SPECIAL TO THE WJH Thanksgiving is a much anticipated and beloved holiday. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving offers families and friends an opportunity to gather and break bread together.
Food is indeed a focus of Thanksgiving which can be a little overwhelming, if not intimidating, for those tasked with hosting the celebration.
Guests might expect certain Thanksgiving staples, including turkey and mashed potatoes.
Such expectations can make it easier to plan a Thanksgiving menu, and sticking to Turkey Day standards is not the only way to simplify meal planning on this beloved holiday.
• Accept help, but keep it limited. It’s customary for loved ones invited to Thanksgiving celebrations to offer to bring a dish to dinner, which can alleviate some of the work hosts are tasked with. Keep things simple by asking only a small handful of guests to prepare a side dish. Once the quota is filled, politely decline any additional offers to bring food. It can be hard to find space on the table if too many guests bring dishes from home, and that can lead to hurt feelings if certain sides are ignored or left on the kitchen counter due to a lack of real estate.
• Explain your desire to reduce food waste and avoid succumbing to the temptation to cook too much food. Guests may expect to go home with full bellies. Indeed, the Calorie Control Council notes that Americans consume between 3,000 and 4,500 calories during Thanksgiving celebrations. Such consumption is not only unhealthy for humans, but the planet as well. The U.S.-based nonprofit ReFED, which is devoted to stopping food waste, estimated that Americans wasted 312 million pounds of food on Thanksgiving, 2023.
• Keep table settings simple. Unless you’re planning to post photos of the family meal on Instagram, skip the elaborate formal table settings in favor of a simple setup you might use on most nights dining at home. Polishing the fancy silver and folding cloth napkins is a time-consuming task that can complicate meal preparation. Keep it simple and focus on eating a delicious, homecooked holiday meal.
• Purchase a premade dessert. It might be tempting to try your hand at a homemade dessert, but it’s far easier to purchase pies and ice cream from a local farmer’s market. This approach ensures hosts have it a little easier once the main course has been served.
