Turkeys Drop, Sides Soar

Turkey Prices Drop, but Side Dish Sticker Shock Remains

This Thanksgiving delivers a mixed bag for shoppers: relief at the center of the table, and pain around the edges. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual holiday meal survey, the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner fell for the third year in a row — landing at $55.18, the lowest since 2021. The biggest reason? Deep turkey discounts, with the price of a 16-pound bird dropping 16.3% from last year as retailers battled for holiday traffic.

But while the turkey is finally giving consumers a break, many of the classic side dishes are quietly driving overall meal costs higher than they were before the pandemic. The 2025 Thanksgiving spread still costs about 13% more than in 2019, as families feel the lingering effects of inflation and ongoing pressures across the food supply chain.

Some staples became more affordable thanks to lower wheat prices — like stuffing mixes and dinner rolls — but others surged. Frozen peas jumped 17.2%, sweet potatoes spiked 37%, and fresh vegetable trays soared 61.3%. Labor shortages, higher farm wages, and broader economic strain continue to squeeze growers and producers, contributing to both rising costs and the loss of an estimated 15,000 family farms over the past year, according to Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

Major retailers like Walmart have responded with aggressive price cuts and revamped Thanksgiving “meal baskets,” often relying more heavily on in-house brands to drive down costs. Still, the increased price sensitivity among shoppers underscores the broader tension between household budgets and persistent inflation — which remains elevated at 3.0% annually, the highest since January.

For families gathering around the table, the message is clear: the bird is cheaper, but the sides are where the sting remains.