Host a holiday potluck
Go meatless
Make the most of food scraps
¡When prepping your meal, save peels, stems, leaves, and roots to boil into a veggie or turkey-based stock later on.
¡Consider using ugly or bruised produce in dishes like stuffing, where no one will notice the aesthetics of your celery and carrots
¡Toast up squash or pumpkin seeds to serve as an appetizer.
Opt for a limited menu
Shop ahead and buy in bulk
Pick turkey pieces instead of the whole turkey
Donât buy new equipment. Borrow from family or neighbors.
BYOB
Cook from a meal kit
Be strategic about leftovers
¡Have bread on hand for turkey sandwiches, a stockpot or slow cooker ready to go to make a stock using the turkey bones, eggs to scramble with leftover veggies, and plastic bags to freeze turkey in if youâd rather just have it on hand after New Yearâs.Â
¡If you know you wonât eat all of your Thanksgiving food, contact neighbors to see if theyâd like a plate, or join social media food share groups to see if you can give back to food insecure folks in your area.
¡If youâre sending leftovers home with guests, suggest that they bring their own vessels so youâre not out a ton of food storage containers.