Thoughts on Thanksgiving?

[Laurylina]

Supposedly, on the ever glorious, belly-stuffing holiday we all know as Thanksgiving (which is coming up pretty soon!), families gather to give thanks, celebrate, and most importantly, eat turkey. My family follows that same tradition, except theres one tiny problem: me. Every year it's the same, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching question that people have to ask: "What is she going to eat?", as they all turn their attention to my embarrassed face, looking away in utter shame.

Here's the deal: I've been the only lacto-ovo pescetarian (meaning eggs, dairy, and most bony fish) in my family for almost two years and I'm happy with my decision. Thing is, my parents hate it, I'm a ridiculuosly picky eater, extremely thin, and I feel really bad when other people take their time to make a feast that only I miss out on. I don't want to be rude, but I don't want to have to eat turkey and gravy for a day either, just because I chose a different diet.

What do you guys do to avoid holiday hams/turkeys? Any suggesstions for alternative, quick to make foods? (I barely survived with a tuna sandwich last year...xP)  

[Kasumi Ocada]

Well.... The last few years my best friend Brad hosted Thanksgiving at his house and he was always thoughtful enough to provide something specifically made for my daughters and I. However, this year he has moved away and I'm left to my own devices. :/

There are several recipes for "tofu turkey" out there, even some that mimic the real thing. Otherwise you can always make anything or buy some of the pre-made "turkey" slices they sell at the store.

As long as you have something that you like to eat and that provides the nutrients that you need, everything will be fine!  

[ChaoticConsonance]

Why don't you get with the person doing the cooking and offer to help whip up a few veggie-friendly dishes?

Not to mention most of the sides are already safe for ovo-lacto veggies...mashed potatoes, veggies, dressing/stuffing (if there's broth in it, make it veggie), rolls, pie, all kinds of delicious food!  

[592499]

I just don't eat the turkey. Being vegetarian is nothing to be embarrassed about... I find it more embarrassing that they eat meat.

There are plenty of other things you could eat such as mashed potatoes, salad, fish (because you eat it still), bread, desserts, candied yams, stuffing (some), and the list goes on.

I usually make vegetarian shepherd's pie (which even the meat-eaters ask for the recipe) and I make the deserts.  

[Laurylina]

What I meant was I miss out on the main course: turkey. Not on Thanksgiving entirely! Of course I eat mashed potatoes and pie. I need protein, though. (Sorry if I wasn't clear enough) I go to my cousin's house (which is kinda out of town) every year and my mom thinks it's extremely offensive to "interfere" with the host's dinner plans for my own purposes. I mean, the hosts are totally okay with me being vegetarian and everything and they would be happy to add something veg friendly to the menu. It's just that I have a hard time telling my mom that. In her mind, reminding them of my diet or bringing something of my own unless it's inconspicuous is unacceptable. I have to think up another plan.  

[592499]

I guess you could make a salad with tons of nuts like chickpeas... or you could make something with refried beans... it doesn't always have to be a traditional dish. I suggest searching online for recipes. There is always vegetarian cooking websites-- or -- I use allrecipes.com where you can search meals that are vegetarian... around holiday times they also have festive dishes.


On another note, I'd like to recommend to everyone to adopt a turkey!
http://www.adoptaturkey.org/
You adopt a turkey from farm sanctuary (this farm was featured in nearly every chapter of "Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating"). You can either provide a home, or "adopt" the turkey by providing money for the care of the turkey. I'm almost positive that these are turkeys that were saved from slaughter houses and they are pretty white one as opposed to the smaller brown ones I'm used to on the East coast.

I'm going to adopt at least one turkey (and so will my environmental club hopefully) for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

[loony x lovegood]

Quorn makes Tofurkey or something of that nature available around Thanksgiving.
It's microwavable and between $4-7.
You only need 35-40 grams of protein a day and going for a day without achieving your RDA won't kill you. Cheese, milk, etc.  

[Boundless-Space]

I'm all for the Tofurkey

 

[ChaoticConsonance]

Well, food has protein, duh. There's not that much need to worry about it, especially on just one day. But if that's really a concern, you could make sure that there would be some beans or something.

Is there any way you can call up your hosts without your mom's knowledge?  

[Laurylina]

v e g a n l i c i o u s

Quorn makes Tofurkey or something of that nature available around Thanksgiving.
It's microwavable and between $4-7.
You only need 35-40 grams of protein a day and going for a day without achieving your RDA won't kill you. Cheese, milk, etc.

Although it'll take some work convincing my mom of this, I've been thinking of buying some of that Tofurkey (if it doesn't take long to cook) and eating some at another house I'll be staying at before I go to the other house for the actual dinner.  

[Laurylina]

marsbee28

I guess you could make a salad with tons of nuts like chickpeas... or you could make something with refried beans... it doesn't always have to be a traditional dish. I suggest searching online for recipes. There is always vegetarian cooking websites-- or -- I use allrecipes.com where you can search meals that are vegetarian... around holiday times they also have festive dishes.


On another note, I'd like to recommend to everyone to adopt a turkey!
http://www.adoptaturkey.org/
You adopt a turkey from farm sanctuary (this farm was featured in nearly every chapter of "Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating"). You can either provide a home, or "adopt" the turkey by providing money for the care of the turkey. I'm almost positive that these are turkeys that were saved from slaughter houses and they are pretty white one as opposed to the smaller brown ones I'm used to on the East coast.

I'm going to adopt at least one turkey (and so will my environmental club hopefully) for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

When I'm old enough (don't ask), I'll adopt 10 turkeys!  

[hot buttered peas!]

we're having thanks "vegan", we have for years.
we are having tofurky. along with many things listed on peta.org

http://www.vegcooking.com/f-thanks05.asp

also, i really like field roast. smile  

[spacekitten]

v e g a n l i c i o u s

Quorn makes Tofurkey or something of that nature available around Thanksgiving.
It's microwavable and between $4-7.
You only need 35-40 grams of protein a day and going for a day without achieving your RDA won't kill you. Cheese, milk, etc.

I'm only gonna be picky here b/c I have a tofurky in the fridge right now:

Quorn makes a Quorn roast. Instead of soy, they use a type of fungus that has a texture that mimics meat, and is about $8

Turtle Island Foods makes the Tofurky roast, which is made with soy, and costs $11 but I think it's worth the extra money ^_^ (serves 6-8 and makes GREAT sandwiches, by the way)

I don't know about microwaving either, I've never cooked the Quorn roast, but the Tofurky package says to bake it at 350 for about an hour and a half. It would be pretty easy to cook it along-side another dish in the oven.  

[La Veuve Zin]

My grandma makes all kinds of stuff for family dinners, and for Christmas dinner she makes fish, vegan mushroom soup and pierogi. (It's a weird Polish Catholic thing to not eat meat on Christmas, like during Lent.)

So I just have whatever she cooks that doesn't have meat in it...I think she actually changed the soup recipe for me, I think she used to make it with chicken stock but switched to veg stock.  

[Stars_Tears]

I'm good with everything else but the turkey. I just have the potatoes, corn, salad, and green bean bake. I believe that is enough food to feed an army!

Don't worry, you'll be able to find something.