How Much Buffet Food Per Person?
Quick Answer
200–250g savoury + about 100g sweet per adult: roughly 300–350g total
Children eat about 60% of adult portions. Add a little extra for events over 4 hours, as people graze.
Worked Example: Buffet for 80 Guests
Our buffet calculator plans on 225g of savoury food per adult (the midpoint of the 200–250g guideline) plus 100g of sweet items, so 325g in total. For 80 adults:
- Savoury food: 80 × 225g = 18kg
- Sweet items: 80 × 100g = 8kg
- Total food: 80 × 325g = 26kg
- Spread over 6 dishes, that is roughly 4.3kg per dish
- Finger sandwiches as one of the items: 80 × 3.5 = 280 sandwiches
Aim for 5–7 different dishes: 2 protein options (meat plus vegetarian), 2–3 salads or sides, bread or sandwiches, and 1–2 desserts. Make 10–15% more than calculated so dishes can be refilled before they look empty.
Portions by Food Type
Our party food portions guide breaks the totals down by food type. Its headline buffet figures per person:
- Meat or protein (cooked): 100–150g
- Rice or pasta (cooked): 100–150g
- Dessert: 1 slice (100–150g)
Those are the three people ask about most. The full portions guide covers every food type with preparation notes, plus canapés, finger food parties (12–15 pieces per person when finger food replaces a meal) and sit-down meals, so use it if your event is not a classic buffet.
Getting the Amount Right
The biggest variables are event length, time of day and your mix of adults and children. A lunchtime buffet replacing a meal needs the full quantities; an evening buffet after a wedding breakfast can run lighter. The buffet calculator handles the adult/child split and per-dish quantities for your exact guest count, and the finger food calculator covers pieces-based menus.