Can the Guest-imator really avoid too many Thanksgiving leftovers?

Thanksgiving leftovers can be delicious but Thanksgivings leftovers a week after Thanksgiving aren’t a good idea. Can the Guest-imator avoid the over-abundant Thanksgiving leftovers issue?

As everyone starts to shop for Thanksgiving, people are trying to plan how much to buy. What size turkey is best? How many pounds of potatoes? Or, should you serve both pumpkin and pecan pie? These questions and many others can make any Thanksgiving host frazzled. The Guest-imator is supposed to simply the Thanksgiving meal buying process and avoid too many Thanksgiving leftovers. But, does this website really provide a realistic shopping guide?

The Guest-imator has the Thanksgiving host input how many guests and each guests’ expected appetite. Everyone knows that some Thanksgiving guests can have the appetite of three guests. From light eater to heavy eater, the Thanksgiving host needs to take appetites, not just total number of guests, into consideration. For example a 20 pound turkey for 10 light eaters could leave the host with half a turkey left over.

(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

While the Guest-imator has a great idea, it appears to quote low quantities. Even if you have only four guests at the table, you probably will buy a 10-12 pound turkey. But, this program could direct you to buy a smaller turkey (if you could find a smaller turkey). True, people don’t want a week’s worth of left overs, but the estimate seemed a little small.

One benefit to the Guest-imator is that the program is customizable. The program allows for various side dishes. From potatoes to salads, the program has many options. But, the portion sizes still seem a little small. Side dishes lend themselves to leftovers. Even the mashed potatoes can be transformed into many new Thanksgiving leftovers dishes. Why should the host prepare one potato per guest? The math seems to be a little low.

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Another abnormality with the Guest-imator is that it shows a larger amount of desserts. Entering a four person Thanksgiving meal with three average eaters and one large eater, the Guest-imator suggested a pie, cake and cookies. Sure, some people love sweets, but this amount seems like a lot of desserts. Plus, how can you transform those dessert leftovers? Do you really want to eat pumpkin pie for three days in a row?

Overall, the idea of the Guest-imator is a good one. Food waste is a big food trend. From root to stem cooking to nose to tail cooking, people are becoming more aware of the food waste problem. Over buying and food waste isn’t necessary in today’s world. If the Guest-imator can avoid excess food waste, the program is successful.

For the new Thanksgiving host, the Guest-imator is a good starting point. It can make the whole holiday cooking and buying experience less intimidating. Plus, the whole process is an educational lesson on food waste.

Will you be trying the Guest-imator for your Thanksgiving feast? Let us know how it works for you.