64 Statistics on Holiday Food Spending and Gift Trends

Each year, the holidays unite millions of families around food, generosity, and celebration. In this year’s Holiday Food Spending Roundup, Gourmet Gift Baskets presents an in-depth look at 64 statistics covering everything from grocery budgets and meal preparation to food gifting, waste reduction, and festive fruit consumption.

How Much Are Americans Spending During the Holidays?

The winter season remains the biggest consumer spending period of the year, spanning gifts, food, and festivities. These figures highlight how much households allocate to the holidays — and where the money goes.

Americans plan to spend $890.49 per person on average this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items.
$262.56 will be spent per person on seasonal items like food, candy, decorations, and greeting cards.
$627.93 per person will go to gifts for family and friends.
91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate winter holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa.
Holiday shoppers plan to spend $1,107 on average for presents in 2025.
Americans will spend a collective $242 billion on holiday gift shopping this season.
Americans spend an average of $902 each Christmas.

What Are The Biggest Holiday Food Spending Trends?

From grocery costs to dining habits, holiday meals have become a key budget item for American households.

72% of consumers plan home-cooked holiday meals.
45% of consumers expect to spend more on groceries this holiday season than last year.
85% of consumers expect to find higher food prices because of tariffs.
54% of consumers prioritize cost over other considerations when choosing what to eat.
23% of consumers would cut back on groceries first when facing budget pressures.
61% of consumers would cut back on dining out when facing cost-of-living increases.

How Much Do Thanksgiving Celebrations Cost?

Thanksgiving remains one of America’s most food-intensive holidays.

A complete Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people costs $58.08 in 2024.
Thanksgiving dinner costs are down 5% from 2023.
Turkey prices are down 6% to $1.60 per pound.

How Popular Is Food Gifting During the Holidays?

Food-based gifts have become one of the most beloved and practical holiday categories, offering a mix of luxury and sentiment.

79% of consumers prefer receiving gifts that provide an experience over more “stuff.”
Nearly 70% of consumers plan to gift food this holiday season.
54% of consumers who bought food as gifts did so during winter holidays.
U.S. market for consumer and corporate food gifting could hit $20 billion.

What Are Americans Baking Over The Holidays?

Holiday baking remains a deeply rooted family tradition, symbolizing creativity and comfort during the festive season.

93% of Americans bake cookies during the holidays.
61% of Americans bake three or more batches of cookies during holidays.
73% of Americans admit to higher excitement for baking during holidays.

How Do Americans Prepare Meals During the Holidays?

From scratch-made meals to pre-prepared dishes, American households show a diverse range of cooking approaches throughout the holiday season.

Americans spend 91 minutes eating and drinking on Thanksgiving Day.
People spend 126 minutes preparing meals and cleaning on Thanksgiving.
61% of Americans prepare Thanksgiving meals from scratch.
10% choose pre-made Thanksgiving options.
30% use a combination of scratch and pre-made for Thanksgiving.
96% of respondents relish Thanksgiving leftovers.
60% of Americans enjoy leftovers more than the holiday meals themselves.

What Are The Holiday Restaurant Dining Trends?

Even with home-cooked traditions, restaurant dining remains a growing part of holiday celebrations.

Premium dining bookings surged 24% during 2024 holidays compared to 2023.
Enhanced dining experiences generate 30% higher check averages.
Parties of 8 or more represent 52% of holiday restaurant bookings.
Restaurants saw 7.8% increase in sales during 2023 holidays vs previous year.

When and Where do Consumers Shop for the Holidays?

Shopping habits are shifting earlier each year, with online grocery and gift purchases driving significant changes in consumer behavior.

42% of consumers will begin holiday shopping before November.
63% plan to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do most holiday shopping.
55% of consumers plan to grocery shop online for holiday meals and parties.
68% of millennials plan to grocery shop online for holidays.
69% of Gen Z plans to grocery shop online for holidays.
197 million consumers shopped over Thanksgiving weekend 2024.

How Much Fruit Do Americans Consume Over The Holidays?

Fruit takes center stage during the holidays, especially as consumers lean toward healthier choices or gourmet baskets as gifts.

While vegetables dominate at Thanksgiving, fruit tends to be more popular at Christmas, with apples, pineapples, citrus, and avocados being top sellers.
Apples, pineapples, citrus, and avocados are among the top selling fruits in the two weeks prior to Christmas.
Citrus sales increased 7% in dollar sales and 5% in volume during the winter holiday season.
Fresh fruit prices increased 2.2% for the 12 months ending in October 2024.
Per capita U.S. total fruit availability declined from 0.95 cup equivalents per person per day in 2003 to 0.82 in 2021, a 14% drop.
80% of the U.S. population consumes less fruit than recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Americans eat about 26.7 pounds of fresh bananas per capita annually, more than any other fruit.
Per capita consumption of fresh fruit in the U.S. is 116.21 pounds annually.

How Important Are Cranberries For Holiday Foods?

A staple of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, cranberries remain one of the nation’s most enduring seasonal fruits.

Americans consume about 400 million pounds of cranberries annually.
20% of annual cranberry consumption (80 million pounds) occurs during Thanksgiving week.
Only 5% of cranberries sold are fresh; the rest are processed into juice, sauce, or dried snacks.
Wisconsin produces 4.64 million barrels (464 million pounds) of cranberries annually, leading all states.

What Are The Holiday Fruit Gift Basket Trends?

Fruit gift baskets unite practicality and luxury, making them popular corporate and personal gifts during the holidays.

The global gift baskets market was valued at $10.57 billion in 2024.
Gift baskets market is projected to reach $16.83 billion by 2032.
North America held the largest market share in gift baskets in 2024 due to established corporate gifting culture.
Demand for seasonal gift baskets is especially high during Christmas and Thanksgiving in North America.