5 Tips To Enjoy A Vegan Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Plans are being made and menus are taking shape.
If you are already rocking it vegetarian or vegan you probably know how some secrets to navigate a holiday meal. But if you are new to cruelty-free holidays or just trying it out, you may need a few tips to get you through. I swear, once you get past the first one, it will never feel strange again. 
Here are 5 tips to enjoy a Vegan Thanksgiving
1. Keep it in perspective: Thanksgiving is just one 24 hour period. It is an opportunity to share space and a meal with people we love. If the only thing holding our family/friendship together is a 26 pound dead bird then we have much greater concerns. With all of the beautiful things available to eat, why limit yourself to meat? We can find a tastier way to say happy holidays.
2. Try a twist on the old: Lets be honest, the best part of Thanksgiving has always been the parade and the side dishes. But if you are still craving the experience of a meaty main entree, treat yourself and your family to the new and improved meat analogs. The days of terrifying, unrecognizable fake meat products are gone.
The demand has exploded and so has the supply. It is easier than ever to try out a bird-free Thanksgiving. Gardein makes a Holiday Roast filled with cranberry wild rice stuffing that comes with gravy and will serve eight. It is less expensive than turkey, cholesterol-free and has never experienced pain.
Hazelnut En Croute
My absolute favorite holiday indulgence is Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute. It is a hazelnut infused vegan roast, stuffed with cranberries, apples and crystallized ginger, then rolled in puff pastry. It will blow your mind. We have it every year for at least one holiday meal. If we are joining others, we bring it and they consume it in awe.
3. Try an entirely new menu: Many foods are celebratory if you simply claim them to be. There is no reason why your favorite enchiladas (I love black bean and pumpkin) can’t take center stage along with traditional Mexican sides. How lovely would a hearty minestrone soup starter make to accompany garlic bread, sauteed vegetables and a pesto pasta? We can be thankful for family, friends and good health over any meal, the focus is the gathering, not what is in the casserole dish.
4. How about a potluck?: Sometimes friends and family members feel the need to continue a tradition by preparing a favorite Aunt’s dish or their “world famous ______”. Maybe there is a blend of all these suggestions that can work. Let everyone bring what they want to the table and you provide the vegan dish of your choosing made with love. Make it a themed potluck, make it a kitchen sink (anything goes) potluck, make it work for you and your loved ones.
5. Release the meal as your main focus: Slaving in the kitchen for two days to put out a meal that is consumed in less than 20 minutes is not all that satisfying. Why not create a new family experience that leaves everyone feeling fulfilled? Sandy and I enjoy volunteering for Meals on Wheels for Thanksgiving and Chrismas.
It gives their everyday volunteers a holiday break while providing us an opportunity to spend time together helping others feel nourished. By the end of that day I will not feel overworked, underappreciated or stuffed past the point of illness. Sounds like a great holiday. We are still going to see family and people we love, we are just not making the meal the center of our attention.
Try taking a step, see what works for you and your loved ones and know that any meal adjustment you make that is plant-based is making a difference. If you have some other tips to share for enjoying a Vegan Thanksgiving, please let us know. We would love to pass them along!
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute, Gardein Holiday Roast, plant based diet, trying vegan, Vegan holiday suggestions, vegan Thanksgiving, Vegan Thanksgiving ideas, vegan wannabe
