Around the US, our staff is sharing plant-based Thanksgivings with their loved ones. Here’s how we make the holiday special.
Thanksgiving may be a day known for eating turkey, but here at World Animal Protection, we’re celebrating with plant-based meals. Here’s how we’ve made Thanksgiving plant-based in past (and near future!) holidays.
Liz Cabrera Holtz, US Campaign Manager
“My family’s Thanksgiving meal isn’t plant-based, so I need to bring my own dishes if I want to eat. Some years I’ve made elaborate stuffed squashes and Beyond Sausage stuffing. Other years, I bring a box of crackers and call it a day. Last year, I realized I could outsource my Thanksgiving cooking and bought the almost ready-to-go holiday meal at Whole Foods from plant-based chef Chloe Coscarelli. This year, I’ll be continuing that tradition but just getting a lot of cupcakes and cookies from a local plant-based bakery. There’s no better way to kick off the holiday season than with massive amounts of sugar.”
Hannah Goldstein, US Social Media Manager
“Three years ago, my youngest sibling and my girlfriend and I started our tradition of spending Thanksgiving together. Our food has been plant-based from that very first year when we hosted both a plant-based and gluten-free meal. As you might imagine, that was a difficult menu to cultivate, but we did it and had a lot of fun cooking and eating together. This year is the first year that my girlfriend and I are living in a new city, and my sibling and two close friends are coming to stay with us for yet another plant-based holiday. This year, we’re doing tofu cutlets in lieu of turkey and honoring the new land we are celebrating on by incorporating a land acknowledgment into our giving of thanks and donating to the Cherokee nation.”
Liz Quick-Corral, US Director of Development
“I first went plant-based in 2012. I remember showing up to my family’s Thanksgiving party with butternut squash and a dairy-free pumpkin pie for Whole Foods as my only source of food for the day. At the time, there were not as many products or companies offering plant-based holiday items. We are really spoiled now, and I continue to be amazed by the products that come out each year! Over the years, I have slowly converted many family favorite recipes to be plant-based. Through trial and error (and tweaking), I have been able to change a lot of our recipes to be cruelty-free while still having the great taste and tradition everyone loves. I am now going into my fifth year of hosting Thanksgiving for my family and doing all the cooking for Thanksgiving from start to finish. I LOVE being able to share these recipes and have family members enjoy the taste. The common theme of the day is always–I can’t believe this is plant-based!”
Tova Randolph, US Donor Relations Manager
“My journey may differ from most in the animal welfare sector. World Animal Protection is not a vegan or vegetarian organization, and I, too, fit into that category. I also think my journey is what drew me to World Animal Protection, as the intention is to ‘meet people where they are’ on their respective paths to healthier living. However, I have gained valuable information and a plethora of help incorporating new options for me and my family in reducing our meat consumption. We have participated in meatless Mondays and many meatless meal plans. I’m proud to say that on this upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, my table of feasts will include many vegan and vegetarian sides. I’m finding that the options are limitless, and I’m excited to make some adjustments.”
How are you incorporating plant-based food into your holiday meals? Tweet us @movetheworldus and let us know!