Food
Buffet Quantity Calculator
Enter guests and grams per person for each food type to see total kg to buy.
How much buffet food to buy?
Buffet shopping lists work in kilograms: multiply guests by grams per person for each food type, divide by 1,000, and sum. Separate fields for meat, vegetarian mains, sides, bread and dessert keep dietary balances visible instead of one blunt total. Generous sides and bread often matter more than mains when guests graze. Hot-holding losses and late arrivals still argue for a small uplift beyond the raw sum. For pack-based party trays use party food; for wedding service styles see wedding food.
Worked example
50 guests × 150 g meat = 7.5 kg mains meat; × 100 g sides = 5 kg sides; desserts at 80 g = 4 kg — totals add across categories.
Limits and assumptions
Grams-per-person are planning averages, not nutrition targets. Bone-in meats need higher raw weights than boneless.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams per person should I use?
Common buffet starting points sit around 120–180 g protein, 80–120 g sides and 60–100 g dessert — adjust for your crowd.
Do vegetarians need a full meat line too?
Shift grams into the vegetarian field instead of double-counting the same guests.
Cooked or raw weights?
Match how you buy: if the label is raw weight, enter raw grams-per-person allowances.
Can I plan only desserts?
Set other categories to 0 g.