Americans sound off on traditional Thanksgiving dishes they really don't like (2024)

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Americans sound off on traditional Thanksgiving dishes they really don't like? ›

Also up on the high dislike list were green bean casserole (28%), the turkey itself (nearly 28%), and stuffing/dressing (nearly 27%). About a quarter of respondents said they didn't like the traditional dessert of pumpkin pie. Only about 14% said they liked all the items on the list.

For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes the cake as the least favorite Thanksgiving food.

Cranberry sauce

For the third year running, cranberry sauce comes in as the most-hated Thanksgiving food, receiving a dislike from 31.49 of participants. But despite not wanting to eat the stuff, Americans seem to believe that no holiday table is complete without it.

Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries. These foods have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, but how did they end up on tables from Maine to California?

Unhealthy: Stuffing

“Bacon, sausage, mince meat, giblets, and a variety of similar ingredients find their way into many a stuffing, which takes an already unhealthy dish — often topping 500 calories per serving, depending on the recipe — to an entirely new level of unhealthy,” she said.

“While the list of divisive foods is long, let's focus on the top three hated foods—anchovies, black licorice, and oysters—and what makes each seemingly controversial for American palates.

Mashed potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for a reason, and we definitely look forward to serving up this delicious dish every November.

For 4 people, choose 1-2 appetizers and 3 sides. For 8 people, choose 1-3 appetizers and 3 sides. For 16 people, choose 2-3 appetizers and 3 or more sides.

So while our Thanksgiving dinner table has a big ol' turkey plated in the center, the first Thanksgiving table was likely filled with ducks, geese, eels, lobster, and venison. Maybe there was a turkey, but it was either missing or too dry for anyone to literally write home about it.

There are many reasons, but primarily: Historically, dinner became before supper; it makes for a more relaxed day; it's simply tradition; it's more convenient for traveling guests; and, of course, to watch football.

What is the most important meal on Thanksgiving? ›

The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States is Thanksgiving dinner (informally called turkey dinner), a large meal generally centered on a large roasted turkey.

It is also worth noting what was not present at the first Thanksgiving feast. There were no cloudlike heaps of mashed potatoes, since white potatoes had not yet crossed over from South America. There was no gravy either, since the colonists didn't yet have mills to produce flour.

As far as what everyone considers their favorite Thanksgiving food, stuffing was the winner by a landslide, followed by turkey, mashed potatoes/gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes/casserole, cranberries and last but not least, pumpkin pie.

Americans 45 or older are especially likely to call turkey the best thing on the Thanksgiving table (39%), while younger adults who agree come in at 24%. Once the turkey is carved, about 4 in 10 celebrators (43%) prefer white meat over dark (28%), and about one in five (21%) have no preference.