Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks
Don't miss our must-read tips for throwing a Thanksgiving meal that doesn't compromise your ideals.
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Sara Constantineau
The holidays can be a stressful time of year, and hosting is the most taxing job of all. When families reunite, there is bound to be some tension, especially if you and your visitors don't share the same veg eating habits. If you plan to host a meal for meat-eaters as well as the veg-inclined, it can be tempting to arrange for some conventional, meat-and-dairy-filled dishes so that no one feels threatened, but nowadays there's no need. Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, but don't panic. There's still plenty of time to plan the perfect menu to dazzle all your guests, whether they are already veg or not.
Eat First, Label Later
When inviting company, don't emphasize that you are planning an exclusively vegan meal. Try to remember that people eat vegan food every day—they just don't label it that way. The mind has a funny way of altering our experiences based on perception alone, so let the food speak for itself. You might even want to test out your menu with some omni friends before the big event, so you can be sure every dish will be a hit with eaters of every persuasion.
Add Familiar Flavors
In a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the only non-veg dish that comes to mind is the turkey. Once you replace that with something even better, the rest of the meal should be a cakewalk. Plant-based cuisine contains all the flavor, texture, and color you need to satisfy the senses, so prepare whole plant foods instead of mock meats for a centerpiece dish. Vegetable torte or stuffed squash are both beautiful, satisfying alternatives to turkey. All typical holiday side dishes—mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, and green bean casserole—are easily veganized by using vegetable oil, margarine, and non-dairy milk in place of high-fat dairy.
Think Seasonal
Each season offers a bounty of vegetables, and autumn is no exception. Broccoli, carrots, chestnuts, cranberries, squash, and turnips all reach their peak in November. Highlighting these foods makes your meal environmentally friendly and more economical, as well as animal-free. With issues like global warming and the economy on everyone's mind, focusing on fresh, accessible veggies makes even more sense. The more colorful the better!
End With A Bang
Once people taste decadent dairy-free desserts, they never again perceive vegan sweets as inferior. Fruit crisp, pumpkin pie, apple pie with coconut milk ice cream... the possibilities are endless. And don't forget about tasty veg cocktails. Do your research and pick the perfect cruelty-free red or white wine to complement your meal, and all guests will go home happy.
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Posted: Nov 09 2009 10:26AM By Joy
Great tips! I use the eat first, label later technique all the time. My mom and I bring vegan baked mac and cheese every year and everyone loves it.
Posted: Nov 10 2009 09:59AM By Sky
Or, if you're near SF, you could take the easy way out and just go to Millennium! It's my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. :)
Posted: Nov 11 2009 11:58AM By Pam
New on my menu this year is your Best Mac and Cheese ever but instead of mac I use sliced potatoes and make Au Gratin Potatoes. So very wonderful!!!
Posted: Nov 19 2009 11:52AM By ratgirl
Thanksgiving used to be a difficult day replete with dodging non-vegan dishes left and right. Funny thing, there are now more vegans than non-vegans in the family (okay, so there are one or two vegetarians among them). Only my mom is still holding out and she is on Weight Watchers with very limited animal-product consumption for her health. Me, my husband, my brothers, and their girlfriends...we've come a long way since the days of me, sitting at the table with a lone banana and cranberry sauce on my plate, trying to make it look like I'm eating well while my brother makes fun of me, telling me my veganism means nothing because he's planning to eat twice as much meat to make up for what I won't. :) I wouldn't have guessed then that this could ever happen. :)
Posted: Nov 20 2009 03:36AM By Numa
The comment about eating meat for two is on that person's conscience - not yours.
Posted: Nov 20 2009 05:51AM By Lisa Jackson
I decided that the Thanksgiving meal is about feasting. I try to get optimal nutrition, taste and foods that are in season. I also try to get stuff that makes the turkey-eaters jealous. Last year, my mother-in-law kept eyeing my meal, telling me it sure looked delicious, and obviously jealous. I had brought enough to share, but she said, "No, thanks! I prefer the traditional dinner." My mom said I can just eat everything but the turkey and gravy when I have dinner with her this year, although I said I'd bring my own meal. It really isn't the same to eat the rest of the meal with them, as the foods they eat will not have the nutrients I need, and will not be satisfying. I want to have what is a feast for me, not just a vegetables, stuffing and rolls! How can I insist on bringing my own food, without offending?
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