When you’re a vegetarian, any family event is awkward to say the least—and Thanksgiving might be the roughest holiday gathering of them all. Between every single relative challenging your reasons for not eating meat and the lack of food options, well, it’s enough to make you just want to stay home. But don’t resign yourself to nibbling celery and guzzling vegan wine in the corner just yet.
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Thankfully, we’ve been gifted with lots of recipes that feel hearty and traditional without the meat. And these meat-free and dairy-free recipes are so awesome, even non-vegetarian guests will gobble them up.
Here are some veg alternatives to add to your menu this year.
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1. Tofurky roast with vegetables
Served with carrots and yams, this main course takes a paltry one and a half hours to cook compared with the traditional big turkey of the table. The Popsugar staff omnivores prepared, taste tested and reviewed this tofurky roast with vegetables recipe.
2. Root vegetable baked lasagna
Prepare a delicious combination of ricotta cheese, garlic, parsnips, turnips and cinnamon for a quintessentially fall meal of root vegetable baked lasagna.
3. Vegan ratatouille with tempeh
Buck tradition in taste and style with vegan ratatouille with tempeh as the main course on the menu, and your table will be the very picture of autumn with the reds, oranges, greens and yellows of all the roasted veggies of this dish.
4. Roasted red beet hummus recipe
You’ve had your share of chickpea-, black bean- and white bean-based hummus. Now Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give roasted red beet hummus a try.
5. Quinoa-stuffed acorn squash rings
Served with cranberries and maple syrup, these quinoa-stuffed acorn squash rings might just put your average Thanksgiving sides and regular onion rings to shame.
10. Olive oil and garlic green beans with crumbled blue cheese
Who says Thanksgiving sides have to be boring? Opt for healthy, gourmet and easy-to-prepare with these olive oil and garlic green beans with crumbled blue cheese.
11. Vegetarian and sausage gravy and biscuits
Now your veggie guests don’t have to miss out on a classic: biscuits and gravy!
12. Pumpkin curry with chickpeas
You might not find this on any other Thanksgiving menu, but that doesn’t mean your dinner guests won’t love this hearty, savory, pumpkin-based dish!
Topped with sautéed wild mushrooms? Yes, please! Never ordinary in the kitchen? Try this shaved Parmesan and truffle mashed potatoes recipe.
18. Baked apple stuffed with candied ginger and almonds
You’ve perfected apple pie recipes, but what about baked apple? Obviously you must try it paired with wine.
19. Vegan cranberry coffee cake
Thanksgiving is truly the holiday of the cranberry, so why not celebrate the berry by making it the star of the dessert menu with this vegan cranberry coffee cake recipe?
More:The Complete Guide to Stocking a Low-Carb, Vegetarian Kitchen
Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals. This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors.
Previous reviews have indicated that vegetarians and vegans may risk vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc and calcium deficiency as these micronutrients can mostly be found in animal foods or have a lower bioavailability in plant foods [8,9,10,11,12,13,14].
According to the Vegetarian Society, vegetarians are people who do not eat the products or byproducts of animal slaughter. Vegetarians do not consume: meat, such as beef, pork, and game. poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck.
So go ahead and shake things up this Thanksgiving with one of these flavorful alternatives to cooking up a whole bird this year, like mushroom, Gruyère, & spinach-stuffed pork tenderloin, vegan mushroom pot pie, or a juicy prime rib. We're not sure how it happened, but Team Delish is all about a Thanksgiving lasagna.
Whether you're after sliced vegan ham or a vegan roast ham for the holiday table, it's easy to find different options made from ingredients like seitan, tofu, beans, and more. They all have a similar texture and taste, only without the many environmental, ethical, and health issues that come from the real thing.
Other protein-filled vegan options that could replace turkey in your vegan Thanksgiving table are tempeh, tofu and seitan. Choose one of these plant-based turkey alternatives, or combine more than one in your table, complimenting with veggies, rice, salads, or any other plant-based whole foods ingredients you want.
Some whole foods, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, and mushrooms, contain protein or have a meaty texture and can work well as meat substitutes. Food manufacturers often include these types of food in their vegetarian and vegan products.
Pescatarians follow a vegetarian diet with the addition of fish. (Note: “Pescatarian” is the blending of “pesce”—the Italian word for “fish”—and “vegetarian.”) Vegetarians and pescatarians eat dairy products—like milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream—and frequently eggs.
They can eat all the same fruits and vegetables as vegetarians and vegans. Additionally, pescatarian diets often include starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and winter squash. Pescatarians also have a variety of grains to choose from, including rice, quinoa, and oats.
“If you go pescatarian, you eat the healthiest protein sources available. Choosing these lean proteins over high-fat meat could help support weight loss.” But it's important to remember that going pescatarian doesn't automatically mean you'll cut calories, he adds. “You must be choosy about your food choices.
"A traditional Thanksgiving menu has lots of options for vegans and vegetarians: green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed or roasted potatoes, and sweet potatoes and yams—it's a carb-loaded feast, and we will happily lick our plates," says Peart.
Nut Roast. The most popular Christmas meal for vegetarians and vegans is the nut roast. This typically describes a mixture of nuts, breadcrumbs, leeks, onions, broth and either oil or butter. However, this recipe is malleable and offers the opportunity for many alterations according to personal preference.
And while Thanksgiving is supposed to signify gratitude and abundance—the holiday centers around the autumn harvest—for many, it's the opposite. “It's all about eating and the murder of these birds or other animals,” Patty Shenker, a 30-year vegan told the LA Times.
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