WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey shows most U.S. consumers plan to spend about $100 on their main holiday meal this year. As food costs continue to rise, the Physicians Committee, a national nonprofit health advocacy group, has tips for slashing that number in half.
Xavier Toledo, a registered dietitian with the 17,000-doctor-member Physicians Committee, devised a delicious holiday spread for five with familiar foods like bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, jellied cranberry sauce, mac and “cheese,” and pumpkin pie, all for under $50!
According to the Physicians Committee survey, nearly 60% of adults say they’d consider opting for a plant-based holiday meal if they had a convincing reason to do so. Among younger adults ages 18-34, that figure jumps to more than three-quarters.
“If you told most people they could reduce their holiday grocery bill, feel better after dinner, and still enjoy familiar comfort foods, I’m sure many would do it in a heartbeat,” said Toledo.
The Physicians Committee poll included 2,203 U.S. adults surveyed Oct. 4 to Oct. 6, 2025. Nearly half say the cost of food at the supermarket is important to them when deciding what to buy.
Pew research shows the cost of meats, poultry, fish, and eggs has seen the fastest inflation of any food category since January 2020; prices are up 36.4%. Additionally, new data from the American Farm Bureau Federation show wholesale turkey prices are up about 40% compared with last year, driven by both economic pressures and poultry disease outbreaks, including avian influenza.
“When people picture a plant-based meal, they might not imagine gravy, rolls, and pie—but that’s exactly what’s on the table here,” Toledo added. “This spread tastes indulgent, feels familiar, and just happens to be nourishing and made from plants—and that small shift makes a big difference for your wallet and your health.”
Physicians Committee’s plant-based holiday “meal deal”
Mains
Sides
Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and Rolls
Desserts
Total cost of meal: $49.16
Notes:
*If a family would like to include a Turk’y roast for tradition’s sake, that would increase the price to about $63 total .
•These estimates reflect the exact quantities used in each recipe —not full-package prices. If someone were buying every ingredient from scratch, their grocery bill would be higher. But for anyone who already has common pantry staples on hand and plans to use the leftover ingredients for other dishes, this is a fair reflection of the true recipe cost.
A plant-based diet is often less expensive than the Standard American Diet, research confirms, including:
The benefits don’t stop at saving money. A plant-based diet can support weight management and help prevent—and in some cases even reverse —lifestyle-related diseases like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The diet can also reduce risk for certain cancers.
Mr. Toledo’s “ A Dietitian’s Guide to a Plant-Based Thanksgiving ” includes all of the recipes in the $50 meal spread and more.
Media Contact
Kim Kilbride
202-717-8665
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in education and research.
Survey
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