Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
If you still need to pick up the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner, here’s a bit of good news: This year’s feast will cost you a bit less.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual price survey, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is $49.87. That’s a 24-cent decrease from the 2015 average of $50.11.
The survey found a 16-pound turkey will cost $22.74, or about $1.42 per pound. That’s a two-cent-per-pound decrease from 2015. The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates consumers will pay about 30 cents less per whole turkey this year compared to last year.
The America Farm Bureau Federation’s shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk. All of the quantities will serve a family of 10, with leftovers.
While the cost of turkey is down, a few dinner table staples did increase. The price of a dozen brown-and-serve rolls increased to $2.46; while 12 ounces of fresh cranberries will cost an estimated $2.39. The Farm Bureau also found the cost of a half-pint of whipping cream is $2 and a three-pound bag of fresh sweet potatoes is $3.60.
“We have seen farm prices for many foods — including turkeys — fall from the higher levels of recent years,” said John Newton, the director of market intelligence at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “This translates into lower retail prices for a number of items as we prepare for Thanksgiving and confirms that U.S. consumers benefit from an abundant, high-quality, and affordable food supply.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation started its Thanksgiving dinner survey in 1986. This year, 148 volunteer shoppers checked prices at grocery stores in 40 states for the survey.
