Every fall, I count down the days until Thanksgiving. 

Yeah, it’s nice to see my family and whatever, but, to be honest, I’m just in it for the food.

The day after Halloween, I’m already looking forward to pie, turkey, stuffing and even cranberry sauce. 

Thanksgiving food hits all the bases. It’s backed by science: the combination of similar food and flavor components melt together to make each bite heavenly, according to the Institute of Food Technologists.

The ambiance, the nostalgia—it’s truly more than just the food that makes the meal special each year. Something about coming home to family and friends seems to enhance the entire feast.

Not to mention, there’s something for everyone. 

If you hate turkey, there’s always mashed potatoes. If stuffing makes you nauseous—there’s green beans. 

First-year Morgan Verdi’s favorite part of Thanksgiving is that she always finds something good to eat, no matter what she’s in the mood for, she said.

And if you’re still not happy with your choices, switch out the typical sides for something more your speed.

First-year Nina Guizano’s family swaps cranberry sauce for a big salad or pumpkin risotto, she said.

The complaints I hear about Thanksgiving dinner usually follow the lines of “Turkey is dry and bland.” I’m of the belief that if your turkey is lame, it speaks less to the bird, and more to the chef. Sorry, not sorry.

Maybe you think Thanksgiving dinner isn’t good for you. Think again.

Turkey provides B-vitamins, muscle building nutrients and is a healthier alternative to red-meat. Green beans, apples, pumpkin and cranberries provide vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A and anti-oxidants, respectively, according to a Nov. 2021 article from University of New Mexico.

So, there’s no need to worry about over-indulging this holiday season.

Other than that, not much can be said against Thanksgiving food. 

Not only is the dinner itself an incredible meal, but the dessert is unbeatable. Chances are, you are following up your Thanksgiving meal with some form of pie. For my family, we are stacking up pumpkin, pecan and apple—maybe some vanilla ice cream on top of that. 

And even after that, the leftovers are hard to top. The sandwich made from the Thanksgiving leftovers is undeniably legendary.

Overall, the food is made even better with the ambiance of the holidays. Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the holiday season. Something about sitting down to eat with your family, watching the Macy’s Day Parade, and taking a huge nap after dinner truly rounds out the meal.

If nothing else, Thanksgiving dinner is a time to celebrate and show gratitude for your loved ones. I don’t see anything bad about that.