The amount of discarded food is equivalent to 267 million meals that could have gone to people in need.

Pretty soon, many of us will be gathered around a Thanksgiving meal with friends and family by our side. An unfortunate truth is that next to the cranberry sauce and stuffing, it might be important to include something you probably wouldn’t expect…a waste basket to handle all of the food that will go uneaten this year.

A new analysis by ReFED estimates that across America 320 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving, representing $550 million worth of food thrown away in just a single day. At a time when more Americans are facing food insecurity, the amount of discarded food is the equivalent of 267 million meals that could have gone to people in need.

What’s behind all this waste?

Part of the “why” behind this waste is simple—according to new NielsenIQ (NIQ) and ReFED survey data¹, more than 90% of Thanksgiving hosts intentionally prepare more food than needed for their holiday gathering. And what does that mean? Leftovers. In fact, every single Thanksgiving host surveyed said that they have leftover food after their meal.

Of course, Thanksgiving leftovers are part of the tradition and festivities—many Thanksgiving hosts prepare for leftovers and take actions that help make sure they don’t go to waste, including almost half sending guests home with leftover food to eat (45%). They’re also making other meals with the leftovers, such as sandwiches and wraps (46%), breakfast or brunch (32%), or new meals like casseroles or soups (31%). Yet 12% of Thanksgiving hosts—responsible for feeding up to 36 million people—do not plan to manage leftovers in any special way. Making matters worse, nearly half of hosts surveyed said they are not concerned about food waste around the holiday. And that means there’s a good chance those leftovers are destined for disposal.

What are some of the impacts of this waste?

This year, people’s wallets are going to take a big hit from this waste. We’re seeing general food price inflation, but in particular, USDA reports wholesale prices for frozen turkeys are 40% higher than in 2024, making it likely that what people pay at the grocery store for this Thanksgiving staple will be elevated. ReFED’s analysis indicates that 40% of what gets tossed on Thanksgiving is turkey, equating to a lot of wasted dollars and cents.

The impacts of this wasted Thanksgiving food on the environment are also significant. The emissions associated with food that gets wasted on Thanksgiving are 811,726 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is about the same as driving 190,000 gasoline-powered vehicles for a year. Of those emissions, 4,800 metric tons of methane alone come from sending that food to landfill, which is similar to what’s emitted by powering 28,000 homes’ electricity for a year. And about 39 billion gallons of water was used to produce the food that will be wasted this Thanksgiving, enough to fill more than 59,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

So what can people do to reduce food waste on Thanksgiving (and all year long)?

• Maximize the use of leftovers: Since leftovers are clearly part of Thanksgiving festivities, make a plan to maximize their use. Have to-go containers on hand to send people home with excess food. For those who have a favorite leftover meal, be sure to have the right ingredients to make them. And while everyone loves Thanksgiving leftovers, clear out the freezer so that after a couple of days there is room to freeze what’s left.

• Adopt behaviors that save money and reduce waste: According to the NIQ and ReFED survey, many Americans are coping with elevated food prices by adopting meal preparation changes like using leftovers more (45%), being more conscious of using up fresh foods before they go bad (40%), and buying more frozen foods and using only what’s needed for a meal (24%). In the grocery store, 48% of U.S. consumers are cutting back on non-essential items. Not only do these behaviors help save money—they can also reduce food waste.

• Consider supporting your local charitable food system: While many food banks and food pantries will not accept your leftovers, consider donating any excess, packaged, and shelf-stable ingredients or making a contribution to a local organization that is providing food to those in need this holiday season.

• Make an effort to keep wasted food out of the landfill: Even after all is said and done, it’s likely there will be some food waste. If possible, seek out and find a way to keep that food out of the landfill, whether that’s through a community or municipal composting program, or using a backyard compost bin.

Check out this piece for more on the NielsenIQ and ReFED survey. For the food waste news you need to know delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our mailing list.

¹NIQ, BASES Economic & Thanksgiving Survey, October 2025, n=1,025