Birds Eye Helps Americans Bring Thanksgiving to the Table as Holiday Meals Continue to Evolve

Vegetables have long been a central to the Thanksgiving table, and recent trends illustrate how much demand grows as the holiday approaches. As consumers plan their menus and shop for familiar favorites, frozen vegetables see a noticeable lift leading up to Thanksgiving.

"Thanksgiving is a special occasion when food brings family and friends together, and the sides on the table are an important part of those traditions," said Rich Campbell, brand director for Birds Eye. "Birds Eye is proud to offer a variety of vegetables and side dishes that help consumers serve the comforting favorites their guests love and bring a complete Thanksgiving spread to the table."

More Households Stock Up on Frozen Vegetables Ahead of the Holiday

Not surprisingly, November is a busy month for stocking up on frozen vegetables, with demand peaking during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. During Thanksgiving week last year, frozen vegetable sales were 22% higher than average weekly sales, while Birds Eye frozen vegetable sales were nearly 34% higher².

And there's evidence that consumers are planning ahead throughout the month. In the four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving 2025, frozen vegetable dollar sales increased 7.9% compared with the month prior, from $364.5 million to $393.2 million. Birds Eye saw an even greater increase than the industry average, with frozen vegetable dollar sales rising 12.7%, from $85.8 million to $96.6 million over the same period³.

Classic Thanksgiving Vegetables Take Center Stage

Vegetables also have a greater presence on Thanksgiving Day, appearing in 33% of Thanksgiving Day dinner occasions compared with 22% of non-Thanksgiving dinner occasions, seeing an 11-percentage-point increase⁴. As consumers balance preparing multiple dishes for the holiday, time is of the essence. Nearly one in five Thanksgiving Day meals include convenient, quick-to-prepare heat-and-eat foods, a category that includes frozen vegetables⁵.

Many vegetables see a Thanksgiving boost, with a traditional Thanksgiving favorite leading the way. Birds Eye frozen sweet potato sales in the month leading up to Thanksgiving were nearly 175% higher than the brand's average four-week sales for the year, marking their highest annual sales period⁶. 

For the yam enthusiast, Birds Eye Steamfresh® Diced Sweet Potatoes are the ultimate Thanksgiving short cut. These sweet potatoes come washed, peeled, diced and ready-to-cook, and are ready in the microwave in minutes thanks to the convenient Steamfresh prep method.  Birds Eye Oven Roasters Sweet Potatoes, Carrots & Red Potatoes Oven Roasters, are another convenient option, featuring pre-cut vegetables that can be prepared on a single sheet pan.

Other Thanksgiving favorites include mashed potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, and corn⁴. Birds Eye offers a variety of options to help hosts round out their menus with familiar favorites including:

• Birds Eye Loaded Mashed Potatoes feature creamy mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions for a flavorful twist on a classic side.
• Birds Eye Steamfresh Cut Green Beans are ready in minutes and can be served as a classic side or incorporated into favorite holiday recipes.
• Birds Eye ULTIMATE Cheesy Broccoli Mac & Cheese combines tender broccoli florets with creamy, cheesy macaroni, bringing two popular side dishes together in one convenient option.
• Birds Eye Steamfresh Super Sweet Corn cooks right in the bag for an easy addition to the Thanksgiving table.

For more information about Birds Eye products and all the ways vegetables can help make your Thanksgiving meal a success, visit www.birdseye.com.

1: Source: Circana, MULO+C, L52 w/e 7/26/2026
2: Circana Market Advantage, Total U.S. MULO+ w/ C, one-week periods starting September 2025 through early January 2026.
3: Circana Complete Consumer, "PNL_Rolling 4Weeks," all venues, rolling four-week periods ending November 2 and November 30, 2025.
4: Circana, National Eating Trends; Sourced from Home/Retail, Data for 3 Years Ending August 2026.
5: Circana, National Eating Trends; Sourced from Home/Retail, Data for 2 Years Ending August 2026.
6: Circana Market Advantage, Total U.S. MULO+ w/ C, four-week periods over the latest year. Index = four-week dollar sales divided by average four-week dollar sales for the year × 100.

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading branded food companies. We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The company's portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers' ever-changing food preferences. Conagra's brands include Birds Eye®, Duncan Hines®, Healthy Choice®, Marie Callender's®, Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, and many more. As a corporate citizen, we aim to do what's right for our business, our employees, our communities and the world. Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2026 net sales of over $11 billion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.

For all media inquiries, please contact:
Dan Skinner 
Conagra Brands
(312) 549-5636
[email protected]

SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.