Thanksgiving really sucks for vegetarians
(Chicago Tribune)
By Scott Bolohan
RedEye Special Contributor
I would describe myself as a pretty festive guy. If there is a holiday, you can bet I'm celebrating it.
But I've come to dread Thanksgiving. It's actually one of my least favorite days of the year. It's become a holiday more about stuffing yourself with turkey and The Greatest Shopping Day Ever Eve instead of being thankful for anything, leaving people like me in a tough predicament (and not just because I'm broke).
I've been a vegetarian for 14 years, ever since the day I saw the movie
"Babe" and then had ham for dinner (it's a powerful movie). From
tracing turkeys with your hand as a kid, to breaking the wishbone, to
John Madden and his 18-legged turducken paraded around on the field in
the hands of whomever was playing the Lions, there is no escape from my
vegetarian day of hell.
It's the closest to an anti-vegetarian national holiday we have.
And it's not just the awkward moment at dinner when everyone takes a
huge piece of turkey and I just pass the plate along, followed by
strange looks. I can't go a single Thanksgiving without some sort of joke about being a vegetarian (plants dying for my salad is usually
popular) and being asked what I eat for dinner by nearly everyone I
know.
The answer? Whatever I feel like, which can mean basically anything (although it usually involves lots of croissants).
For the past few years, I had soy meat loaf (that all-American
classic). I've had grilled cheese, tofu chicken nuggets, portobello
mushrooms and pasta. The Thanksgiving when I had a large cheese Pizza
Hut pizza has become legendary among my friends.
Being a vegetarian has become much easier in the last few years (Burger
King even has a veggie burger), but this is the one day of the year
when I feel like a letdown to society.
For many the idea of not having turkey on Thanksgiving would seem to
completely ruin the whole meaning of the holiday, like not dressing
provocatively on Halloween.
I've always been very mindful of my vegetarian lifestyle. I realize
that most of the country doesn't have the same dietary restrictions as
me. I never try to make a big deal about it--to the point where I've
almost become embarrassed to admit I don't eat meat. And there's no
hiding it on Thanksgiving.
For those of you looking for something to be thankful for, be glad you
don't have a day of the year that is basically against you.
And for us vegetarians, be thankful it's only once a year.
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4 Comments
Jen said:
I don't see it that way :) I think that Thanksgiving is a time that we should reflect and be thankful for what and who we have in our lives. It's not just about turkey, or not being able to eat turkey. I'm a vegetarian as well, and I'm cooking dinner ahead of time tonight, to avoid fighting in the kitchen tomorrow with the family. Just a little bit of effort can yield an awesome Fall/Thanksgiving dinner, and you don't have to just make it about Tofurkey or Bread. I'll post a few links in a minute that I hope will help you have an awesome Thanksgiving. For my dinner tomorrow I'm keeping it simple. I'm going to make baked tomatoes stuffed with quinoa and mushrooms and mashed sweet potatoes with pine nuts. Easy and awesome. When people talk shit about me not wanting to partake in the turkey eating I just remind them that they'll be the ones belly-up in a Turkey coma in about 30 minutes, while I feel satisfied and content. Just think of it like that.
Here's a few links:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/11/maple-roasted-acorn-squash-and.html
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
Happy Thanksgiving :)
Maya Henderson said:
Sorry you feel this way, but I couldn't disagree with you more! I've been vegetarian for over 10 years and each year I get savvier about how I spend my holidays. My family is huge on the traditional meals, but Thanksgiving isn't really about turkey, is it? It's about gathering with the ones you love and being grateful. If someone is trying to make you feel weird for not gorging on flesh, you can always tell them that you didn't come for the meat, but to be with them.
Plus, there are a TON of great vegetarian websites, tweeters, blogs, etc. that are going to town with veg-friendly recipes, party ideas, etc.
If you're not into cooking, almost all of Chicago's great vegetarian restaurants offer carryout dinners or a formal sit-down dinner on the holiday. The last two years, my boyfriend and I simply stopped by Victory's Banner on the way to his parents house to pick up our meals. We ate with everyone else and no one cared at all.
Most importantly, remember, a large part of eating is emotional and mental. You should not apologize or feel like a weirdo for not eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day!
www.chicagonow.com/breath
hsb3rd said:
I don't see it that way. This is a day about giving thanks and remembering where we came from, where we are now and where we are going. It's not about the food or the amount or lack of amount of it. It's about reflection and remembering how this all came about. I
am sure vegitarians and their counterparts have their own celebrations in tradition, so don't knock those that choose to eat differently according to you... Happy Holidays...
jennkloc said:
I disagree, and I'm bummed out for you that your family isn't more supportive of your choices. My sister and I are both vegetarians, and my uncle is so excited for us to come over for Thanksgiving that he went on a special Whole Foods shopping trip for us.
He's actually the one who turned me onto the Quorn turkey roast, which if you haven't tried, you should. Tofurkey scares me, but the Quorn roast is delicious. I think Quorn products are designed not for vegetarians, but for meat eaters who had to stop eating meat for health reasons. Check it out though: http://www.quorn.us/cmpage.aspx?pageid=462&productid=146
The fake turkey isn't even my favorite part of Thanksgiving, though. I love the side dishes, most of which don't have meat in them at all anyway.
And when we celebrate Thanksgiving with my dad, it's even better. My dad's side of the family is small, so we spend the whole day cooking together. When my sister and I stopped eating meat, my dad was worried about Thanksgiving, but he found ways to modify his delicious stuffing by using vegetarian sausage instead of pork sausage. So yeah, we all cook and eat together and it's not a big deal in my family!
Maybe just try eating what you can from the table (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, croissants!, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, etc) instead of ordering your own food separately. You'll stand out less, which means your relatives will be less likely to harass you about your alternative diet.
Happy Thanksgiving :)
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