# Thanksgiving Calculator (How Much Food to Make)

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/food/thanksgiving/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The Thanksgiving calculator works out how much of everything to buy and cook for Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables, rolls, pies, appetizers, cheese and wine – for your number of adults and children, with or without leftovers.

## Inputs

- Adults
- Children
- Adults drinking wine
- Do you want leftovers?

## Results

- Whole turkey (raw)
- Stuffing
- Potatoes (raw)
- Gravy
- Cranberry sauce
- Vegetable sides
- Dinner rolls
- 9-inch pies
- Appetizer pieces
- Cheese
- Bottles of wine (750 ml)

## Formula

```
Turkey (whole, raw) = 1.25 lb per adult + 0.6 lb per child (× 1.4 for leftovers)
Per adult: ¾ cup stuffing, ½ lb potatoes, ⅓ cup gravy, ¼ cup cranberry sauce, ½ lb vegetables, 1.5 rolls, ⅛ pie, 3 appetizer pieces, 1.5 oz cheese, ½ bottle of wine per drinker
Children eat about half (no wine)
```

## Explanation

Plan quantities generously but not wastefully: a whole turkey is only about half meat, so 1–1.5 lb per person raw gives roughly 8–12 oz of meat. Make a cooking timeline and remember the turkey needs to rest before carving, which frees the oven for sides.

### How to use the Thanksgiving Calculator

- **Adults**
- **Children**
- **Adults drinking wine**
- **Do you want leftovers?**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the number of adults, children and wine drinkers, and whether you want leftovers.

### Tips

- Buy the turkey early and allow enough fridge thawing time – about one day per 4–5 lb.
- Always check the thickest part of the thigh and breast with a thermometer: 165 °F (74 °C).
- Let the turkey rest 20–30 minutes before carving so the juices settle.
- Make a timeline working backwards from when you want to eat.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Thawing a turkey on the counter, which lets bacteria grow.
- Stuffing the bird the night before.
- Relying only on the pop-up timer instead of a thermometer.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterAdultsA numberChildrenA numberAdults drinking wineA numberDo you want leftovers?Choose one: No, Yes

### What each result means

- **Stuffing** = [Adult equivalents]×0.75×236.5882365
- **Potatoes (raw)** = [Adult equivalents]×0.5×453.59237
- **Gravy** = [Adult equivalents]÷3×236.5882365
- **Cranberry sauce** = [Adult equivalents]÷4×236.5882365
- **Vegetable sides** = [Adult equivalents]×0.5×453.59237
- **Dinner rolls** = ceil([Adult equivalents]×1.5)
- **Appetizer pieces** = ceil([Adult equivalents]×3)
- **Cheese** = [Adult equivalents]×1.5×28.349523125
- **Bottles of wine (750 ml)** = ceil([Adults drinking wine]÷2)

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Adults** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

AdultsWhole turkey (raw) (lb)48.7612.2815.71019.21222.71629.7

## Worked example

Inputs — Adults: 8; Children: 2; Adults drinking wine: 6; Do you want leftovers?: Yes.

Results — **Whole turkey (raw) = 15.7 lb**; Stuffing = 6.8 cups; Potatoes (raw) = 4.5 lb; Gravy = 3 cups; Cranberry sauce = 2.2 cups; Vegetable sides = 4.5 lb; Dinner rolls = 14; 9-inch pies = 2; Appetizer pieces = 27; Cheese = 13.5 oz; Bottles of wine (750 ml) = 3.

## FAQ

**How much turkey per person?**
About 1–1.5 lb of whole raw turkey per adult; 1.5–2 lb if you want leftovers.

**How many pies for Thanksgiving?**
One 9-inch pie serves 8; plan one pie for every 6–8 guests, more with leftovers.

**How much stuffing per person?**
About ¾ cup.


## Sources

- [USDA FSIS – Let's talk turkey](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-consumers-guide-safely-roasting)