Plan for 600 to 800 g of food including bread per person for a buffet, 200 g raw meat per person for roast pork, and one whole duck of at least 3.4 kilos, which serves four people. Use these figures as a starting point, and adjust according to your guests.
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It's always a bit of a guessing game how much food you actually need to put on the table when guests are coming, or when you're planning the Christmas dinner. Buy too little, and you risk hungry guests. Buy too much, and it easily ends up as food waste in the bin.
Luckily, Landbrug & Fødevarer's consumer site voresmad.dk has gathered a number of rules of thumb for how much food you can plan on per person for different meals. In this guide, you'll find the rules gathered together, so you can plan your shopping for both everyday lunches and the big Christmas dinner.
The short answer
The figures come from voresmad.dk, which has put together rules of thumb for buffets, lunch, dinner, roast pork and duck. They're a good starting point, but you know your guests best. If there are a lot of children, they typically eat less than adults, and if your guests are young and physically active, you'll often need a bit more on the table. Use the figures as a framework, and then adjust based on your experience with your particular guests.
Rules of thumb for quantities
Here's an overview of the quantities, so you can quickly see what to plan for.
| Meal or dish | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Buffet (including bread) | 600 to 800 g per person |
| Lunch (including bread) | 500 g per person on average |
| Dinner (including bread) | 800 g per person on average |
| Roast pork (raw meat) | 200 g per person |
| Duck | One duck of at least 3.4 kg for four people |
Tip: Put the food out in several smaller dishes rather than one big one. This keeps the food fresher, and you can easily add a new dish along the way instead of putting everything on the table at once.
Meat and roast pork: how to work it out
For roast pork, you plan on 200 g raw meat per person. That's roughly equivalent to 3 slices of roast pork with 1 crackling per slice, if the raw roast is cut into half-centimetre slices.
If you want to make things easy for yourself, you can ask the butcher to cut the roast from the loin, from the tenderloin end up to the fifth rib, without the tenderloin block or bones. The piece should weigh no more than 2.5 kg, and you can ask for it to be scored with half a centimetre between the rind strips, so it's ready to go in the oven when you get home.
Duck: how much do you need
For duck, you should allow for one duck of at least 3.4 kilos for four people. That's a good starting point if you're a smaller group gathering around duck as your Christmas dinner.
If there are more of you at the table, or you'd like leftovers, you can roast two ducks and save the rest for the Christmas days. That way, you avoid standing in the kitchen again on Boxing Day, and there's still something good on the plate.
Buffet: quantity and order
For a buffet, allow for 6-800 g of food including bread per person. The range is wide because guests vary a lot, and because children typically eat less than adults. You should therefore judge based on who you've invited, how many children are coming, and how hungry your guests usually tend to be.
If you serve a large, filling starter, there's less room for the other dishes, the cheese and the dessert, and vice versa. It's also worth thinking about the order on the buffet table, because whatever is placed first gets taken the most of. If you want your guests to take a bit of everything, it can therefore be a good idea not to put the main course right at the front of the line. If you need to set a table for a whole Christmas buffet, you can find inspiration and tableware in our Christmas table range.
Complete the buffet with platters and bowls that are easy to top up along the way.
See Christmas tableLunch and dinner: other quantities
For an ordinary lunch, plan for an average of 500 grams of food per person, including bread. For a dinner, allow for 800 grams, also including bread.
Remember that children and older guests typically eat less than younger, physically active guests. If you have a mixed gathering with children, adults and older guests, you can aim somewhere in between, so there's enough for everyone without too much left over.
Scale up recipes and avoid food waste
Many recipes are written for four people, but they can easily be used even if there are more of you at the table. However, don't multiply salt, spices and liquid in full scale, as it quickly becomes too much. Instead, taste your way along as you go. Also remember that cooking, roasting and baking times can change when the quantity changes, so keep an eye on the food rather than just counting minutes.
- Don't put all the food out at once. Keep extra fresh platters ready in the kitchen so you can top up along the way.
- Use platters that aren't bigger than they can be emptied fairly quickly, so a new one can be put out instead. Smaller serving platters are good for this purpose.
- Wrap up leftovers and put them in the fridge as quickly as possible. Hot food that needs to be saved should only just stop steaming before it goes in the fridge, and large portions are best split up so they cool faster.
- Only serve as much food as you reckon will be eaten, ideally in several rounds, and feel free to tell your guests they're welcome to take food home with them.
Bread and baked goods, pâté, meatballs and ice cream can advantageously be made well in advance and kept ready in the freezer, so there's less to deal with on the day itself.
Frequently asked questions
How much meat should you allow per person?
For pork roast, allow 200 g of raw meat per person, while for duck, allow one duck of at least 3.4 kilos for four people.
How much pork roast should you allow per person?
200 g of raw meat per person, which corresponds to about 3 slices if the roast is cut into slices half a centimetre thick.
How much duck should you allow per person?
Allow for one duck of at least 3.4 kilos for four people. If there are more of you, or you'd like leftovers, you can roast two ducks.
How much food should you allow per person for a buffet?
6-800 g of food including bread per person, depending on the guests, and whether a large starter is also served.
Do children eat less than adults at a buffet?
Yes, there's a difference between children and adults, and children and older guests typically eat less than younger, physically active guests.
How do you avoid food waste at a party?
Don't put all the food out at once, use dishes that empty quickly, and refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible. It's also a good idea to tell your guests they're welcome to take food home with them.
Summary
Use these rules of thumb as a starting point: 600-800 g for a buffet, 500 g for lunch and 800 g for dinner, always including bread, 200 g raw meat per person for roast pork, and one duck weighing at least 3.4 kilos for four people. Adjust according to your guests, serve in several rounds, and refrigerate leftovers quickly, so there's less food waste and more enjoyment from the leftovers afterwards.
Read also
- How many glasses are there in a bottle of wine, and champagne?
- Tapas ideas: dishes, presentation and drinks for the evening
- Cheese board ideas: how to arrange a lovely cheese board
- Brunch ideas: menu and table setting for a great brunch
- Mulled wine: how to make it, and what goes with it
- Hot cocoa: make it with cocoa powder or chocolate
- Christmas lunch menu: the classic menu and good planning
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