Your First Vegan Thanksgiving How To



Now that you're on your way to eating a more vegan diet, you're confronted with the holiday season and wondering how you're going to navigate it all from going to parties, hosting your own Thanksgiving and your family. There are many ways to handle each situation so let's discuss each one.  

Parties

You're invited to a holiday party, so this is a great opportunity for you to share some delicious vegan dishes with your friends.  If it's a potluck or not, perhaps chat with the host of the party and ask if you could bring a vegan dish to share.  Usually, most hosts are happy to have more dishes to share and this may also give your host a chance to consider offering more vegan-friendly options.  

Family Gatherings

This one can be tricky and I'm fully aware of that.  Not everyone may welcome your new lifestyle choices, so I say tread lightly if you know you may face difficulty here, but who knows, they may surprise you!  Again, I suggest you offer to bring a dish or two to share and if all else fails--HOST YOUR OWN!


Now, let's get to hosting your own Vegan Thanksgiving!

Your First Vegan Thanksgiving

The main course on Thanksgiving has always been the turkey, but there are so many great options now to have the same flavors without animals.  Here are my favorites:


Trader Joe's has a number of great options for the holidays, and this breaded turkeyless roast with stuffing and gravy is not only delicious but easy to make and very affordable!  

Plus Trader Joe's also has an extra vegan gravy you can purchase during the holidays which is placed right next to their roast for your mash potatoes. 




No Trader Joe's nearby?  No problem!  Gardein's Holiday Roast and Trader Joe's Roast are very similar in taste and style, which is probably why it's my other top choice for the main course.  Gardein has perfected the meat substitute market, in my opinion, and I have yet to try a product from them I haven't liked. Check out their link for more information on this product, where to buy near you (should be available nationwide) and recipe ideas!  




The Tofurky company has been around for quite some time and they offer two different options for your holiday gatherings; the traditional roast and the newer ham style roast. I've tried both and they are both good options, especially if you want to have options like a ham style dish.  That being said, Trader Joe's and Gardein are still my favorites.  








Next I've tried was Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast.  It has a flaky crust and hazelnut cranberry stuffing--it reminds me of a vegan "Beef Wellington."  It is a more sophisticated flavor, so some kiddos may not love this option. 

Side Dishes

But let's face it, Thanksgiving is about the side dishes, am I right? So, yes, you can have just about all of your old favorites--mash potatoes, stuffing (dressing if you're from some parts of the US), green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and much, much more.

I can literally eat a whole pan of stuffing/dressing myself!  Here's a tip for a quick and easy way to make your Thanksgiving stuffing!  Stovetop's "Pork" flavor stuffing doesn't have any animal products in it at all, so ignore the title! Just follow the directions on the box, use veggie broth, plant-based butter and you have Thanksgiving stuffing with little to no effort



Another Brand to look for is Oroweat or Arnolds Premium Stuffing--Cornbread, Herb Seasoned, Sage & Onion, Seasoned, and Unseasoned are all accidentally vegan! 

Gravy


Organic Vegetarian Brown Gravy this is a personal favorite for so many uses in cooking!  I use this as a base for vegan "beef" stew, vegan stroganoff, vegan savory type sauces. 

Trader Joe's has a Vegan gravy

Tofurky has a separate gravy that's good as well. 

The other ones I've tried have not been all that tasty, in my opinion.







Recipe Side Dish Websites

Here are some websites to check out for some tasty recipes




Desserts






What's Thanksgiving without pie! I've tried a few store bought vegan pies, and this one from Olivia SuperFree is my favorite thus far. 

I have tried Whole Foods Vegan Pumpkin pie three years in a row, and only one year did their pie taste good.  The last two years have been down right horrible--So sad, I haven't tried it yet in 2019, so perhaps I can update later with a more favorable review. 






But there are lots of pies and you will be surprised by the choices these days too!  At Whole Foods, they have lots of vegan made pies. 

CostCo has a great apple and cherry pie that's "accidentally vegan," meaning by chance it has no animal products!  What I love about these CostCo pies--they're big enough for a large group, they taste wonderful and they are available at a great price!  

Another grocery store brand that has accidentally vegan pies: ClaimJumpers & Marie Callendar, check out this link for more details: 


Pre-made Vegan Thanksgiving Meals

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop/CHB/3558

Whole Foods this year is offering a completely vegan meal ready to order 











Purple Carrot, a meal order delivery service is offering a vegan Thanksgiving box.  A full and complete meal menu of everything you'll need for Thanksgiving.













I hope you found these ideas and tips helpful for your planning.  Remember there are tons of resources on the web and please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions!

But, don't ask me how to deal with Aunt Martha...





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