As the air turns crisp and the anticipation of holiday gatherings begins, it’s time to rediscover the foods and festivities that define the season. According to a recent Instacart survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults by The Harris Poll, a hearty 89% plan to celebrate Thanksgiving.
This report explores the trends surrounding Thanksgiving using Instacart purchase data from the 2023 holiday season as well as a recent Harris Poll survey. The festive findings include the most and least popular Thanksgiving dishes, food preferences by region, and favorite holiday beverages.
What’s on their Thanksgiving shopping list?
Cooking duties this year are a shared affair. While 64% of women plan to prepare at least one dish, 57% of men are also taking up the culinary challenge and contributing at least one dish. Equal proportions (30% of men and 30% of women) plan to cook the entire feast.
Thanksgiving celebrations will also look a bit different this year from generation to generation:
- Gen X (ages 44-59) are more likely than Gen Z (ages 18-27) or Boomers (ages 60-78) to assume the role of Thanksgiving hosts (42% vs. 32% each), while Gen Z (66%) and millennials (59%) will fill seats as enthusiastic attendees (vs. 41% Gen X and 43% Boomers).
- Gen Z (92%) and millennials (91%) are more likely than Boomers (86%) to celebrate Thanksgiving, while Boomers (14%) are more likely to skip the festivities this year than Gen Z and millennials.
- Gen Z (63%), millennials (66%), and Gen X (61%) are all leading Boomers (53%) in planning to cook or prepare food contributions.
What is their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes?
Here are the top five most popular and least popular Thanksgiving sides, according to this survey:
Though many claim Thanksgiving is “all about the sides,” the survey insights show people like to come for the main event. Turkey is the most popular Thanksgiving dish for 74% of Americans, with mashed potatoes (67%) and stuffing (64%) securing second and third places, respectively. Sadly for cranberry fans, cranberry sauce is the #1 least favorite dish for over a quarter of Americans (27%).
This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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