How to Buy Food for a Party

Co-authored by Ivy Summer

Last Updated: November 13, 2022 References

Throwing a party is a great way to get all your favorite people in one place for music, conversation, and, of course, food. There’s nothing better than socializing at a party while chowing down on a delicious meal, but when you’re the one planning the party, it can be stressful to prepare that food for guests with all different preferences. Not to worry; your planning will be a breeze if you plan ahead of time and take the process course by course, from appetizers on down to desserts.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Choosing Snacks

1
Ask your guests about food restrictions before you start preparing food. Ask them to state any restrictions in their RSVP.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Ivy Summer
Certified Wedding & Event Planner
Expert Interview. 9 February 2021.} For guests with food allergies or gluten-free diets, ask them to specify the severity of the restriction. If a guest’s allergy is severe, you may not be able to serve certain foods at all. For less intense allergies, you can simply tell them what dishes have their allergen present.
- Ask if any guests are vegetarians or vegans and provide dishes accordingly. It’s a good idea to have a few vegetarian options available regardless.
2
Choose an appetizer-only meal for a relaxed, inexpensive party. You’ll save money and preparation time, and be able to socialize more with your guests. Specify on the invitation that only appetizers will be served, so guests aren’t thrown off when no main course is served.^{[2]
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- Estimate that guests will eat about 10 appetizers each.^{[3]
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- Serve a variety of dishes for an appetizer-only party. You’ll want to offer your guests some diversity of flavor in your appetizers for a more satisfying meal.
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3
Serve light, simple snacks before a main course. If your appetizers are just the start of a more formal meal with a main course, you can keep it a bit simpler. Set out some chips and dip and a veggie platter and save your time for the main course.
- Plan for your guests to eat just a few handfuls of chips or a couple veggies each if you’re serving a main course afterwards.
4
Serve fruits and vegetables. Many guests will want a fresh, healthy option to start off a meal. A fruit tray or veggie platter with carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli is an easy and colorful addition to your appetizer spread.
- For your fruit tray, aim for a mix of melons, like watermelon and cantaloupe, and berries, such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Look for ripe fruit that’s in season for the best tasting ingredients.
- Vegetable platters often include carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, jicama and cauliflower, and are typically paired with a ranch dip.
5
Serve a starchy appetizer for a more filling option. A sliced roll of bread with butter is an easy crowd-pleaser, or you could branch out with pizza bites, macaroni and cheese, or bruschetta. Cheese platters pair well with starchy appetizers as well.^{[4]
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Offer quick snacks like nuts, chips, or pretzels. Pour some chips or nuts into a bowl and set it out on the table to satisfy your guests’ craving for something crunchy. Serve dip or hummus for an extra burst of flavor. Pretzel bites or gougères are also good options.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Planning a Main Course

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Choose a main course based on your guests’ preferences. Unlike appetizers, which offer a variety to please most people in a big party, your main course will be more specific and possibly more polarizing, if a guest doesn’t like the food on offer.
- Choose a simpler, universally-appealing meal if there will be lots of kids in attendance. You can expect a small group of adults to be more flexible and willing to try new dishes.
- If there’s just one or two kids in attendance, consider cooking them a separate, simpler dish, such as a grilled cheese or hot dog. This will give you more freedom to choose a main course just for the adults.
2
Serve chicken for an easier, less formal dish. Chicken is also pretty universally popular and less expensive. You can dress it up with side dishes like roasted potatoes and vegetables.^{[6]
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- Plan for each guest to eat about 1.5 pieces of chicken.
- Spinach, asparagus or portobello mushroom is a good choice for a chicken main dish.^{[7]
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3
Serve beef for a filling, more versatile meal. You can take beef in many different directions: steak or even tri-tip feels more formal, while ribs will make things fun and messy. Consider the atmosphere you want at your dinner party to choose what kind of beef to serve.
- Each guest’s portion size will depend on the amount of bones in the meat. For a boneless cut of meat, buy 4-5oz (115-140 g) per guest. For a cut with bones, such as steak or pork chop, estimate 5-8 oz (115-226 g) per person. And for meat with lots of bones, like ribs, buy 12-16 oz (340-454 g) per person.^{[8]
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- Mashed potatoes are a traditional favorite side for steak. For a healthier option, try roasted broccoli or brussel sprouts.^{[9]
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4
Serve fish for a lighter meal at a smaller party. Fish can easily be overcooked, so reserve fish main courses for smaller groups so that you can pay extra attention to your cooking. It’s a great option for a party with lots of pescatarians, but make sure to serve with side dishes to make a more filling meal.^{[10]
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- Buy locally-caught fish for a cheaper, fresher option.
- You can get creative with fish side dishes, depending on the fish. Potatoes, salad, pasta or even bean salsa can pair very well many different kinds of fish.
5
Serve hearty pastas or frittatas for a vegetarian party. If the majority of your guests are vegetarians, consider a meat-less pasta with lots of veggies or mushrooms, or even a homemade pizza or frittata. You’ll have the advantage of saving money and avoiding the stress of over- or undercooking meat.
- Research filling vegetarian dishes on the Internet or in vegetarian cookbooks.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Planning Dessert

