Estimate fruit platters for a crowd.
There are two different fruit weights in this calculation and confusing them is the usual reason a platter looks sparse. Served weight is what goes on the platter — five ounces a head as a side, more if the fruit is dessert. Purchase weight is higher because melon rind, pineapple skin, cores and stems are bought and thrown away; 12% is a reasonable average across a mixed selection, but a platter built mainly on watermelon and pineapple runs closer to 40%. Platter count is driven by served volume, and it is worth building two smaller platters rather than one large one so a fresh platter can replace a picked-over one.
Fruit Platter
Served oz = guests x oz per guest; purchase oz = served x (1 + trim waste%); platters = served oz / platter capacity, rounded up
Four to six ounces of prepared fruit as a side or snack, and eight to ten if the platter is serving as dessert. Buy about 12% more than that to cover trimming.
Pineapple and watermelon, at 40-50% of purchase weight in rind and core. Berries and grapes are close to no waste, so a berry-heavy platter needs far less over-buying.