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.

In a survey of over 1,000 Americans, cranberry sauce remains the most-disliked Thanksgiving dish in 2023. The survey released this month was conducted as part of SurveyMonkey's 2023 Holiday Travel Survey on behalf of The Vacationer. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans surveyed said they dislike cranberry sauce.

Mashed potatoes are the front-runner to be on the most plates this Thanksgiving. Turkey no longer reigns supreme. Findings showed that over half of the United States would be content to only have sides on their holiday plates and 67% of Americans prefer side dishes to the main entrée!

Along with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry the "traditional" table now included white bread, apple pie, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and various fruit pies.

Certainly, rolls and stuffing are staples of the American Thanksgiving dinner but beware. These starchy foods are full of sugary carbohydrates, which build up bacteria in the mouth and can lead to cavities. If you still want to indulge, just make sure to have a few drinks of water afterward to wash away food debris.

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.

At Thanksgiving dinner, turkey is served with a variety of side dishes which can vary from traditional, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, to ones that reflect regional or cultural heritage.

The turkey's white meat is preferred by more people than dark meat. Nineteen percent say stuffing or dressing is their favorite dish on Thanksgiving and 8% give stuffing a thumbs down.

Green Bean Casserole: A Controversial Classic

A staple in many households, green bean casserole often divides opinion. The combination of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions doesn't appeal to everyone. The texture, particularly when the green beans become mushy, is a common complaint.

What is the least popular food? ›

“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.

The first Thanksgiving banquet consisted of foods like venison, bean stew and hard biscuits. And while corn and pumpkin had their place on the table, they hardly resembled the cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie we feast on today.

Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

Fish and Shellfish

Culinary historians believe that much of the Thanksgiving meal consisted of seafood, which is often absent from today's menus.

At Thanksgiving dinner, turkey is served with a variety of side dishes which can vary from traditional, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, to ones that reflect regional or cultural heritage.