Driven by higher meat, dairy and produce prices, the cost of an average Thanksgiving meal has gone up for the third year in a row—this year by about 15%.
The LSU AgCenter annually works up the average cost of a holiday meal for 10 people, conducting a local cost survey on traditional Thanksgiving items such as turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie mix, milk and other items.
“This year we can expect to pay as much as $55.77, or about 15% more than last year,” says LSU AgCenter nutrition agent Quincy Cheek, who conducted the survey between Nov. 11 and 14.
In 2013, the average cost for Thanksgiving dinner in Baton Rouge was $48.50. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocers in the United States are now paying the highest wholesale turkey prices ever, a spike which is ultimately passed on to the consumer. And while lower grain prices have spurred a reduction in the cost of feeding turkeys, those savings are not being passed down to the consumer.
Last year a 16-pound turkey cost about $1.38 per pound, while this year the same size turkey will cost consumers about $1.55 per pound. Milk is up five cents per gallon over last year, and a 12-ounce package of cranberries is up 10 cents. The cost of a three-pound bag of sweet potatoes is up more than $1 over last year.
The American Farm Bureau Federation releases its own Thanksgiving cost average for a party of 10, and estimates this year’s to be $49.41. The Farm Bureau began surveying the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal in 1986. The cost then was $28.74. The LSU AgCenter has more details, plus tips for saving money on food this holiday season.
