Vegetarian/Vegan Thanksgiving Plans

Even when I still ate meat, I only really ever took turkey at Thanksgiving out of good manners and tradition. The highlight of a Thanksgiving dinner IS the sides for me, since I don't typically eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole!

Sadly, I'll be working over Thanksgiving, so I won't be with my family, particularly my vegan brother who is an excellent cook and makes a killer mushroom gravy. If I was going to a dinner with friends and was worried there wouldn't be something appropriate for me, I would offer to bring one or two things to share. If I was good friends with the host and they were aware of my dietary choices, I would talk to them about either making veggie friendly versions of the old standbys (veg stock in the stuffing, almond milk in the potatoes if you're vegan). If you're set on a main attraction type food, tofurkey or Field Roast (I prefer the Field Roast. SO good!). And there is no written rule that says it has to be "traditional" Thanksgiving fare. If I wasn't sure and had an inkling my choices might be limited, I'd take a veggie lasagna. I know very few people who won't eat lasagna no matter the occasion

We have served vegetarians for years, and what our circle does is just NOT PUT MEAT IN THE SIDES. So big whompin' turkey, yes. Turkey gravy, yes. Also:

Veg gravy
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Desserts
Whatever else you want, just don't put bacon, or chicken broth, into things that could otherwise BE deliciously vegetarian so freaking easily.

We are not as good at accomodating vegans. We just do not hide meat in things, we leave it in the turkey and turkey gravy, and maybe oyster dressing, but not in anything that can reasonably be vegetarian.

Why wouldn't you want to make a meal out of sides? Thanksgiving is almost entirely made up of side dishes, the ONLY thing you aren't eating is the turkey. That never bothered me and does not bother any of our vegetarians. It's the same thing I've always done at celebrations where there is ham as a main dish because ham is disgusting to me. Just eat everything else.

In addition to meat my family always has: vegetarian stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, roasted carrots, citrus and beet salad, leafy green salad, quinoa salad, roasted brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, stuffed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, roasted string beans, bread, cheese and crackers, cookies, and pies.

I don't really get comments about not eating meat, except the occasional in good humor teasing from family. Everyone who knows I'm vegetarian is always very accommodating for dinner parties and the like, but I never bring it up as an issue to be honest. Nearly all my friend and family are very health conscious and always have plenty of vegetarian dishes.

I've been a vegetarian my entire life (25 years now) and I have attended thanksgiving with my entire family, my loved ones family, my office, etc. and not once have i EVER been accommodated for. And by this i mean the "main" dish.

I have always eaten sides and I don't feel i've missed out even a little bit.

Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
sweet potatoes (the kind with marshmallow and brown sugar)
Hawaiin Bread Rolls
Deviled eggs
Salads, pasta salads, potato salads, and more
Corn
Pies (Pumpkin, Pecan, Peanut Butter)
Banana Pudding with Nilla Wafers



I could go on, but essentially i've never ever felt hungry or unsatisfied after a thanksgiving meal. EVER. I am lactose intolerant and I go ahead and take a lactocare enzyme about 30 minutes before eating and go to town!

I guess my point is, it's easier on me and everyone else if i just eat what has been prepared or bring some of my own dishes like the above. In general people atleast try to accommodate not using bacon in the green beans so i'm grateful enough with that.

I have never had someone grill me about not eating meat, i think that'd be pretty pathetic. Also, I have hosted three thanksgivings and all three someone else brought the turkey and i provided ALL of the sides and desserts. They got the easier end of the deal I think.

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robininfl wrote: »

We have served vegetarians for years, and what our circle does is just NOT PUT MEAT IN THE SIDES. So big whompin' turkey, yes. Turkey gravy, yes. Also:

Veg gravy
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Desserts
Whatever else you want, just don't put bacon, or chicken broth, into things that could otherwise BE deliciously vegetarian so freaking easily.

We are not as good at accommodating vegans. We just do not hide meat in things, we leave it in the turkey and turkey gravy, and maybe oyster dressing, but not in anything that can reasonably be vegetarian.

