Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Americans are already preparing for elaborate dinners with family and friends.
Americans love Thanksgiving, and we show it by piling our plates high with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and other holiday staples. Theres a reason why its most Americans second favorite holiday, according to The Harris Poll, trailing only Christmas.
Here are seven unbelievable facts about what we eat on Thanksgiving to keep in mind as you go back for seconds.
Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkey. For many Americans it just wouldn’t feel like a proper Thanksgiving feast without a golden brown turkey as the centerpiece of the holiday table. But have you ever wondered just how much turkey is consumed across the country on this food-focused holiday? The numbers are pretty mind-blowing!
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day each year in the United States. That’s a huge number of birds when you consider that 46 million turkeys would be enough to feed the entire populations of countries like Spain, Argentina, or South Korea with plenty left over!
To put it into perspective another way, if you divided 46 million turkeys amongst the U.S. population, that would work out to around one turkey consumed for every 6 or 7 people celebrating Thanksgiving. Even accounting for vegetarians and those who choose non-turkey main courses, that’s still a tremendous amount of turkey meat being eaten in a single day.
Turkey Consumption in Context
That 46 million Thanksgiving number represents about 21% of the 216.5 million turkeys produced annually in the United States. Turkey producers have to ramp up their operations in October and November to meet the spike in demand around the holiday. But the fact that over one-fifth of an entire year’s turkeys are eaten on just one day of the year is an astonishing statistic.
The average weight of a turkey purchased for Thanksgiving is around 30 pounds, according to the Wall Street Journal. At this weight, 46 million turkeys works out to approximately 1.4 billion pounds of turkey meat consumed on Thanksgiving Day across the nation. That’s over 3 pounds of turkey per American who participates in the holiday feast!
Per Capita Turkey Eaten
The National Turkey Federation estimates that about 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving. With around 41 million turkey-eating Americans expected at Thanksgiving meals, that equates to an average of over 4 pounds of turkey consumed per person when you divide the total weight of turkeys by the number of feasters.
Of course, actual consumption varies depending on the number of dinner guests and the size of the bird. Households hosting large gatherings will cook bigger birds, while smaller groups may cook turkeys on the smaller side. But any way you slice it, Americans eat a tremendous amount of turkey on Thanksgiving!
The Calorie Bomb
All that turkey, along with loads of side dishes and desserts, adds up to a massive caloric intake on Thanksgiving Day. It’s estimated that the average American consumes between 3,000 and 4,500 calories over the course of the holiday meal. That’s the equivalent of around 2 to 3 days worth of calories in a single feast!
To burn off the calories from just one plate containing turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veggies cranberries, and pie you’d need to walk about 8 miles. With the huge portions typical of Thanksgiving meals, it’s no wonder many folks loosen their belts after eating!
Supporting Players: Cranberries, Potatoes, Pies
While turkey may be the star attraction, there are some impressive supporting players on the Thanksgiving menu, too. Americans consume around 80 million pounds of cranberries each year for Thanksgiving, including nearly 5 million gallons of jellied cranberry sauce. Potatoes also feature prominently, with 214 million pounds of spuds and another 50 million pounds of sweet potatoes sold for the holiday.
And no Thanksgiving meal is complete without pie for dessert. Around 19 million pies are sold in anticipation of Thanksgiving, with pumpkin being the hands-down favorite.
The Calorie Bomb Doesn’t Lead to Weight Gain
Despite the insane number of calories packed away during the Thanksgiving feast, studies show that holiday weight gain is minimal. Research has found that people gain only about 0.8 pounds over the entire winter holiday season. Our bodies seem adept at ramping up metabolism to compensate for big holiday meals when bookended by lighter fare.
So go ahead and enjoy that Thanksgiving turkey without worrying about your waistline. Just focus on getting back into healthy eating habits after the big event!
Turkey for All
However you celebrate the holiday – whether with extended family or friends – Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, gratitude, and indulging in time-honored traditions. And turkey has certainly become a quintessential part of those traditions for the majority of Americans.
With around 46 million turkeys fueling festive feasts each year, Thanksgiving has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the most food-focused holidays. From turkeys to mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce, these iconic dishes unite us in celebration. So bring on the turkey, and pass the gravy – happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Shoppers purchase nearly 214 million pounds of potatoes and 50 million pounds of sweet potatoes from US supermarkets in the weeks before Thanksgiving, according to the National Grocers Association.
For comparison, 214 million pounds is slightly heavier than the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, which clocks in around 204 million pounds, according to 24/7 Wall Street. Though potatoes are slightly less seaworthy.
That 214 million also doesnt include the 3 million pounds of prepared mashed potatoes purchased during this time.
Americans consume 80 million pounds of cranberries during Thanksgiving, including 5,062,500 gallons of jellied cranberry — enough to fill nearly eight Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Cranberry sauce might not be everybodys favorite side, but Americans still consume 80 million pounds of the fruit during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
Much of that is in jellied form, with Thanksgiving feasters purchasing over 5 million gallons worth of jellied cranberry sauce, according to cranberry agricultural cooperative Ocean Spray.
Why do people eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
FAQ
How much turkey does the average person eat on Thanksgiving?
Americans gobble up 46 million turkeys at Thanksgiving. That works out to almost 3 pounds of poultry per person who partakes in the feast, according to statistics from the National Turkey Federation.
How much turkey is wasted during Thanksgiving?
Every year, during Thanksgiving week, Americans throw out 200 million pounds of turkey.Nov 13, 2024
How many pounds of turkey do Americans eat in a year?
U.S. Department of Agriculture – The average American eats 16 pounds of turkey per year.
Are over 40 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving?
Turkeys to meet Thanksgiving demand
According to an estimate by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2017, Americans eat around 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving alone, which is approximately 21% of the total number of birds raised each year.
How much Turkey do Americans eat on Thanksgiving?
That means Americans are eating nearly 1.4 billion pounds of turkey during the holiday. Americans consume between 2,500 and 4,500 calories at the Thanksgiving table. That’s the equivalent of eating between four and eight Big Macs in a single sitting.
How much does a Thanksgiving turkey weigh?
Americans gobble up 46 million turkeys at Thanksgiving. That works out to almost 3 pounds of poultry per person who partakes in the feast, according to statistics from the National Turkey Federation. At an average weight of 16 pounds apiece, last year’s Thanksgiving turkeys weighed 736 million pounds altogether.
Do you eat a Turkey on Thanksgiving?
For many Americans, no Thanksgiving menu is complete without a roast turkey (even if there’s also ham or tofurky). Turkey is the top choice for Thanksgiving dinner when we cook a whopping 46 million turkeys, and nearly nine in 10 Americans consume them, according to the National Turkey Federation.
What percentage of Americans eat turkey on Christmas?
What percentage of American homes consumed turkey on Christmas? 88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey on Thanksgiving. 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter. I’d guess that 88% * 22/46, or about 42%, of Americans eat turkey on Christmas.
How much does a Thanksgiving turkey cost?
At an average weight of 16 pounds apiece, last year’s Thanksgiving turkeys weighed 736 million pounds altogether. And at an average cost of $1.19 per pound, Americans spent $875 million buying those birds for the big day.
How many turkeys do we eat a year?
All that may sound like a lot, but as it turns out, we’re a turkey-loving nation the rest of the year, too. More than 226 million turkeys were consumed in the United States in 2010; the 46 million Thanksgiving birds represent just one-fifth of that total. We also ate 22 million at Christmas and 19 million at Easter.