13 Ways To Make Your Thanksgiving More Sustainable (2024)

1. Think About Serving Sizes

While digging into Thanksgiving leftovers is a delicious treat after the holiday, avoiding food waste is all in the menu. First, plan for the number of guests you’ll be serving and use an online Thanksgiving calculator to figure out serving sizes. Save the Food has a guestimator that lets you account for big eaters, small eaters and even kids. This is a great option if you’re the type of cook that always makes too much food. Not only will you have less food waste, but it will save money on your grocery bill.

2. Scale Back Your Menu

As you plan your dishes, think about what recipes are a must-have and which you could cut from the menu. If there was a side dish you served last year that was barely touched—take it off the menu. If guests ask if they can bring a dish, make sure it’s an item you were planning to make so you can scale back your menu.

3. Buy Your Turkey Locally

Reducing your carbon footprint means thinking about where your food comes from. Instead of picking up a turkey from the freezer section in your grocery store, choose a turkey from a local farm or butcher shop. While this isn’t always an option for everyone because of budget and location, it’s a great step towards more sustainable holiday meals.

4. Shop Consciously

Once your Thanksgiving shopping list is made, check your kitchen for items you may already have— like spices. No need to grab yet another container of poultry seasoning if you already have one. Next, check out local farmers markets to gather some of the fresh items on your list. Choose organic items when your budget allows and instead of making multiple trips to the store, try to wrap up your shopping in one day. Forget something you need for a recipe? Ask someone to grab the item for you when they are already at the store.

5. Use Nature as Decor

6. Freeze Items for Later

As you cook, keep items that can be reused later instead of tossing them in the trash. There are plenty of veggies that can be frozen and saved for soups and other dishes you can make later. Instead of just putting leftovers in the fridge where they will spoil or not get eaten, freeze the leftovers in single sized portions so in the weeks after Thanksgiving, you can reheat the items and have a delicious meal.

7. Choose Sustainable Servingware

Thanksgiving dinner is the perfect excuse to elevate your table by using fine china, gorgeous stemware and beautiful linens. It’s also a great way to avoid single use plastic plates, cups and napkins. Even the kid’s table can be decorated with serving ware that can be used for many Thanksgiving meals to come. If you don’t have these items—instead of shopping, borrow from friends.

8. Load Up on the Veggies

The turkey may be the star of the show on Thanksgiving, but the meat industry is the number one source of methane gas. While your turkey day doesn’t have to be sans turkey— adding a few more veggies to the menu is a great way to eat less meat and add in some healthy food choices.

9. Invest in Reusable Cookware

If you see many turkey dinners being hosted at your home, invest in cookware that can be used every holiday and for regular meals as well. Instead of aluminum roasting pans that you can toss after the turkey is done, purchase one that you can reuse every year.

10. Grab Reusable To-Go Containers

11. Prioritize Easy Clean Up

Even cleaning up can be more earth-friendly on Thanksgiving. Instead of running the dishwasher several times during the day, fill the machine to capacity to avoid wasting water. Keep your clean up system simple and easy for guests to understand by clearly marking bins for recycling, compost and trash.

12. Learn to Love Leftovers

You don’t have to serve leftovers as a repeat of Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, use the ingredients in creative ways. A turkey pot pie can use up lots of ingredients and can even be frozen and enjoyed later. Use the veggies in sauces and soups or whip up a pasta that uses the turkey as a protein.

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