What and how much are Americans eating on Thanksgiving?
It's Thanksgiving week in the United States, synonymous with family gatherings, celebrations, and food… a lot of food. Turkey is one of the staple foods for Americans during the holiday, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association estimates that nearly 46 million turkeys are eaten around Thanksgiving.
The amount of food a person eats varies naturally, but the New York Times calculated that most people consumed around 2,500 calories for their Thanksgiving meal, equivalent to the total daily caloric intake recommended for men in the U.S.
The Calorie Control Council, however, said the actual caloric intake was closer to 4,500 calories for one meal.
Regardless, it's a fact that Americans are spending big in retailers across the country, meaning great returns for producers and growers across the country.
Fruits and vegetables are a big part of Thanksgiving preparations. Green bean casserole is served as a side dish by around 20 million Americans, according to the Washington Post.
Cranberries, which are native to the U.S. are the classic side dish for turkey, which is why almost 20% of the nearly 400 million pounds consumed every year are enjoyed on Thanksgiving, mostly in jellied form according to the Ag. Marketing Resource Center.
Potatoes are also big on the consumer list for the holidays, Business Insiders indicates that Americans purchase nearly 214 million pounds of potatoes and 50 million pounds of sweet potatoes in the weeks before Thanksgiving.
The total value of potatoes sold in the U.S. in 2021 was $3.9 billion.
A survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation projects that Thanksgiving dinners will be 4.5% cheaper than the historically high prices consumers experienced last year.
The dinner survey found that the classic feast for a party of 10, will cost $61.17 this year, or about $6.12 per guest.