How much food do you
actually need?
Stop guessing and stop over-buying. Enter your guest count and get exact serving amounts for any gathering — from Thanksgiving dinner to Tuesday night.
Your estimate
Tip:
Want the full plan, not just the math?
Sign up free and get a personalized menu, shopping list, prep timeline, and budget — all from one quick setup.
Estimates based on USDA recommended serving sizes, adjusted for gathering type. For a precise plan tailored to your specific recipes, try a DoDelish planning pack.
How to figure out how much food you need
Start with the protein
For bone-in meats like whole turkey or chicken, plan for 1 to 1.5 pounds per person — the bones add weight you can't eat. Boneless cuts like beef tenderloin or chicken breast need less: about half a pound per person for a standard meal, or three-quarters of a pound for hearty eaters.
Side dishes add up fast
The more sides you offer, the less you need of each one. With three or four side dishes, plan for about a third of a pound of each per guest. With just one or two sides, bump that up to half a pound each. Bread is easy: two rolls or two to three slices per person.
Don't forget drinks and dessert
Plan for two to three drinks per person over a two- to three-hour gathering, and add 50% more for outdoor events where people get thirstier. For dessert, one standard 9-inch pie serves eight — so for 16 guests, you'll want two pies or one pie plus another dessert option.
Adjust for your crowd
Know your guests. A group of young adults at a Friendsgiving will eat more than a mixed-age family gathering. If it's a buffet, people tend to take more — add about 15%. And if you'd rather have leftovers than run short, lean toward the "hearty" setting above.