Tips for Vegetarians at Thanksgiving

If you are a new vegetarian or worried that Aunt Sue won’t have a thing you can eat at her Thanksgiving table this year, here’s a few tips to help you be a great vegetarian guest and to ensure you will have a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

Communicate and prepare in advance.

This is the single most important thing to remember at the holidays or when you are a guest of a non-vegetarian host. Let your host know of your dietary needs well in advance, and take responsibility to ensure that your needs are met.

You might offer to prepare a few vegetarian side dishes that everyone can enjoy, for example, or provide your host with some simple vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes or easy substitution ideas. If you are preparing food for yourself, be sure to bring along a bit extra, as everyone else is certain to be curious and want to taste! Most hosts would be more than happy to have you help share in the work of preparing the meal.

If you are unable to cook:

If you’ll be traveling or unable to cook, bring some pre-prepared foods that can easily be reheated. Tofurky makes a vegetarian gravy, and many instant stuffing mixes are vegetarian or vegan. Whole Foods offers ready-made veggie Thanksgiving meals, and you can check with your local health food store or vegetarian restaurant to see if they have a similar service.

Another idea is to buy vegetarian turkey deli slices, such as Tofurky’s cranberry deli slices. When warmed up for a few minutes in the microwave or oven, they are much like sliced turkey. Douse in vegetarian gravy and pile on the potatoes! Add a vegetarian stuffing, and you've got yourself a meal!

Depending on where you live, you may be able to order an entirely vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving feast delivered right to your door, no assembly required. Whole Foods offers a pre-cooked vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, as do many larger health food stores. You can also order vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving side dishes a la carte from Whole Foods as well.

If you want to do the cooking yourself, but need a little help, many Whole Foods stores offer vegetarian Thanksgiving cooking classes in the weeks before Thanksgiving.

Compromise, and be reasonable.

Remember, the holidays are about coming together with friends and family. If you are having some difficulty with your menu plans, try thinking of a compromise, and don’t be afraid to get creative! For example, several years ago as a new vegan, I made a deal with my family: I offered to plan, shop, prepare the entire meal (and clean up afterward!) as long as nobody minded a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. This has been a happy solution for my non-vegetarian family members for several years now. They get to relax and enjoy the holiday, and I get to enjoy an amazing meal!

If your host has prepared something that you are unable to eat, try to be as polite as possible about the situation and alleviate it the best you can. If there is nothing other than bread and cranberry sauce for you to eat, try to be quiet when you sneak out later for a veggie burger, rather than complaining loudly and announcing it when you leave!

Be sure to have reasonable expectations. Your host may not be able to provide you with a five course gourmet vegan meal, but by communicating in advance and helping out, you aren’t likely to go hungry for the biggest meal of the year!

More:

Accomodating your vegetarian guests at Thanksgiving
Simple substitutions: How to make a meal you are already preparing suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

See also:

Thanksgiving Tofurky Recipes
Vegetarian Stuffing Recipes
Vegetarian Gravy Recipes
More vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving recipes