Thanksgiving is a time for football, family, and most importantly: food. Over time I’ve developed a stronger opinion on which foods to skip and which foods to eat as much as possible.

Food to eat

1. The great symbol of Thanksgiving is the turkey. It’s light, moist, and with gravy, a masterpiece. So if it’s not on your plate then you’re doing something wrong.
2. Mashed potatoes are the fluffy carbs of this great holiday. You can eat them plain or drowned in gravy and they taste amazing either way. Plus they taste even better mixed with bits of turkey so it’s a win-win scenario.
3. Gravy is the savory cherry on top of the whole meal. It enhances the dry meat and slightly bland potatoes into a beautiful symphony-like dinner. You could even dunk your whole plate in gravy and it would still taste amazing.

Food to skip

1. Though pumpkin pie has in the past been an essential part of my Thanksgiving, it has in recent years become overrated. A pumpkin is meant for carving and should stay in October instead of being dragged on for another month to create a pie that doesn’t go with the November aesthetic.
2. Soup is for sick days, not Thanksgiving. The whole point of the holiday is to stuff your gut full of heavy meat and carbs, then pass out on the couch while watching football. Soup takes too long to eat and doesn’t even fill you up.
3. Stuffing more times than not is soggy and ends up looking like something you’d find in the toilet after having the stomach flu. This holiday should be full of exciting foods, and not a boring bread and veggie casserole.