PROVIDENCE – Twenty-nine percent of Rhode Island residents are “stressed out” about holiday preparations, according to the Del Monte Holiday Meal Census.
That means they reported high stress levels – defined as a level of “5” or higher on a 10-point scale – related to holiday planning, according to Del Monte.
Del Monte, which said it surveyed 3,000 Americans about their holiday habits and stress levels, said Rhode Islanders spend an average of 7.1 hours preparing for a family holiday meal – with many more hours spent cleaning the house and coordinating extended family members.
Del Monte offered several tips to alleviate stress during the holidays, ranging from the use of special garnishes such as citrus wedges and rosemary sprigs to make dishes look fancier to working in color for extra pizzazz and adding surprise ingredients like bacon to standard fare like green bean casserole.
Del Monte suggested its “cheddar corn casserole” as a way to introduce color to a holiday meal.
