The Plant-Based Guide for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is almost here, which means roasted turkey, carb-heavy trimmings, sugar-laden pies, and weeks of regret, right? Nope. You can skip all that guilt and still enjoy a scrumptiously satisfying meal by sticking to a plant-based holiday menu.
With almost 10 million vegans in the U.S., and at least 5 percent of Americans self-identifying as vegetarians, there is a good chance that at least someone at your Thanksgiving Day dinner isn’t going to be too happy without at least a few meatless options that are more than a mere afterthought.
However, keeping meat and other animal products to a minimum on the dinner table makes sense for even diehard omnivores. Eating a diet rich in whole grains and vegetables offers not only fantastic health benefits, but it’s also an excellent way to protect the environment.
If you are health conscious and preparing your first plant-based Thanksgiving or just want a few new ideas on what to serve, we have some suggestions for you.
The Troubling Tradition of Turkey
The real question is, can you have an authentic Thanksgiving without turkey? And the answer is, of course, you can! In fact, it wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century that eating turkey became associated with the holiday. However, skipping the bird doesn’t mean you have to skimp on serving an ooh and ahh-inspiring main course.
There are two different schools of thought when it comes to a plant-based alternative to the Thanksgiving turkey. The first one is that the main course should in some way try to replicate turkey just in a more cruelty-free version. The opposite way of thinking is avoiding attempting to simulate a turkey and just cooking a delicious and nutritious dish. Usually, it is a whole lot better idea for everyone concerned to take this second route.
Still, for anyone who’s not ready to completely abandon the star of T-day, there is always the choice to go with Tofurky (tofu turkey). But you probably won’t win over too many non-vegetarians. You can even find some rather impressive cruelty-free pre-made turkey replacements out there, like the vegetarian Quorn Holiday Roast and the stunningly beautiful Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey.
But if you are open to expanding your idea of what a Thanksgiving menu can mean, there are almost endless recipes to explore. Vegetarians will love this slow-cooker version of the traditional pot pie. Its rich flavors and hands-free cooking will leave plenty of time to hang out with guests. Or try the savory Spinach and Mushroom Quiche instead. With a delicate crust and hearty mushrooms, non-vegetarians won’t even miss the meat. Vegans can easily modify this vegetarian Spinach & Artichoke-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms recipe by substituting vegan-friendly sour cream and cheese.
