感恩節(jié)食譜的擇選關(guān)鍵在于：食物要有好的寓意，要能夠表達出對好年頭、對好運氣的感恩之心，以及與朋友、家人共同分享的寬宏之心。現(xiàn)如今，人們準(zhǔn)備感恩節(jié)大餐什么都不缺，唯一可能碰到的困難就是缺乏想象力和創(chuàng)造力。
Edward Winslow's account details that "they went out and killed five deer" and mentions that "our governor sent four men on fowling" and that "they four, in one day, killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week." While it is possible that turkeys may have been killed, it is more likely that ducks or geese were the primary targets.
根據(jù)愛德華·溫斯洛的記載，他們那時外出捕殺了五頭鹿?！伴L官共派了四個人去抓鳥。這四個人運氣不錯，一天就找到了幾乎夠一周吃的東西。”這些人有可能殺火雞來慶賀，但鴨子和鵝更可能成為那時候人的首選。