To make food-cost comparisons fair from year to year, premade items like cubed stuffing mix, pie shells and pumpkin pie mix are included. “Your table will likely have something similar, but perhaps made from grandma’s favorite or even a secret family recipe,” said Diane Olson, director of Missouri Farm Bureau’s promotion and education program.
The survey assumes enough food for a gathering of 10. The total cost for this year’s meal was $47.41, or $4.74 per person. The grocery receipt included a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, celery and carrot sticks, cranberry sauce, rolls, real butter, two pumpkin pies, whipped cream, one gallon of whole milk and coffee.
Here are some comparisons to 2010 prices:
·The entire meal increased $4.89 cents over the 2010 cost of $42.52.
·Turkey averaged $1.21 per pound, up $0.15 over last year.
·30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, up $0.65 to $3.06.
·Half-pint of whipping cream increased $0.48 to $1.91.
·Gallon of whole milk, $3.87, up $0.71
·A pound of butter, $3.18, up $0.95.
Although prices were up, Olson has some good news. “Missouri prices were $1.79 lower than the national average of $49.20,” she said. “Once again, Show-Me shoppers can be thankful for lower food prices than elsewhere in the nation.”
Olson added that leftovers can significantly decrease the overall cost of the Thanksgiving Day meal. “Feeding people for $4.74 per person is still a bargain. Enjoying the leftovers during weekend football games makes it an even sweeter deal,” she said.
Besides providing a Thanksgiving market basket survey, Missouri Farm Bureau’s promotion and education program also conducts quarterly food price surveys.
-courtesy FM 92.1 the Bullet
