How much Finger Food to make for a 'crowd'

How much Finger Food to make for a 'crowd' - Creative female artisan drawing in workshop

I am helping a friend plan and prepare 'finger foods' for a post-funeral gathering of about 50-75 people. Right now we are thinking in terms of a meat & cheese tray with breads and crackers, a 'typical' veggie tray with ranch, etc., little smokies...

What I would like to ask is "how much" should we make?

Any great suggestions for what to include beyond the basics will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all who contribute.

ps.. I tried a lot of things for tags, finger-foods, quantity, snack-foods, snacks that don't currently exist. If anybody has a suggestion the right 'tags' for this question I will appreciate the input.



Best Answer

This is the rule we use for kids parties in Brazil, where pretty much all that is eaten is finger food (besides the birthday cake), you can use it as a starting point for other regions as well (since portions are typically larger in the US I'd increase it a little):

  • 6-8 snacks (savory) items per adult, 4-6 per child
  • 4-6 sweet items per adult, ~4 per child (who will eat most of the cake)
  • Lots of drinks (soda, juice, alcohol for adults), which I don't remember the amount

A savory item is roughly the size of a 1" / 2.5cm diameter ball, while the sweet ones are a little smaller (1/2" / 1cm diameter).

With those quantities nobody ends up completely stuffed, and there isn't much leftover either. For kinds of food which I can reuse later I tend to get a little more than the "recommended" amounts, since I'm able to use the leftovers the following day.




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How do you calculate food for a crowd?

Guest-imating: How Much Food to Fix?
  • Appetizers or snacks should consist of two to three portions per person, more if these are the only food being served.
  • 3 ounces of dip or salsa (about 1/3 cup per person)
  • One cup of soup (less if it's a thick soup, like chowder)
  • 3 ounces of salad (about 1 cup)


  • How many appetizers do I need for 25 guests?

    For example, for a cocktail hour for 25 people, you'll need at least 100 total appetizer \u201cpieces\u201d or bites if a full meal follows.

    How much appetizers do I need for 30 people?

    Serving more appetizers to a large group helps to balance the guests who arrive with an appetite and those who eat more modestly. The number of types of appetizers could be three to four different kinds of bites. For a party of 30, you'd serve a total of 180-210 appetizers.

    How many appetizers do I need for 100 guests?

    Appetizers If you're offering catered appetizers, plan for about six portions per guest. For a party of 100 guests, this adds up to roughly 600 appetizer portions.



    Party Snack Ideas - 6 BEST Finger Food Recipes for Party - Starters/Appetizers




    More answers regarding how much Finger Food to make for a 'crowd'

    Answer 2

    Not exactly what you're after, but I've heard the guideline of 1/2 pound meat (main course) for dinners, then just proportion side courses appropriately. This might give you a rough starting point, which you could just proportion down depending on where you want this to fit between snack or meal.

    As others have pointed out, time of day and other activities will affect how much people eat. Type of snacks can have quite a large impact as well; smaller, easier to handle items will go faster. You can even play with presentation to control how much people eat; placing small serving dishes out, and refilling them from a storage container will subconsciously cause people not to take as much, because there doesn't look to be as much.

    Finally, your estimated numbers (50-75) is a HUGE gap. That's a 50% increase! With that large a gap, you're either going to have lots of leftovers, or no where near enough food. There's no way to plan for exact. So, plan things you'll like to eat for the next 3 days. ^_^

    As for things to make...

    Funeral/memorial snacks tend to be cultural. Are there any local foods or religious foods that are expected? Next, are there any favorite foods of the deceased? Of the family? Also watch for cultural taboos, and voluntary dietary restrictions: a meat-heavy spread in memorial of a vegetarian is probably inappropriate.

    If you just want random snack items, most any appetizer would work. Look for things which can be prepared, stored, then served, as kitchen space gets to be a premium in the last hours before the event. Dips are nice, and stretch well. Wrapped items (like pigs in blankets, or boregs) are easier for guests to handle. You may even consider a roast of some sort and making mini sandwiches as a good-sized roast would stretch quite a way (hunt down slider buns, or buy/make small rolls). Picnic foods can be another great source of inspiration.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Klaus Nielsen, Alex Green, Klaus Nielsen