Thanksgiving can be stressful for vegans and nonvegans alike when the the question of what to eat comes up. For many people in the U.S., Thanksgiving has been tied, for generations, to the preparation and consumption of a turkey. Becoming vegan, particularly for ethical reasons, challenges this tradition and can result in a range of discomfort. Some family members may feel that you are rejecting deeply rooted family traditions (and by proxy, the family itself) by refusing to eat the turkey. Other family members may be more generally uncomfortable with your choice not to eat meat more generally. Some families may be accommodating to those eating a plant-based diet and make a mix of vegan and nonvegan dishes. Some families may agree to try a fully vegan Thanksgiving. And some families may not accommodate a vegan diet whatsoever.
I have found it to be, in some ways, exhausting and difficult to negotiate the Thanksgiving holiday. Two years ago, we hosted a vegan Thanksgiving at our house for 20 family and friends. When we invited people, we explicitly said that it would be a vegan meal–both so they would know to not expect a turkey, and so that the dishes they brought would be vegan. Eric’s cousin is a long-time vegan, so the notion of cooking vegan was not completely foreign to anyone in the group. Overall, it was a delicious meal and I think everyone left feeling satisfied. As it tends to be when hosting Thanksgiving yourself, it’s A LOT of work. In many ways, though, despite the enormous amount of work of hosting that many people for a meal, that setting was much easier to negotiate than the situation where you’re going to someone else’s house for dinner.
Last year, we ended up skipping Thanksgiving altogether. We were scheduled to go to Eric’s family’s house for Thanksgiving, but at the last minute we decided not to go. This decision was based on the fact that we did not want to take part in a meal that was centered around the dead bird in the middle of the table. Quite frankly, Thanksgiving is about celebrating what you’re thankful for and I am, honestly, not thankful at all for the slaughter of more than 45 million intelligent, social creatures for Thanksgiving tables alone. Nor do I have the energy for or the capacity to ignore what that dead turkey represents. And so, we ended up staying home, adopting a turkey from Farm Sanctuary, and having pasta and garlic bread and pie, which was, honestly, quite a low-stress and relaxing way to have Thanksgiving.
This year, we are going over to a friend’s house for dinner. She has been vegan since she was 13 and, in many ways, is my moral compass when it comes to animal ethics. If I am questioning the ethics of any animal-related scenario, Eric always reminds me– “WWKD?–What Would Karen Do?” She has a five-year old son, who I completely adore and we so rarely get to spend time all together. It will be a nice way to celebrate the day, I think.
Basically, I think it’s important to decide what you are comfortable with and what you’re not. For some, being at a Thanksgiving where the centerpiece of the meal is turkey does not bother them so long as there are some vegan options to eat. For others, the symbolism of celebrating the violence of humans’ relationship with farmed animals is too much.
THE FOOD
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been preparing lots of dishes that would be great vegan options for Thanksgiving dinner, whether you’re having a fully vegan meal, bringing some vegan dishes to a nonvegan meal, or whether you’re simply interested in making your Thanksgiving meal a bit more healthy by using plant-based ingredients. Below are the recipes I have posted that would be good for a Thanksgiving meal.
A note about main dishes first. I have not gotten around to posting about main dishes, but I’ve had some thoughts about them.
1. Acorn squash, halved and stuffed with a mixture of nuts, dried fruit and savory herbs.
2. Lentil pancakes with savory herbs.
3. A lentil or bean stew served in a whole roasted pumpkin.
4. Tofu, tempeh, or seitan flavored with savory herbs.
5. Any other ideas?
And now for the other dishes… Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
For Karen’s Thanksgiving dinner, we’re responsible for bringing roasted potatoes, stuffing, brussel sprouts and pumpkin pie, as well as some spiced apple cider, I think. What are you planning on making for Thanksgiving dinner? What are your plans? How do you feel about negotiating the holiday?
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We are having: Field Roast stuffed with apples and onions, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, mushroo gravy, yams with lemon and nutmeg, brussels sprouts and shallots, and maybe fresh gingerbread-if I can veganize it successfully-I think maybe I need to substitute applesauce for eggs and vegetable oil for butter. Do you think that will work?
Rather than negotiating dinner-which, no matter how you do it, it is always too much food, this year I will visit the various family gatherings before the meal and then come home to have dinner with Jim.
That sounds great! I’m looking forward to hearing about how the Field Roast is–I’ve never tried one of their roasts before. The gingerbread sounds delicious! The vegetable oil and applesauce should work out well. I would suggest using 1/2 cup applesauce for each egg called for. If it turns out well, let’s post the recipe on the blog! 🙂
And I love the idea of visiting before or after dinner as a way to avoid the stress of eating/food.
Well, it’s been an issue at our house for sure, this being my first vegan T-day. I refused to buy or cook the turkey this year. My mom is preparing the bird and bringing it already sliced so that it’s not too big of a symbol. I am preparing my own vegan meal and also preparing some non-vegan sides for the family. It was weird to buy whipped cream and butter at the store since I haven’t done that in over 7 months…My vegan menu is:
1. Savory Stuffing
2. Roasted Brussel Sprouts
3. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4. Cranberry Orange Relish
5. Sweet Potatoe Casserole
6. Pumpkin Pie
Goodness me, that looks like a ton of food when I write it all down like that. Thank you for posting your recipes so that I don’t starve this Thursday, I couldn’t have done it without you!
It sounds like you’ve worked out a good way to handle the holiday that keeps everyone happy. I’d love to hear how you make the sweet potato casserole. I was lamenting the fact that I didn’t have time to make/post a sweet potato or yam recipe on the blog. I guess there’s always time after Thanksgiving. Let me know how everything turns out! And maybe your family will taste some bites of your vegan meal and like it so much they’ll be more open to a vegan meal next year! 😉 Some vegans I know say that good vegan cooking can be the most effective form of activism!
brussel sprout hash!
Yum! That sounds good! How are you making it?