The cost of a standard American Thanksgiving dinner keeps rising. In
2001, the holiday meal on average cost $35.04. This upcoming holiday, it
will be nearly $50. According to a report by the American Farm Bureau
Federation, the price of the Thanksgiving feast increased roughly 13
percent from last year alone.
Of course, the main culprit for this increase is the rising cost of
the food. While a relish tray decreased in price, all the other foods
examined cost more. A 16-pound turkey costs nearly $4, or 22 percent,
more than last year. Based on AFBF’s report, researchers at 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 11 main ingredients of a typical Thanksgiving dinner.
The AFBF’s annual report, its 26th in a row, looks at the traditional
foods consumed at an average 10-person Thanksgiving dinner. The price
estimates are based on Farm Bureau volunteers from around the country
who report the standard food prices without using special coupons or
deals.
According to the report, the foods include a 16-pound turkey, a
gallon of milk, a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, a half pint of
whipped cream, 14 oz. of cubed stuffing, a pound of green beans, 12
rolls, three pounds of sweet potatoes, 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, 2
pie shells, a 1-pound relish tray (carrots and celery) and various
other ingredients.
24/7 wall has examined 11 of the ingredients, looking
at how much the United States produces of each of these goods, and how
much the prices of the basic food commodities have changed over time.
11. One-Pound Relish Tray (carrots and celery)
2010 price: $0.77
2011 price: $0.76
Price change: -$0.01
Pct. change: -0.01 percent
The relish tray is the only item that declined in price from last
year. 68,000 acres of carrots were planted last year, which is less than
the two previous years, according to the USDA. Celery planting and
harvesting, on the other hand, is up slightly. The price of carrots
declined over a three-year period, while the price of celery is up over
that same period.
10. Two Pie Shells
2010 price: $2.46
2011 price: $2.52
Price change: $0.06
Pct. change: 2.4 percent
While a homemade pie is always a treat, for most Americans, pre-made
pie shells are the standard. Compared to last year, the price of two
shells went up by 6 cents, a 2.4 percent increase, which is in line with
inflation. In 2010, 91.3 billion eggs were produced in the U.S., up
from 90.4 billion in 2009. The U.S. production of wheat, another major
ingredient in pie crusts, dropped by approximately 4 million acres
between 2010 and 2011, and the price per metric ton increased by roughly
45 percent from last October.
9. Sweet Potatoes, 3 lbs.
2010 price: $3.19
2011 price: $3.26
Price change: $0.07
Pct. change: 2.1 percent
The price of three pounds of sweet potatoes has increased by about 7
cents in the last year. National production of the crop, nearly half of
which occurs in the state of North Carolina, jumped from 97,300 acres in
2008 to 116,900 acres in 2010.
8. Fresh Cranberries, 12. oz.
2010 price: $2.41
2011 price: $2.48
Price change: $0.07
Pct. change: 2.9 percent
While the gelatinous substance that comes in the shape of a can is a
common Thanksgiving dish, many American families opt for fresh cranberry
relish instead. Since last year, the cost of 12 ounces of cranberries
has increased by about 7 cents, a 2.9 percent increase. Cranberry
production in the past three years has gone up by 585,000 barrels, an 8
percent increase. In 2011, the U.S. produced 7,498,000 barrels of the
berries, almost all of which were grown in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
7. Rolls, 12
2010 price: $2.12
2011 price: $2.30
Price change: $0.18
Pct. change: 8.5 percent
The price of 12 dinner rolls, the staple opening course at many
Thanksgiving dinners, has increased substantially in the past year,
jumping 8.5 percent to $2.30. The likely culprit is the rising cost of
wheat in the United States, which increased by roughly 45 percent per
metric ton from last year.
6. Green Peas, 1 lb.
2010 price: $1.44
2011 price: $1.68
Price change: $0.24
Pct. change: 16.6 percent
When it comes to the debt ceiling, the President
says America has to eat its peas. The USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
could not agree more. “We take President Obama’s comment on the need to
‘eat our peas’ as a reference to the first lady’s push to get all
Americans to eat a more healthy diet as part of the Let’s Move
campaign,” the council’s director of marketing told The Los Angeles Times
in July. The national production of peas in this country has dropped
precipitously in the past three years from 205,400 acres in 2008 to
108,000 acres in 2010 — a drop of almost 20 percent. Yet, the price per
ton has fallen from $357 to $278. Consequently, a pound of green peas
now costs 16.6 percent more than it did in 2010.
5. Cubed Stuffing, 14 oz.
2010 price: $2.64
2011 price: $2.88
Price change: $0.24
Pct. change: 9.1 percent
Like most traditional Thanksgiving dishes, stuffing, or dressing,
comes in many varieties. In the south, they use day old white bread and
cornbread mixed with celery, onion and sausage. Other variations even
add oysters to the mix. The traditional cubed stuffing usually consists
of toasted bread, chicken broth and onions, all of which have increased
in price in the past year. Spring onions, in particular, more than
doubled in price.
4. Milk, 1 Gallon Whole
2010 price: $3.24
2011 price: $3.66
Price change: $0.42
Pct. change: 12.9 percent
For the kids sitting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, nothing is
better than a cool glass of milk. According to the National Dairy
Council, “Children ages 2 – 8 are encouraged to consume two cups of milk
or equivalent milk products each day, as recommended by the 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” The cost of a gallon of milk is up
12.9 percent from last year.
3. Whipping Cream, 0.5 pints
2010 price: $2.62
2011 price: $3.03
Price change: $0.41
Pct. change: 15.2 percent
No pumpkin pie is complete without a hefty dollop of whipped cream.
The price of milk has nearly doubled since 2009. A half-pint of whipping
cream, according to the survey, costs $0.41 more than it did last year.
That amounts to a 15.2 percent increase.
2. Pumpkin Pie Mix, 30-oz.
2010 price: $2.62
2011 price: $3.03
Price change: $0.41
Pct. change: 15.6 percent
It was a bad season for American-grown pumpkins. Generally damp
conditions and terrible storms — including Hurricane Irene a few months
ago — have decimated parts of the Northeast’s crop. Partially as a
result, the cost of two 15-oz. cans of pumpkin pie mix is up $0.41, more
than a 15 percent increase.
1. Turkey, 16-lb.
2010 price: $17.66
2011 price: $21.57
Price change: $3.91
Pct. change: 22.1 percent
According to the USDA, 248 million turkeys were raised in the U.S.
this year, 4 million more than last year. The largest percentage of
these birds was raised in Minnesota, which produced 46.5 million turkeys
this year. Despite the increase in production, the cost of a single
16-pound bird is up by nearly $4, or 22 percent, from 2010.
[via The Blaze]
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