We were taught from a young age about the traditions of Thanksgiving, one of the most notable being the turkey. The turkey has been a symbol of the holiday, where even kids can recognize that once turkeys are displayed, Thanksgiving is near.
Aside from the large bird, families and friends also feast on the iconic pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, ham, gravy, and dozens of casserole dishes. While those all seem delicious and a staple of the holiday, it would be interesting to see more plant based options for vegetarians like myself.
Converting to a vegetarian diet has helped me understand that I am not just doing this for the animals, but for the environment as well. Though I am not completely plant-based, I am slowly working my way to veganism and this is because food production and transportation account for 10 to 30% of the U.S’s carbon footprint. About 75% of that comes just from animal products.
Switching to a plant-based diet from years of eating meat was incredibly hard, but it’s possible. My biggest piece of advice that I definitely did not follow was take it slow, opt out of a meal with meat once a day, then slowly make it all your meals are meatless once a day, or every few days.
Since Thanksgiving is soon, here’s how you can incorporate a plant-based dish to your feast of thankfulness.
For an appetizer or smaller meal, the roasted cauliflower and garlic soup from the New York Times does not involve buying a new plant-based ingredient for your kitchen. This simple yet creamy, sweet and warm soup only has cauliflower, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic listed.
Another way to incorporate more side dishes is by having plates of roasted vegetables, season to what you’d prefer and serve with your entrees. Add more green to your Thanksgiving table, the vegetables will make you feel fuller as they are high in fiber as well. Options include roasted carrots, smashed brussel sprouts, and my favorite, roasted asparagus.
The mac-n-cheese dish is a very popular one for young family relatives, so this holiday introduces them to the plant-based version of it.
Vegan mac-n-cheese can use various different plants, nuts to make the creamy, cheesy taste mirror the dairy one. In a recipe from Nora Cooks, she uses cashews to substitute for the cheese. She also adds in breadcrumbs to get that crunchy texture once it is baked.
Lots of grocery stores have begun selling frozen imitation meat that tastes like the real thing but are made out of plants. One of my favorites is carried by Whole Foods, which is a frozen Thanksgiving roast that can be easily made by baking it in your oven. It can be priced around $19, but it has 8 servings for the whole family.
If you are looking for a protein packed alternative, tofu is your best option. Tofu is a popular protein for vegetarians and vegans alike. Serve them as tofu cutlets with plant-based gravy, a vegan sheet pan packed with tofu bites seasoned to taste like turkey, potatoes and carrots, or if you’re looking for ham instead of turkey, try this vegan ham recipe glazed with a sweet mustard based sauce.
Whatever you choose to include at your Thanksgiving table, make the effort to eat sustainably, for the planet and to help improve the impacts of climate change as a community. It can start just by adding more vegetables, and less meat in your diet.
