A new study shows that more Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving with fast food as opposed to a traditional feast, with inflation being one of the chief causes.
“Amid ongoing inflation, it’s no surprise that finances are a factor in the rise of a fast food Thanksgiving,” noted the New York Post, which cited a Casino.org survey showing that “16 percent of respondents admitted that saving money was the primary motivator for ditching the traditional turkey in favor of a meal at McDonald’s or somewhere similar.”
A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, right and a Double Quarter Pound burger is shown with the new fresh beef, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Atlanta. McDonald’s is offering fresh beef rather than frozen patties in some burgers at thousands of restaurants, a switch it first announced about a year ago as it works to appeal to customers who want fresher foods. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
The survey was based on Google Trends research, which shows a high spike in fast food searches on Thanksgiving.
A recent report from the American Farm Bureau Federation said that headlines about a decline in Thanksgiving prices have been overblown, given that they are just a slight bit lower than 2022’s “historically high prices.”
“A classic Thanksgiving feast for ten, costing $61.17 total, rings in at about $6.12 less per person, the organization reported,” noted the Post. “That’s still 25 percent higher than the cost of the same meal in 2019 — an increase many Americans simply won’t be able to absorb long term.”
Another factor for the increase in fast food turns out to be laziness. Indeed, a growing number of Americans would rather order up some takeout than labor over a homecooked meal.
“A considerable 21% of respondents cited that factor, while an additional 20% of those polled proclaimed they don’t have enough time to fix a feast for family and friends,” noted the Post.
David Portalatin, a senior vice president and industry adviser in the Food and Foodservice markets at Circana, said that the spike in fast food could also mean that Americans are eating it on top of their Thanksgiving meal.
“People may use fast food on Thanksgiving for a convenient breakfast,” he told the Post.
Portalatin insisted that Americans have not overwhelmingly given up on traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Family together for Thanksgiving dinner.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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