How much salad per person?
MyPlate counts 2 cups of raw leafy greens as one cup of vegetables (NMSU Extension, MyPlate, 2018). We use that as the size of a side salad. It is a sensible, health-based portion that leaves room for the rest of the meal.
Greens are light and fluffy, so cups are hard to shop with. The calculator turns cups into weight and whole heads using USDA data for each type of lettuce (USDA FoodData Central, 2019):
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded | 1 head |
|---|---|---|
| Romaine | 47 g | 626 g |
| Iceberg | 72 g | 539 g (medium head) |
| Green leaf lettuce | 36 g | 360 g |
Side salad for a crowd: quick chart
| Guests | Chopped greens | Romaine heads | Iceberg heads | Green leaf lettuce heads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20 cups | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 25 | 50 cups | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| 50 | 100 cups | 8 | 14 | 10 |
| 100 | 200 cups | 16 | 27 | 20 |
| 150 | 300 cups | 23 | 41 | 30 |
2 cups of greens per guest, before any buffer.
Worked example: a garden salad for 80
You are serving a side salad of romaine to 80 guests, with the default 10% buffer.
- 80 guests × 2 cups = 160 cups of greens
- Add 10%: 176 cups
- × 47 g a cup = 8,272 g, about 18 lb 4 oz
- ÷ 626 g a head = about 14 heads of romaine
Buy one or two extra heads. Damaged outer leaves and the core come off before you chop.
Tips for making salad for a crowd
- Dress it at the last minute. Dressed greens wilt fast. Serve dressing on the side for a buffet.
- Dry the leaves well. Wet leaves dilute the dressing and go soggy. A salad spinner or clean towels help.
- Add toppings separately. Tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons and cheese are on top of the greens amount here.
- Prep a day ahead. Wash and chop sturdy lettuce like romaine the day before and keep it chilled in a covered container lined with paper towels.
- Build the rest of the menu. Pair it with the pasta per person or rice per person calculators.