Food is the star on Thanksgiving, but according to a new survey, there are some traditional menu items that have fallen out of popularity.
The survey of approximately 2,000 Americans, conducted in October by Harris Poll for Instacart, uncovered a variety of Thanksgiving foods that people secretly dislike but consume for tradition's sake.
The top Thanksgiving food offenders, according to the poll:
- Cranberry sauce: While 46 percent said canned cranberry sauce is "disgusting," they bought twice as much canned cranberry sauce than they did fresh cranberry sauce in 2018. Also, 31 percent of people who buy the canned variety serve it at the table in its tin can shape.
- Green bean casserole: This side dish had a love-hate relationship among poll takers. While it ranked second among Thanksgiving dishes people dislike, people are still intent on making it. The recipe's common ingredients, such as cream of mushroom soup and fried onions saw a large spike in sales in the three weeks leading up to the holiday in 2018.
- Sweet potatoes: Whether in casserole form or another preparation, sweet potatoes earned a spot on the top Thanksgiving food offenders list.
- Pumpkin pie: This was another love-hate item. While it made the top five offenders list with 21 percent secretly loathing it, pumpkin pie is also by far the most popular pie served on Thanksgiving, with 31 percent saying it is their favorite.
- Turkey: The traditional star of Thanksgiving, turkey may be fading in popularity. For those who have hosted Thanksgiving dinner, 30 percent have served something other than turkey, according to the Instacart poll. A generational trend may explain part of turkey's decline, with 42 percent of millennials saying they've served a main dish other than turkey on Thanksgiving.
Other interesting findings from the poll include the popularity of Cheese Whiz on Thanksgiving. According to the Instacart poll, more people buy the processed cheese spread in the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving than at any other time of year.
While some people may have memories of fighting over Thanksgiving leftovers, almost a quarter of those surveyed said they had no interest in the leftovers from the holiday meal.
Don't be frustrated if you forget an item on your Thanksgiving meal shopping list, as almost three-fourths of those surveyed said they had to make two or more trips to the grocery store to get forgotten items.
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