The holidays are just around the corner and with them the typical family gatherings that accompany them. This year, you’ll need to budget just over $100 to feed a table of four to six people a traditional Christmas meal.
That’s what Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytical Sciences Laboratory calculated for this feast, which consists of a turkey with stuffing and accompanying vegetables, pies and a meatball stew, and dessert.
The lowest price is $92.09 while the highest is $116.48. The average is $104.85.
Screenshot from Agri-Food Analytical Sciences Laboratory report
“The increase is 7 to 8% compared to last year if we consider all possible options,” notes laboratory manager Sylvain Charlebois.
A reduction in the bill is possible if, for example, the turkey is replaced with ham. At the moment we are talking about a meal that is priced between $36.99 and $67.02.
Experts at Dalhousie University also believe many Canadians will forego turkey and stuffing due to food inflation in the country.
“If Dollarama sold turkey, I think there would be people who would go and buy it,” explains the specialist on the subject of the continuing increase in food budgets.
Sharp increases in certain products
His lab recalls that last year the price of turkey increased by about 5%, that of potatoes increased by 6.6% and that of carrots increased by 12.8%.
There is always a way to save money, says Sylvain Charlebois, especially by choosing the right store to buy your products. “It also depends on when you shop and whether you use coupons,” he says.
“If you buy your turkey on December 24th, you can’t expect to save,” he laughs.
If the price of the turkey remains similar to last year, it’s the side dishes that are driving up the bill.
“Stuffing, cranberries, etc. Grocers often charge more for these. They take advantage of it,” warns the expert.
Since people are eager to offer many traditional side dishes with turkey, they can save a lot of money by cooking a different protein.
“We make less of the total when we cook a ham or a salmon. But when you cook turkey, you seem to give it everything you have,” he notes.
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