What’s on the table this Thanksgiving?
Breaking down the results
Let’s start with the big one
Pumpkin pie takes center stage on the dessert menu: 57% of consumers prefer it over apple pie (43%).
At-home dining is a clear winner this Thanksgiving
Most consumers surveyed (89%) indicated plans to make a home-cooked dinner for the holiday, and just 11% indicated plans to eat out at a restaurant.
Store-bought sides get sidelined
83% of consumers chose homemade side dishes rather than store-bought. One notable exception is cranberry sauce: slightly more consumers (51%) chose canned cranberry sauce over fresh cranberry sauce (49%).
Aligning with the increasing popularity of plant-based diets, a growing number of families (17%) will have a plant-based main dish. The rest (83%) are opting for an animal protein-based main dish.
The majority of consumers (67%) will have a traditional turkey at dinner, but other notable main dish choices include:
• Ham (15%)
• Chicken (10%)
• Beef (5%)
• Pork (3%)
Comfort is king
Families will be in loungewear this year. Only one in four survey respondents (24%) intend to dress up for Thanksgiving, while 76% plan to wear comfortable clothes such as sweatpants.
Back to normal
In another sign of life returning to a pre-pandemic normal, 79% of respondents indicated this year they will hold mask-free gatherings as well.
Dry gatherings
In line with both consumer cost-cutting strategies and a greater emphasis on health, 45% of households plan to have alcohol-free gatherings.
Global Holiday Hub
See how shoppers plan to spend around the holidays—from online shopping events to in-person celebrations—with NielsenIQ’s Global Holiday Hub.
