Walmart’s 2026 Holiday Meal Basket costs $35 for up to 10 people, or about $3.50 each, and runs through Dec. 24. Here’s what’s in it and how it stacks up against Aldi and Sam’s Club.
Walmart’s holiday dinner deal is back, and it costs less than last year’s.
The 2026 Holiday Meal Basket costs $35 and serves up to 10 people, Mass Market Retailers reported Wednesday, Oct. 28. That’s about $3.50 a person.
Prices are good from Oct. 28 through Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, according to Walmart’s announcement. You don’t need a membership, and there are no purchase limits, whether you buy the whole basket or single items.
What’s in Walmart’s 2026 holiday meal basket?
The basket has 26 items, a mix of national brands and Walmart’s Great Value brand. Mass Market Retailers counts “17 unique products across 26 total items,” so some products appear more than once.
Here’s what Walmart has named so far:
A Butterball turkey at 97 cents a pound, the same price as last year.
Stove Top stuffing, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls.
Potatoes and gravy mix, for mashed potatoes and gravy.
Green bean casserole fixings, with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Sweet potato casserole fixings, with Jet-Puffed mini marshmallows.
Corn casserole fixings, with JIFFY corn muffin mix.
Pumpkin pie fixings, with whipped topping.
Sweet potatoes, mini marshmallows and corn muffin mix are among the new additions this year, according to Mass Market Retailers.
We haven’t seen item sizes or the turkey’s weight in the coverage so far.
How does it compare with last year’s basket?
Last year’s basket was $39.93 and also served 10, according to Walmart. That was just under $4 a person, and Walmart said it had “over 20” items.
So this year’s basket costs $4.93 less. That’s about $3.50 a person, down from $3.99.
Walmart says the basket has 18% more items than 2025’s. Separately, it says the same items cost 12% less than a year ago.
Walmart calls it the lowest-priced one-click basket in the program’s history. Walmart also says the basket has saved customers more than $350 million since 2022.
Walmart says the 2024 basket was about $55. That one served eight, NewsNation reported at the time.
How do you order Walmart’s holiday meal basket?
You can buy it in stores, or online in one click on Walmart.com. Sparky, Walmart’s AI shopping agent, can also add the basket to your online cart.
Pickup options include curbside pickup and Walmart’s new Express Pickup. Delivery runs from one hour or less to scheduled times, and Express Delivery on the basket is free through Nov. 30.
Walmart also has recipes for the meal on its online Recipe Hub.
One thing to check: the deal doesn’t apply in Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico or Wisconsin, according to the fine print in Walmart’s announcement.
What did Walmart’s CEO say about the basket?
“The Holiday Meal Basket has become one of our favorite traditions at Walmart,” said David Guggina, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. He added that this year’s basket “brings even more food to the table for just $35,” according to Walmart’s announcement.
Guggina also spoke in what NBC Palm Springs called his first interview since becoming CEO in February. “The American consumer right now is resilient,” he said.
He also said, “We do not price the person. We price the product.”
How does Walmart’s deal compare with Aldi and Sam’s Club?
Other chains have holiday meal deals, too:
Sam’s Club: The Member’s Mark Thanksgiving Meal is just under $160 and serves up to 16, or under $10 a person. It has 11 items, and orders opened Oct. 28, ConsumerAffairs reported.
Aldi: The meal is under $39 for 10, or under $4 a person, from Oct. 14 to Nov. 25, Tasting Table reported.
Lidl: Lidl Plus app members can get a meal for up to 10 for $35.86, from Nov. 11 to 25, Scary Mommy reported.
Target: Scary Mommy reported a $30 meal for six, about $5 a person. We couldn’t find a Target announcement to confirm it.
“We’re helping people spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family,” said Ashley Peoples, senior director of product development at Sam’s Club.
Free Express Delivery on the basket runs through Nov. 30, so you can have the groceries dropped off before Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Mass Market Retailers (Oct. 28, 2026), the basket details, Walmart’s claims and quotes
ConsumerAffairs (Oct. 28, 2026), the basket and Sam’s Club meal details
NBC Palm Springs (Oct. 28, 2026), Guggina’s interview quotes
Walmart (Oct. 28, 2026, and Oct. 21, 2025), this year’s announcement and last year’s basket
NewsNation (Nov. 21, 2024), the 2024 basket
Tasting Table (Oct. 15, 2026), the Aldi meal
Scary Mommy (Oct. 22 and 28, 2026), the Lidl and Target deals
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.