1
Bake a cake or cupcakes. Cake is always a surefire hit, especially with younger crowds. Buy a cake mix from the store for an easy dessert, or try making one from scratch. Make your cake on the day of the party to ensure it stays fresh.
- Buy or make frosting, or top a plain vanilla cake with fresh fruit.
- Offer ice cream on the side.
2
Bake a pie. Choose a seasonal fruit for a pie that suits any time of year. Pies are best when served fresh, so make yours on the day of the party, if possible.
- Apple pie and pumpkin pie are great choices for fall or winter parties.^{[11]
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- For summer and spring, choose a lighter filling for your pie, like peach, lemon meringue or key lime.^{[12]
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3
Bake cookies. Cookies are great for parties with both kids and adults and are especially appropriate for big parties, since you can bake up large batches of them. Classic cookies like chocolate chip or sugar, are failsafe dessert options.
- Make your cookies a day in advance to save time on the day of the party. Store them in a resealable bag to ensure they stay fresh.
- For that gooey, just-out-of-the-oven taste, warm a plate of cookies up for 5-10 seconds in the microwave before serving.
4
Serve ice cream. This is a great option for busy hosts who don’t have time to whip up a dessert while cooking dinner. Offer chocolate and vanilla flavors and make sure you have chocolate sauce on hand.
- Buy extra toppings and have a do-it-yourself sundae bar. Offer chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream, and fruit, such as bananas or strawberries. Set your ingredients on the table and let guests serve themselves!

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Purchasing Your Food

1
Make a grocery list. Decide what recipes you’ll use and how much of each ingredient you’ll need to buy. Write it down on a piece of paper or your phone or a mobile app. Organize yourself in whatever way works best for you so you’re prepared and efficient at the store. ^{[13]
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Purchase non-perishable food at least a week before the party. Purchase canned foods and other non-perishable foods like frozen food, pasta, dry beans, and bottled beverages as soon as possible. This will save you time in the days just prior to the party.
3
Purchase perishable foods a day before the party at the earliest. This includes salad ingredients and toppings like lettuce and spinach, fruits that spoil quickly, like berries, and dessert foods like cake.
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Use coupons to save money. Look for coupons in the Sunday newspaper, in magazines, online, or on shopping apps. Go through your coupons before heading out to the store so you know which ones you can use, and make sure to read them through to fully understand the deal they offer.^{[14]
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Buy in bulk to cut down on cost. Wholesale distributors allow you to purchase items in bulk quantities at a reduced price. This is less important if you're only hosting a party for a handful of people, but can save you a lot of time and money if you're hosting a large party.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you take guests' dietary restrictions into consideration when you're planning a party?

Ivy Summer
Certified Wedding & Event Planner
Ivy Summer is a Certified Wedding Planner and the Owner of Voulez Events. Ivy has over 10 years of experience consulting, planning and coordinating weddings around the globe. She has also created a DIY online wedding planning workshop for couples, called "Plan Your Wedding Like A Pro." She currently resides in Greece where she continues to work with a worldwide network of planners and wedding professionals.

Ivy Summer

Certified Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Answer

Make sure you know if any of your guests have food allergies. Also, make sure they know if there's any food to which they're allergic, where it is, and what precautions and protocols are in place to ensure they don't get contaminated with that particular ingredient. You should also know about guests' dietary preferences, like people who follow a low-sodium diet or who are vegatarians.
Question

How much food should I buy for a party?

Ivy Summer
Certified Wedding & Event Planner
Ivy Summer is a Certified Wedding Planner and the Owner of Voulez Events. Ivy has over 10 years of experience consulting, planning and coordinating weddings around the globe. She has also created a DIY online wedding planning workshop for couples, called "Plan Your Wedding Like A Pro." She currently resides in Greece where she continues to work with a worldwide network of planners and wedding professionals.

Ivy Summer

Certified Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Answer

Make sure you know how many people are coming to ensure you have enough food for everyone. It's also a good idea to have extra in case your guests bring a plus-one.
Question

I'm expecting 50 people for a party and am planning to serve sub sandwiches and salad. When should I plan to buy food?

Community Answer

Buy the leafy greens for your salad and any fresh toppings for sandwiches the day of your party if possible, and definitely no earlier than a day in advance. Buy bread the day before, and meats and cheeses 1-2 days before. Store produce and meats in the vegetable and meat sections of your refrigerator in resealable, airtight bags.