Thanksgiving is around the corner, meaning people across the country are gearing up to chow down on one of the biggest feasts of the year — despite how different Thanksgiving gatherings may be this year.
The Thanksgiving holiday is all about giving thanks, of course, but it’s also all about the food. While there are many twists that can be incorporated into a classic Thanksgiving menu, a traditional feast usually features some familiar staples, including turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
There’s one menu item that most people could do without, however. Although it frequently makes it onto the Thanksgiving table, according to a 2019 Instacart survey, 46% of Americans find canned cranberry sauce “disgusting.”
More than 2,000 U.S. adults were surveyed online by The Harris Poll about their Thanksgiving preferences, and it turns out canned cranberries are not very popular.
The poll found that 68% of Americans secretly dislike one of the classic Thanksgiving dishes, but will still gulp it down anyway. Although 29% of these people could totally pass on the canned cranberries, they’ll keep their aversion to this traditional side dish to themselves.
If you also turn your nose up at canned cranberry sauce, another option is to go with fresh cranberries. However, another interesting finding from the survey is that customers bought 50% more canned cranberry sauce than fresh last Thanksgiving. What’s more, 31% opted to serve it in the shape of a can rather than mashing it up — which might at least make it look, if not taste, better. I guess there’s something to be said for ease of operations!
Other Thanksgiving foods that people gobble up despite secretly disliking them include green bean casserole (29%), sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole (22%), pumpkin pie (21%) and turkey (19%).
If the old Thanksgiving standbys just aren’t your thing, there’s no rule saying you have to eat certain foods on the holiday. Rather than forcing down a bunch of food you don’t actually like, why not seek out some alternatives?
The poll found that 30% of people who’ve hosted Thanksgiving served something other than turkey, so you’re in good company if turkey just doesn’t do it for you. Here are 10 other main dishes you could serve at Thanksgiving.
Bored with standard green bean casserole? Try these twists on a classic. Instead of pumpkin or apple pie, switch up your Thanksgiving dessert plan with some Fireball fudge.
And have a happy holiday season, no matter what you eat!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
