Free picnic food calculator. Work out how many sandwiches, fruit, drinks and snacks to pack for a picnic, by adults, children and appetite.
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Count adults in full and children at 0.6 of an adult, because children eat smaller portions. Multiply that effective guest count by a per-person allowance for each item, adjusted for appetite: Light uses 0.8, Standard uses 1.0 and Hearty uses 1.25. Sandwiches round up to whole sandwiches, since you cannot make part of one for the table.
The calculator first turns your group into an effective guest count: adults count in full, children count as 0.6 each, reflecting smaller portions. That count is then multiplied by a per-person allowance and an appetite factor, Light 0.8, Standard 1.0 or Hearty 1.25. Sandwiches are rounded up to a whole number, while fruit, drinks and snacks stay as measured quantities you can weigh or pour.
Enter the number of adults and children coming, then pick the appetite that fits your group. A short lunchtime picnic with several other foods suits Light, a normal afternoon picnic suits Standard, and a long day outdoors with hungry teenagers suits Hearty. Read off sandwiches, fruit in kilograms, drinks in litres and snacks in kilograms, then shop to those numbers.
Plan 1.5 sandwiches per adult for a picnic where sandwiches are the main food. That matches the catering rule used by sandwich guides for a lunch crowd, and it leaves a little room for the guest who takes two. If you also serve a hot dish or a large salad spread, drop to 1 sandwich per person and let the sides carry the meal. Cutting sandwiches into triangles does not change the amount of bread or filling: plan in whole sandwiches, then cut.
Fruit runs at 0.25 kg per adult, roughly one apple and a small handful of grapes. Drinks run at 0.75 litres per adult, about three cups, which covers water plus one other drink for a few hours outdoors. Snacks run at 0.15 kg per adult, enough for crisps, nuts or biscuits without replacing the meal. Scale all three with appetite, and add extra water on a hot day, since thirst rises faster than hunger.
Kids picnic food portions run smaller than adult portions, so the calculator counts each child as 0.6 of an adult across every item. That keeps a family picnic from being over-bought while still covering juice boxes and small hands reaching for snacks. For a party that is mostly children, such as a birthday picnic, use the Light setting and add a few extra drinks, since children drink more often in heat.
With 10 adults and 2 children on Standard appetite, the effective guest count is 10 plus 1.2, which is 11.2. Sandwiches come to 11.2 times 1.5, which is 16.8, rounded up to 17 sandwiches. Fruit is 11.2 times 0.25, which is 2.8 kg. Drinks are 11.2 times 0.75, which is 8.4 litres. Snacks are 11.2 times 0.15, which is 1.68 kg. That is a comfortable picnic for 12 people with no single item running short.
For 20 people, all adults on Standard appetite, plan 30 sandwiches, 5 kg of fruit, 15 litres of drinks and 3 kg of snacks. On Hearty appetite those rise to 38 sandwiches, 6.25 kg of fruit, 18.75 litres of drinks and 3.75 kg of snacks. For a mixed group of 20 people with children, the numbers fall between the two, because children count at 0.6. Buy drinks in whole bottles and round fruit up to the next whole bag.
Good picnic planning starts with the quantities above, then adds a cooler, ice and shade. Keep perishable picnic food chilled and aim to eat it within 2 hours of leaving the fridge on a warm day, sooner in strong heat. Pack sandwiches last so they stay cool longest, and keep drinks in a separate cooler that gets opened less often. Leftovers that stayed chilled can go home, but anything left warm in the sun should be thrown away.
Plan 1.5 sandwiches per adult when sandwiches are the main picnic food, and 1 per person when you also serve large sides. Children count as about 0.6 of an adult, so a family group needs fewer sandwiches than its headcount suggests.
For a standard picnic, plan 1.5 sandwiches, 0.25 kg of fruit, 0.75 litres of drinks and 0.15 kg of snacks per adult. Multiply by your effective guest count, counting children at 0.6, and adjust up for a hearty appetite or a long day outdoors.
Plan about 0.75 litres per adult, roughly three cups, for a few hours outdoors. That covers water plus one other drink. Add more water on hot days, and count children as drinking often but in smaller amounts.
No. Children generally eat about 60 percent of an adult portion, which is why this calculator counts each child as 0.6 of an adult. The exception is drinks on a hot day, when children may need drinks as often as adults.
Plan 0.25 kg of fruit per adult, such as an apple plus a small handful of grapes or berries per person. Pre-cut fruit in a sealed container travels better than loose fruit, and it stays cooler in the shade.
Hearty multiplies every quantity by 1.25, adding a quarter more food and drink. Use it for long outdoor days, hungry teenagers, or groups that will be active before eating. Light multiplies by 0.8 for short picnics with other food available.
A small buffer is sensible for cheap, durable items such as drinks, snacks and fruit. Do not over-buy perishable sandwiches, since they spoil fastest. The Hearty setting already adds 25 percent, which is a safer buffer than guessing.
Make sandwiches the morning of the picnic or the night before and keep them refrigerated. Keep all perishable food chilled until serving, eat within about 2 hours on a warm day, and discard anything left warm in the sun.