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30 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2024 family money WRITTEN BY NIKKI DUCAS Whether you are feeding a house full of teens or hosting a family holiday get together, food math is vital in order to not tip your budget scale into the red. Knowing how much to buy per person can be as challenging as planning the menu itself. But how do you know how much food to buy without risking having a lot of leftovers or even worse not having enough? How do you determine how much each person will eat? Typically, each adult will consume 1 pound of food and children about 1/2 a pound. The more choices you offer, the less you will need of each. For a buffet, you can decrease the main course portion size by 1 to 2 ounces. How do you calculate serving size to know that your recipe will feed all your guests? Weigh the food and divide it by the number of servings. Many recipes list recommended serving sizes. I've found that the safest bet when feeding my teens and their friends is to just make double what I think they will eat. Teens generally have fast metabolisms which burn a lot of calories even when they are at rest. My boys are always hungry, particularly a couple of hours after a meal! Food Math When Feeding the Masses USE A CROCKPOT. I love having my sons' friends at our house and I know that comes with feeding them. I've found that the crockpot is the greatest kitchen gad- get for feeding a lot of people with maximum flexibility when the meal is served. I can set it up in the morning and by dinner it's ready and can keep food warm for hours. Some of my teens' favorites that are quick and easy are chili, sloppy joes, cheesy tater tot chicken casserole, Sunday sauce, chicken cacciatore, and Hawaiian meatballs. BUY IN BULK. Shopping at warehouse stores has also definitely allowed me to buy more meat, cheese, pasta and snacks to feed my teens insatiable appetites and stay within my food budget. EAT MORE PASTA. Another inexpensive meal option that can be stretched to feed the masses is pasta. Many starches can be dressed up for large family get togethers or be as simple as spaghetti and meatballs for teenagers. When I make pasta dishes, I can guarantee the leftovers (if there are any) are gobbled up for lunches by my teen boys. I must tell you this story! I recently went to my cupboard to make a favorite penne pasta recipe and found my two-pound box with only 3 pieces of pasta left! My teen has taken a liking to making pasta in the middle of the night. I told him it's okay to eat but please don't leave an empty box, especially when I meal planned that pasta for our family dinner. So the next time you are feeding a house full of teens or are hosting a get togeth- er, determine how many you are feeding to ensure you will have enough food and rest easy knowing you've done your food math to maintain your budget. Typically, each adult will consume 1 pound of food and children about 1/2 a pound.