guests see what is still open and claim it with one tap, no account needed.
FAQ
- How much food per person for a party?
- For a buffet, about 1 kg per adult in total: 220 g of meat or fish, 300 g of sides, 4 appetizer pieces, 80 g of bread and a dessert, plus 10%. A buffet for 20 adults comes to about 19 kg.
- How much meat per person for a BBQ?
- Plan 320 g per adult, or about 350 g with a 10% buffer. For 20 guests that is 7.1 kg.
- How much less do children eat?
- Count a child as 60% of an adult portion. Desserts are planned per head, so children get a full one.
- How many dishes should a buffet have?
- Three sides plus one main protein and a vegetarian option work well for up to 30 guests. Split the side amount evenly across the three dishes.
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