Could cheaper turkeys trim costs for Christmas dinner? What to expect

Food prices have dropped from previous years, but depending what you plan to buy for your Christmas dinner you could still be in for some costs.

Those hoping to save on their Christmas dinner can expect some slightly lower prices compared to recent years, especially with turkey, though much will depend on what you plan to lay on your dinner table.

Inflation has dropped and some food prices with it compared to recent years. Among the food that could see some relief compared to just last year is the centrepiece of many Christmas dinners: the turkey.

An analysis of data available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada shows the cost per kilogram of fresh turkey in the month of November — the most recent available data — was about $5.45 or a 39 per cent drop from the $8.93 per kg in 2023.

“So if you look at turkey, probably over the last five years it went up 15 to 20 per cent, which is what everything went up and more, but in the past year they’ve actually come down,” Mike von Massow, professor of food economics at the University of Guelph, said in an interview.

“That’s going to be about availability.”

Global News looked at the average monthly retail prices of some Christmas staples, using data from Statistics Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, to get a flavour of how prices for mainstays now compare to prices over the last five years.

That assessment looked at food amounts for a gathering of eight to 10 people, though prices will vary depending on city and store.

For this analysis, we looked at the prices of turkey, potatoes, carrots, green beans, bread — including to try to calculate the cost of stuffing — and wine. With the exception of turkey, most costs looked at how they priced in October as available data for December 2024 has not been made available for all items.