Disclaimer

Effective July 16, 2026

Planning guidance, not professional catering

Party Portions calculators produce planning estimates built on documented catering conventions and published yield data. They are not professional catering advice for your specific event, and real-world results vary with appetites, weather, menus, and the cousin nobody warned you about. The sliders exist because the honest answer is a range.

Food safety

Every food-safety figure on this site — safe internal temperatures, thaw rates, holding temperatures, the 2-hour rule, leftover storage windows — is cited from USDA FSIS and listed with its source on the methodology page. We are not a food-safety authority; we quote one. For situations beyond what's cited here, consult USDA FSIS directly (fsis.usda.gov, or the Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854). Cooking times on this site are estimates; doneness is always determined by a food thermometer, never a clock.

Alcohol

Bar quantities are purchase-planning estimates for hosts, not consumption recommendations for individuals. Host responsibly: food, water, rides, and a real zero-proof option — which is why our lists include one by default.

Allergies & dietary needs

Nothing here accounts for allergies, intolerances, or dietary requirements. That planning belongs to you and, where it matters medically, to professionals.

Affiliations

Citing USDA FSIS, university extensions, or industry references means we verified numbers against their published pages — not that any of them endorses this site.

Questions about any figure? Start at the methodology page, then write to us.