It's Turkey Time!
By Tracy Childs
Time to keep the turkey alive and enjoy some delicious, life-promoting foods yourself that is! This time of year we are made well-aware of turkeys as their images start appearing everywhere. But let's stop to think. Turkeys are amazing, gentle creatures and we believe the focus should be on honoring them! Each year, we have adopted a turkey and this year Alec Baldwin is urging people to save a turkey by adopting one at Farm Sanctuary (and yes, they have pictures and names!), instead of contributing to the 46 million that will be eaten during Thanksgiving. The good news is there are so many hearty, decadent holiday foods out there that you can consume and still feel great! Here are some of our favorite tips for navigating the holidays this year, especially if you will be going somewhere with lots of tempting, high-fat, non-nourishing foods.
1. Don't go Hungry. Make sure you eat a good breakfast, and have a hearty snack or lunch before heading to the holiday meal or party. Having hunger pangs are not helpful when trying to avoid foods you don't want to eat!
2. Be Prepared! Learn and start testing some festive and healthy recipes now, rather than waiting until the holidays are upon you. Coming to our Decadent Holiday Delights class on November 18th will certainly be a big help!
3. Bring Something Hearty and Delicious. If you are going to a holiday party where you know there won't be many healthy choices, make sure you bring those heartier choices as your contribution to the meal. Our favorite holiday tofu recipe (above) is a easy to make and bring and there are many many websites with lots of great ideas that I'm sure everyone will clamor for (so make a lot!). Here are a few.
Fat Free Vegan
Forks over Knives
Engine 2 Diet
PCRM
Dr. McDougall
And be sure to "like" these and other plant-based organizations on social media to get more great ideas!
4. Form New Holiday Traditions. My household has been plant-based since 1991 so holidays for us have morphed away from the "traditional" to our own idea of what is traditional. Over the years we have tried different foods and plans for the various holidays (including Jewish holidays!) and we have held on to our favorites which we all look forward to year after year. At my house it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my Holiday Herbed Tofu, and our favorite sides (stuffing, green beans, yams, potatoes, gravy) and desserts (pumpkin pie!). And I always send the Farm Sanctuary link to my kids and have them pick out a turkey to adopt (even though they are now 21 and 26!) Now is the time to form those new traditions with your family and dump the ones that no longer serve you! I wish you the best of luck and enjoy the process, because holidays are fun and traditions are great to look forward to!
