Planning food for a group is easy to get wrong, because a small error per person grows with every extra guest. A handful too little per person becomes an empty table by the end of the evening, and a handful too much becomes a fridge full of leftovers. This free planner takes that guesswork away for potluck dish balance. You enter the numbers you already know, pick the options that match your event, and it gives you a clear shopping list you can use right away, with no account and no sign-up needed.
The rule behind the planner is easy to follow once it is written down: one main dish serves about 8 guests, one side dish serves about 6 guests, one dessert serves about 8 guests, vegetarian mains cover the vegetarian guests at one dish per 8 guests with at least one dish, drinks are three quarters of a litre per guest, and plates add 10 percent spare. That rule is the whole engine of the tool, and it runs entirely in your browser, so your numbers never leave your device. Knowing the rule also helps you check the answer by hand when you want to, and it explains why two events that look alike can need very different amounts.
The classic potluck failure is ten desserts and no main course, because desserts are the easiest dish to bring. Asking guests to sign up by category, mains, sides or desserts, fixes this before the day. The planner tells you how many dishes each category needs, so the sign-up sheet can be filled in balance. This is the detail most hosts miss, because portion guides rarely explain it. They give a single number and leave you to adapt it, and adaptation is exactly where mistakes happen. The planner builds this detail in, so the answer already reflects how real events work, not only how the maths works on a clean page.
Using the tool takes less than a minute. First, count the real guests, not just the invited list, because a few people always cancel and a few bring a friend. Then enter the event details that match your plan, press the calculate button, and read the shopping list. You can change any number and recalculate as many times as you like until the list fits your budget and your kitchen.
The most common mistake is rounding too early. If you round each step of a calculation, the small errors add up and the final amount drifts away from the true value. Always keep the full numbers through the calculation and round only at the end, which is what this planner does. A second common mistake is counting only the main dish and forgetting drinks, plates and cups, so check the whole list before you shop.
For example, 24 guests with 6 vegetarians need 3 main dishes, 4 side dishes, 3 desserts, 1 vegetarian main, 18 litres of drinks and 27 plates. Work through that example once with your own numbers beside it, and the tool will feel familiar from then on. Examples beat abstract rules in a busy kitchen, because you can see the size of the answer and judge at once whether it makes sense for the guests in front of you.
Shop with the list, not from memory. Buy drinks and long-life snacks first, fresh food last, and keep cold food chilled until serving time. Set up tables, plates and cups before guests arrive, so the food table is not built while guests are already hungry. If the event is outdoors, add shade and a backup plan for rain, because weather changes both appetite and timing.
Leftovers need a plan too. Pack food into clean boxes within two hours of serving, label anything made for allergies, and chill it fast. Hot food that sat out all afternoon should be thrown away, not saved. A good plan leaves a little extra, but not a second party worth of food sitting in the fridge for a week.
Save this page for the next group meal. The planner is free, works in your browser on a phone or a computer, and needs no account, no download and no payment. Enter your numbers, get a practical shopping list, and host with confidence instead of guessing, rounding in your head, or searching for portion charts while guests are on their way.
Versión en español: Planificador de Comida Compartida – Equilibrio de Platos por Invitado