Nov. 26 is the day we will all gather together and stuff ourselves with foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, casseroles and pies. Why do we feel the need to eat the same exact meal every year? The turkey always ends up tasting dry and the stuffing ends up soggy. The foods we indulge in on this day — that most people don’t even enjoy — are simply because of tradition. The meal that ends up costing hundreds of dollars and days of preparing and prepping should be a meal that everyone should savor and actually look forward to eating.
While some of you may enjoy these foods, let’s take a closer look at them. Green bean casserole, most of the time, has no flavor. And who actually enjoys crunchy onions? What may seem like a healthy thanksgiving food is actually loaded with carbs — from the cheese and the heavy cream. Next, stuffing. Most of the time the stuffing ends up soggy and the side that takes 24 hours to make is not worth the lack of flavor. Finally, there’s turkey. The stress it causes. Never fitting in the oven and figuring out the exact temperatures it needs to cook at is always a hassle. These stresses are not made up for the fact that most of the time the turkey is dry.
This year for Thanksgiving, try something new. Eat a meal your family loves. Spend the time and money to make a meal that you will enjoy having a week’s worth of leftovers for. Don’t feel the need to stick to a tradition.
Emily Cook
San Diego, California