Why wouldn't you want to make a meal out of sides? Thanksgiving is almost entirely made up of side dishes, the ONLY thing you aren't eating is the turkey. That never bothered me and does not bother any of our vegetarians. It's the same thing I've always done at celebrations where there is ham as a main dish because ham is disgusting to me. Just eat everything else.

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THIS is what my wife and our friends do exactly.......they sorta put up with me.

I am basically an "unethical selfish vegan with some infrequent pescetarian cheating" and when out in "the wild" (traveling and at other people's homes and not in my home jungle) I need to adapt and improvise and sometime break rank from my 99% of the time course of veggies and no animal stuff. ;-)

Our neighbors for Thanksgiving at our house are vegetarian and she is Korean and violently against the dog exploitation and killings in Korea and here in the USA, etc. This does not have anything to do with my eating direction and mantra - i am selfish - its about my health and not about the 3 billion animals killed in the USA for food or the dogs in there as well........okay I feel good that maybe 1 or 2 may not get killed but not sure my diet has much of an impact.

I don't do dairy or cheese not because it exploits animals, but because its gross and as my wife prefers to call it "titty juice" (her name because I called it critter secretions and she thinks that is worse as she LOVES cheese and "that is all she has to say about that") with blood platelets, antibiotics, fecal matter, and had GMO matter and roundup in the producing cattle's meat and bloodstream, etc. However pasteurized make it all go away as not a worry on the US shelves? NOT. http://www.naturalnews.com/035039_raw_milk_pasteurized_CDC.html

Medically if you must, cow urine (unless the cow has a bladder infection which is unlikely because 85% of the US antibiotics goes to our livestock because of the production/living environment) would be much better since it is sterile. There is a visual???

Same with honey, if its in something I am fine, not worried about the bees, I am watching total sugar intake with all the HFCS, and hidden sugars amping up our hormones and addicting us and making us hungry, etc.

So in the end. We will have three "buckets" of feed for the humans at most meals and Thanksgiving/holidays.

1) SAD: affluent, std American diet, metabolic syndrome Western Dietary Pattern - full on. https://draxe.com/charts-american-diet/

2) VEGGIE: vegetarian sides with egg and dairy products and dressings,

3) VEGAN: vegan entree/stuff, and/or vegan sides

If a side of butter sneaks into the green beans, I'm good. no therapy session needed. I might go for the out of bird stuffing but since I am supposed to avoid gluten (not Celiac but ALCAT etc tested 'sensitive" and 3 hospital stays for diverticulitis '08 '09 '10 so I have chopped it way down as well.)

Vegan is NOT a philosophy for me and so I prefer to instead say I am on the gorilla diet. no dairy, unlikely honey, no animal products or meats but when traveling I might have sashimi or something just the gorilla's who eat termites and larvae if nothing else is available/offered.

OK, full nut-burger mode now off! Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!!

~ Thomas ~

littlechiaseed wrote: »

Colt1835 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure there is not one vegan dish at my family's thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Even the vegetablesy are covered in animal fat.

One thing that gets me at potlucks and some resteraunts is the green beans sometimes have bacon in them and it's like REALLY? lol

I see that all the time too. I think it's gross and I eat meat almost every day. I want my vegetables to taste like vegetables haha.

I'm only a part timer so I will be having turkey as usual but all of my sides are vegetarian and I'm also making a lentil shepherds pie as a "main" for one of my vegetarian friends who is coming over.

Mary_Anastasia wrote: »

Also, I think a lot of people don't realize how many animal products make their way into things like boxed stuffing.

If you're using boxed stuffing, you're doing it wrong...very wrong.

I usually do a Field Roast Celebration roast, a bunch of mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry relish, and a pie. But this year I've got to travel for work the day after Thanksgiving so I won't be able to eat the leftovers over the next few days, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I will probably skip the roast and just do something like a mashed potato bowl with roasted brussels spouts and a dessert that makes a small amount.