How to Calculate How Many Pounds of Turkey per Person for Thanksgiving
Introduction
Thanksgiving is the time of the year when everyone gathers to enjoy a delicious feast. A mouth-watering turkey is an indispensable part of most Thanksgiving dinners. However, one of the critical questions that often arises is how much turkey should you buy per person? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. In this article, we will guide you on how to calculate how many pounds of turkey per person for Thanksgiving.
Factors to consider
The amount of turkey you will need depends on various factors, such as the number of guests, their age, their appetite, and the preferred amount of leftovers. An adult generally eats between 1 and 1.5 pounds of turkey, whereas a child might eat around 0.5 pounds.
Calculate the number of guests
The first step in determining how much turkey you need is to count the number of guests attending the feast. Don’t forget to include children, who may eat less turkey than adults.
Calculate the total weight of turkey needed
Once you’ve counted the number of guests, multiply the number of adults by 1.25 and the number of children by 0.5 to get the total number of pounds of turkey needed. For example, if you’re hosting ten adults and five children, you’ll need 15 pounds of turkey for adults (10 x 1.25 = 12.5) and 2.5 pounds for children (5 x 0.5 = 2.5). Therefore, you’ll need a total of 15 + 2.5 = 17.5 pounds of turkey.
Account for leftovers
If you’re a fan of leftovers, you might want to buy extra turkey. Some people like to have enough turkey to last them until the weekend. The general rule of thumb is to add 1.5 pounds of turkey for every adult and 0.75 pounds of turkey for every child. Following this rule, you’d add 15 x 1.5 = 22.5 pounds and 5 x 0.75 = 3.75 pounds of turkey for adults and children, respectively. Therefore, the total amount of turkey you should buy for leftovers would be 17.5 + 22.5 + 3.75 = 43.75 pounds.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving is the day dedicated to food, family, and friends, and the star of the show is undoubtedly the turkey. Whether you’re hosting a massive feast or an intimate gathering, calculating how much turkey you need is essential. By using the steps outlined above, you can be sure that you’ll have plenty of turkey for everyone and even have leftovers for sandwiches or soup for the following days. Happy Thanksgiving!
