©FamVeld via Canva.com
According to a survey of U.S. adults from CivicScience, family drama (cited by 27% of respondents) was the most stressful part of the Thanksgiving holiday, but following close behind was cooking/grocery shopping (22%).
Overall, 71% of respondents felt some form of stress when thinking about Thanksgiving. Other aspects adding to discomfort include trying to lose weight, travel, political conversations, and impending house guests.
Rising food costs have also arrived over the last two years to create tension for cooks. A recent survey from Advantage Solutions found 50% saying inflation will alter their Thanksgiving food spending.
Grocers responded this year by serving up aggressive discounts several weeks before the big day to help with both budgeting and planning.
In mid-October, Aldi announced that starting Nov. 1, price reductions of up to 50% would be offered on seasonal favorites, from gravy to cranberries and pumpkin pie, as well as staples such as butter and flour. Dave Rinaldo, president of Aldi U.S., said, “With inflation still looming, we're providing shoppers extra relief to make the holidays a time for celebration, not stress.”
On Nov. 1, Target announced a promotion for a Thanksgiving meal that serves four for under $25 while touting same-day drive-up and delivery options. Target said that customers “can have their entire Thanksgiving meal delivered to their trunk in minutes upon arriving in the parking lot or to their home in as soon as one hour.”
Walmart this year is offering two Thanksgiving meal options: one for customers who like to cook from scratch, and another for those who prefer ready-to-bake options, and both are even cheaper than last year.
Other grocers are also offering heat-and-eat options to reduce kitchen stress, including Costco promoting a $200 Thanksgiving meal kit. However, those catering are increasingly competing with restaurants. A survey of U.S. adults last year from Popmenu found that 45% plan to order their entire Thanksgiving meal or various dishes from restaurants.
Many grocers, including Kroger, offer advice for cooks on reducing Thanksgiving stress, including sticking with "tried-and-true" recipes, making sides or doing prep work beforehand, and delegating day-of tasks.
A Huffington Post article also suggested several coping mechanisms to handle other day-of stresses created by “too many cooks in the kitchen,” picky eaters, and other triggers, including understanding you can’t please everyone. Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and best-selling author, told the publication, “We can’t prevent stress altogether, but we can keep rebounding from it.”