Accommodating vegetarians on Thanksgiving

With the growing popularity of vegetarianism and veganism, there is hardly a family in the country that doesn’t have at least one person to cater to at Thanksgiving. Unless the entire family is vegetarian, turkey and all the fixings will be served and a few special dishes to make sure that everyone has enough to eat.

If you enjoy the feeling of serving a vegetarian turkey there is Tofurkey. According to their website, they have been producing the loaf which has been a part of many family celebrations since 1995. Theirs is a soy based loaf that can be purchased as an entire meal with gravy and sides, a roast and gravy, just a roast or just the gravy. It has made it much easier for vegetarians and vegans as well to feel comfortable at the Thanksgiving feast while not eating meat.

If you are not in the mood to cook a Tofurkey roast in addition to your turkey, that’s okay, most vegetarians won’t expect it. A good idea is to be sure they have something that they enjoy and fits their dietary requirements. To guarantee this, why not ask them to bring a dish to share with everyone. Most vegetarians will have a bevy of recipes that are perfect to share and will show everyone that in order for food to be delicious; it doesn’t require either meat or dairy. 

When it comes to preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal, try to make sure that there is more than one dish available for the vegetarian or vegans at your feast. Keep in mind that for vegans it isn’t just about the meat, it can be dairy and eggs. What this means is that you can use a non-dairy spread and soy milk in your mashed potatoes. It is a small change that most likely no one will notice but it can make all the difference to the vegan.

Another alternative to butter is a flavored oil such as sesame or walnut on the green beans. Be aware of the hidden meat products that may be lurking in any of your processed food. If you use marshmallows with your sweet potatoes, that is not vegetarian. Gelatin can also be found in some products and that is meat based. Just read the labels and educate yourself ahead of time.

Try to handle the whole process as casually as possible. It isn’t necessary to let everyone know that you have had to change your recipes because Susie is a vegetarian. Chances are everyone already knows and if you happen to actually cut down on some of the fat while you are adjusting your recipes that will be a welcome change for everyone.