Spooky month has come and gone, and you know what that means. Yep, it’s time for Thanksgiving. If you’re not prepared yet, don’t panic. We’ve put together handy guides to storebought roasts and seasonal recipes to help you plan your delicious plant-based feast.
Not in the mood to cook much? Don’t worry. Sprouts is one of several places where you can order a special Thanksgiving meal in advance. We’ve got all the details on that and other holiday news below.
Plus, we’ve got updates on a new plant-based Mexican restaurant, Erewhon’s unusual new vegan smoothie, and how Billie Eilish and a vegan restaurant in Chicago are stepping up to support those in need right now.
Oreo’s unveiling a line of Thanksgiving-flavored cookies, none of which are vegan—but they should be
Usually, you can count on Oreo to deliver vegan-friendly snacks. The latest collab with Reese’s? Vegan. The horchata cookie with Selena Gomez? Vegan. The Coca-Cola Oreos of 2024? You guessed it, vegan. So when the beloved cookie brand revealed a new Thanksgiving line full of weird and wonderful flavors (like sweet potato, pumpkin pie, turkey and gravy, and cranberry sauce), we had our fingers crossed that some vegan-friendly options would be in the mix. Sadly, that’s not the case, as the cookies come covered in a dairy-based chocolate glaze.
We say vegans deserve some odd-sounding flavors, too. Maybe next year? We’ll keep our eyes peeled.
Sprouts
Sprouts releases a vegan lasagna Thanksgiving pre-order meal
Have you thought about what you’ll be eating for Thanksgiving yet? If you’re still searching for ideas, Sprouts may have just come up with the perfect solution. The grocery store chain is offering a selection of prepared holiday meals, and alongside the usual turkey and ham options, there’s a plant-based meal in the mix.
The Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna Meal feeds up to four people and comes with four sides: Family Size Roasted Green Beans, Family Size Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Family Size Vegan Caesar Salad, and Sprouts Brand Organic Sourdough Take & Bake. Be sure to place your order at least 48 hours in advance.
Taco Vegana
Richmond, VA, gets its first vegan Mexican restaurant
If you’re in Richmond, VA, and a craving for Mexican food hits, where do you go? In the past, options were limited, but now there’s Taco Vegana. The restaurant, opened in October by Rachel and Milton Rodriguez, is the first fully plant-based Mexican restaurant in Richmond. According to the owners, it’s also the first vegan restaurant in the city with a full bar.
The menu at Taco Vegana is a blend of Mexican, Cali-Mex, and Tex-Mex cuisine, which reflects Milton’s upbringing (he grew up in Baja California, Mexico, before moving to Southern California and then Austin, TX before moving to Virginia with Rachel).
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“We wanted a place that combines our roots, celebrates the journey of our relationship, and brings to Richmond the kind of bold plant-based Mexican food we love and that we want to eat,” Rachel told VegNews. “The concept for Taco Vegana is a modern Mexican cantina, somewhere you might find in Mexico City. We wanted to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels at home when they walk in, vegan or not.”
“We’ve been flooded with support, even selling out a couple of times that first week,” she continued. “We are so grateful for the neighborhood welcoming us with open arms and the vegan community for showing up in masses. We look forward to continuing to serve delicious food and drinks and being able to start giving back to our community.”
Apple Music
Billie Eilish and Support + Feed host vegan food drive in New Orleans leg of tour
For Billie Eilish, touring isn’t just a chance to perform for her legions of devoted fans, it’s also an opportunity to do some good. Recently, the singer helped turn the concession stands at New York’s UBS Arena fully vegan for her performances. At each show, she also hosts an eco-village designed to help fans learn about the climate crisis and connect with environmental nonprofits.
Now, Eilish is taking things a step further. She’s encouraging fans attending her New Orleans shows this weekend to bring plant-based, non-perishable food items to donate to an onsite food drive run by Support + Feed, the nonprofit founded by her mom, Maggie Baird. All donations collected at the shows will go to the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter.
Erewhon’s strange new toothpaste smoothie is vegan
Usually, we do everything we can to keep our morning smoothie from tasting like toothpaste. Nothing ruins a flavor quite like that lingering minty-fresh feeling after brushing your teeth when you’re trying to enjoy breakfast. But Erewhon seems to think it’s not such a bad thing. In fact, the bougie grocery store’s newest smoothie is actually supposed to taste minty fresh, like toothpaste.
Called the Boka Mint Condition Smile Smoothie, the drink was created in partnership with oral care brand Boka. Available throughout November, it’s minty fresh and made with coconut milk, fresh mint, mango, banana, chlorophyll, blue spirulina, silica, cacao nibs, and coconut flakes.
Curious to try it? Go right ahead, it’s vegan.
Salt & Straw
Salt & Straw’s Thanksgiving series has one vegan flavor
Oreo may have left us disappointed with its lack of Thanksgiving-themed vegan options, but Salt & Straw has delivered. The ice cream chain has launched a cranberry-orange, dairy-free sorbet especially for Thanksgiving. The flavor is made with a blend of Pacific Northwest cranberries and fresh, sweet orange zest. Salt & Straw calls it “bright,” “jammy,” and “juicy.”
Soda Club
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New York’s Soda Club is hosting vegan Thanksgiving
Sprouts has you covered with prepared dine-in options for Thanksgiving, but if you feel like treating yourself to a special meal out, head to Soda Club. This year, the New York vegan restaurant is hosting a special four-course shared dinner, with meals crafted by chefs Pedro Allende and Juan Pajarito. If that sounds right up your street, make sure to book soon, as spaces are limited.
Kale My Name
Kale My Name gives free vegan meals to Chicagoans in need
Nemanja Golubovic and Billie Eilish are cut from the same cloth. Golubovic, the founder of Kale My Name in Chicago, recently announced that the vegan restaurant will offer free vegan meals to anyone who needs them, every day from 3pm to 5pm. The move comes amid ongoing threats to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Golubovic is one of many people and businesses stepping up to support those struggling right now.
“I believe in love, inclusivity, and community, and I want everyone who walks into Kale My Name to feel cared for,” Golubovic told VegNews.
“When I learned that millions of people in America were losing their SNAP benefits, it was devastating. I know how many families, children, elderly people, and individuals with disabilities depend on that support to simply get by,” the founder continued. “Food is something everyone deserves, and I could not just watch it happen without doing something. Kale My Name has always been about kindness, and if I can help even a little by providing a warm, nourishing vegan meal, then I must.”
If you’d like to support Kale My Name’s mission, you can donate $11—the cost of one meal—via the restaurant’s website. “So far, we have served hundreds of free meals, and I wouldn’t be able to do that without the support of my community and my employees,” added Golubovic. “People are showing up daily, and they are so grateful. I’m not asking any questions, but they’re sharing their stories with me, and it makes me so very emotional. The last few nights I’ve come home so tired, but my heart is so full.” Find out more here.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
