Thanksgiving is just around the corner and for most people, it's a day of food comas and giving thanks but for new vegans, vegetarians (and people having veg-types over for dinner), Thanksgiving can be quite a daunting and stressful day.
To help alleviate that stress, I've put together a list of links and some tips to help you sail through the holidays :)
No Turkey? No Problem!
Thankfully, a bunch of companies have been rolling out turkey replacements for Thanksgiving.
While I have had a 'faux-turkey less' Thanksgiving, I do love that there are options for people who still want to have 'meat' on their Thanksgiving plate.
Here's a list of "Top 7 Vegan Turkey Alternatives" put together by PETA. I'm torn between Gardein's Holiday Roast or Trader Joe's Turkey-Less Stuffed Roast for this years meal.
For my very first vegan thanksgiving, I made this meatloaf. It's still my favorite meatloaf recipe to date! It's so easy to make and even my non-vegan family members love it.
My absolute favorite store bought option, so far, is Field Roasts' Celebration Roast. It's a bit on the more expensive side, but totally worth the price. If you have leftovers, you can mash it up, add a bit of vegan mayo and cranberry relish and have yourself a celebration roast salad sandwich!
And these two were left off of PETA's list, but I think they're worth a mention:
Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey: I've seen this at Whole Foods, but never tried it. It's shaped like a turkey, which is kinda cool, and I've heard good things about their products in general.
Quorn Turk'y Roast. I haven't tried this but I've heard nothing but good things about it! (vegetarian but not vegan)
And All The Rest...
What I'm thankful for at times like these, is the internet! There are thousands of recipes and sites where you can find amazing recipe suggestions for any holiday or event! Check out a few of my favorite links below:
(X) Compassionate Holidays: Old-Fashioned Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Easy Vegan Gravy, Pumpkin Pie
(X) Yummly: Every Recipe You Need for a Vegan Thanksgiving
(X) Ecorazzi: Vegetarian and Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Round up!
(X) Finding Vegan: Holiday Tag
(X) The New York Times: Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2011
(X) Huffington Post Food: A Vegan Thanksgiving: 12 Recipes That Could Change Your Holiday:
(X) Veg Kitchen: Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner (Vegetarians Welcome!)
Also, you can find about any recipe on Google or VegWeb!
If 'from scratch' isn't your thing and you're looking to buy pre-made items, check out Amazon's Grocery Department, Vegan Essentials, Pangea: The Vegan Store or your local Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Natural Foods store. You can also find a bunch of boxed items, that are accidentally vegan, at 'normal' supermarkets that can be whipped up fairly quickly.
Looking for an Egg Nog alternative? Here's a list of vegan 'nogs you check out. And don't forget the whipped topping for your nog and pumpkin pie!
North Jersey area people: You can get a full vegan Thanksgiving dinner from Sweet Avenue Bake Shop for $20! (Must be ordered by 11/20/12. Available for pick up on Thanksgiving morning, 11/22/12, from 8am - 12 noon.)
Do you have any additional tips or dishes that you love? Feel free to comment below!
