It’s time for gobbling up some yummy grub — everything from tantalizing turkey to mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, green beans, corn, stuffing… and of course, some pumpkin pie.

Here are a few turkey tidbits to get you started off on the right side of the table on Thanksgiving:

• The average person eats 3,000 calories in a Thanksgiving meal.
• Butterball sells 12 million whole turkeys for Thanksgiving.
• A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.
• A wild turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees.
• Forty million green bean casseroles are made each year.
• Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey was so American it should have been chosen as our national symbol rather than the eagle.
• The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds — about the size of a large German Shepherd.
• The amino acid tryptophan is present in turkey, and in certain doses it can make you sleepy. But in reality, you’d need to eat an entire 40-pound turkey to get enough tryptophan to make a difference!

And I’d like to offer a turkey-inspired quote from one of my favorite movies, “A Christmas Story.” 

“The heavenly aroma still hung in the house. But it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No turkey gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, ALL GONE!” 

Make sure to get your fill of turkey this Thanksgiving — and then take a nap after your tryptophan fix.