Thanksgiving will be more expensive this year, Dalhousie study says

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Photo by Peter J Thompson/PostmediaThanksgiving will cost Canadian households more in 2026, according to a study by Dalhousie University’s agri-food analytics lab.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountThe study that regardless of the protein selected, a Thanksgiving meal will cost more this year.“Despite the slowdown in food inflation, the Thanksgiving meal is a reminder that pressure on consumers’ wallets remains very real in 2026,” the study said.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.That increase will be particularly pronounced for the traditional turkey meal, with the cost estimated to rise 10 per cent or $3.24 from last year to $35.72 for a family of four.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe same meal cost $32.30 in 2024 and $32.48 in 2025, the study said.Meanwhile, a meal with ham as the protein is the closest budget alternative to turkey, while lamb and lobster are considerably more expensive, it said. A ham, lamb and lobster meal is estimated to cost $36.37, $80.47 and $88.14, respectively, with the same side dishes as a traditional dinner.Ham is in roughly the same price range as turkey, while the cost of lamb and lobster depends heavily on the cut selected, lobster size and local promotions.Dalhousie’s study said the increases for ham, lamb and lobster meals result in part from reconstructing their past prices using the overall food CPI.Grocery price growth fell below the overall inflation rate in August, the first time since July 2024, according to Statistics Canada’s CPI data. Prices for store-bought food rose by 2.8 per cent year-over-year in August following a 3.1 per cent increase in July.Although prices for groceries decelerated in August, food costs have climbed 29 per cent since August 2021.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.