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Food quantities · Australia

Barbecue food planner

Estimate barbecue quantities for adults and children, with your country's cooking safety guidance.

Country-specific guidance

Preparing your cooking tool...

Guests

10 total guests

Enter 0 if none. Up to 1000 guests in total.

Meats

Type any meat name and enter how much each person will eat. Starting burger portions are estimates.

Meat 1
Sides

Add the side dishes you plan to serve and the amount for each person.

Each food is counted separately. If guests will choose between meats, allow a smaller portion of each.

View worked example

Worked example: burgers for 10 adults

Ten adults eat 2 burgers each. There are no children in this example.

  1. Set the guests

    10 adults and 0 children.

  2. Enter burger portions

    2 burgers per adult. The child portion does not contribute when there are no children.

  3. Add the quantities

    10 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 20 burgers.

Result: 10 adults, 2 burgers each: 20 burgers.

Portion amounts are estimates. Use the selected country's cooking check for the burger ingredients.

A little help in the kitchen

How to use it

  1. Select your country and enter the number of adults and children. Total guests is the two counts added together.

  2. Type your food names in the separate Meats and Sides sections. Choose a unit and enter the amount per adult and per child. New food portions start at 0. A portion field is disabled when that guest count is 0.

  3. Adjust the starting burger estimate of 2 per adult and 1 per child to suit appetites and your menu. Each row adds its own quantity.

  4. Choose Calculate barbecue quantities. Review the grouped food list and your country's safe temperature lines, then save, share, print or download CSV.

How it works

Each item total = adults × adult amount + children × child amount. Quantities use your entered unit. Foods are calculated separately; adding more meats does not divide one combined allowance.

The initial 2 burgers per adult and 1 per child are editable estimates. Enter your own amounts for other foods and adjust the child portion for appetites. These amounts are planning estimates rather than official consumption recommendations.

Pieces round up to whole items after the adult and child quantities are combined. Weight and volume round up to 2 decimal places. CSV includes both the exact total and quantity to prepare.

Cooking checks come from USDA FSIS, the UK Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Australia New Zealand or Health Canada, according to the selected country. They refer to internal food temperatures. The result includes a separate reference for each meat category. Food names do not automatically select a cooking temperature. Use the check matching the ingredients and preparation: poultry burgers use poultry guidance, not the beef/pork/lamb burger category.

The whole-cut categories are for the described beef, lamb or pork preparations. Minced, rolled, skewered, tenderized or mixed products may need different treatment. Follow the linked agency guidance and packet instructions, use a clean food thermometer and keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat sides. This quantity tool does not calculate grilling time.

Frequently asked questions

How many burgers should I allow per person?

The starting example uses 2 per adult and 1 per child. Edit both amounts for appetites, burger sizes and other foods being served. These are estimates, not official recommendations.

What happens when I add several meats?

Every food is calculated independently. For example, 2 burgers and 1 sausage per adult means preparing both amounts. Reduce individual portions if guests will choose between meats.

Can I include vegetarian foods and sides?

Yes. Type any dish in the Sides section and enter its adult and child portions. You can also enter plant-based burgers or sausages as meat alternatives in the Meats section. Follow the recipe or packet instructions; these foods have no universal cooking temperature.

Why do cooking temperatures differ by country?

Each page uses its own agency's published guidance. The UK check includes a holding time, while other country lines may give minimum temperatures for particular meats. Keep the complete temperature, time and rest instructions together.

Which cooking guidance applies to chicken burgers?

Use your country's poultry line, or the UK line for meat cooked all the way through. The beef, pork or lamb burger temperature must not be used for poultry. For mixed or unusual products, follow packet instructions and the official agency guidance.

Can I save, share, print or download the quantities?

Yes. Calculate first, then save in this browser, share a link containing your settings, print or save PDF, or download CSV with the quantities and cooking checks. Nothing you enter is sent to a calculation server.

Sources