Thanksgiving Feasting Options
I note with a weighted & howling heart that folks get more riled at the idea of their meals changing, than they do about environmental collapse… yet they are directly connected and one is vastly more important than the other.
The idea of avoiding turkey (<— intelligent, highly-social creatures who care for their young with the same tenderness you may) is somehow shocking, but the tangential fact that animal products are nutritionally unnecessary (in fact, they are connected to disease), ruining the planet with various emissions (+ water-waste, deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, etc), and cruel ( <—because we’re needlessly consuming the flesh/breastmilk/ovulation of an animal that more than likely suffered to give it to us) is somehow a-okay and mentioning otherwise makes you “nasty” and other folks uncomfortable.
Speaking of “nasty”, the definition states: “an unpleasant or harmful person”…. Americans consume (ie mortally harm) 46 million turkeys **each Thanksgiving**, so while it might seem easy to label the ol’ howling plant-based/vegan Mama Bear “nasty” for pointing out these heartbreaking facts, the actual act of slaughtering that many creatures (unnecessarily, I’ll point out again) is literally “nasty”, and though we may not want to absorb those facts: a) I assure you those animals are far more “uncomfortable” being slaughtered and having their young taken away, b) the environmental sustainability of our species (and the millions of ones we share this planet with) requires us to start waking up to these “uncomfortable” facts and moving our traditions forward a few steps.
How to reconcile humanity’s hypocrisy and wake the masses?
I eat with the passionate zeal of my kin, and like the bulk of my brethren I learned how to cook so I could always feed myself something I love. I’m also the sort of soul who both dances & sings about how scrumptious something tastes, and I’m beet-faced bashful about a feast of things… but I am a dang good cook. I’m not going to eat it unless I love it, and I wouldn’t serve/recommend it if I wasn’t enjoying it myself.
So, with that in mind, I’m here to appeal to your better graces.
Ostensibly, y’all are having smaller, nuclear family gatherings this year, and given that shifting a Thanksgiving Plant-Based when it includes a whole family of cast & characters could be just the sort of hot mess you want no part of in pandemic days, wouldn’t this secluded year make a fantastic time to see how it tastes when you shift it kinder, healthier, and environmentally sustainable?
What a great example for your kin, plus a better/kinder way to give thanks to the planet that is providing for you, eh?
Continue for a bounty of Thanksgiving Dinner Options: Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Lentil Loaf, Cranberry Sauce, Roasted Squash, Braised Carrots, Quick-Pickled Cabbage, Multiple Desserts, etc; cardiovascular and environmental imperatives of plant-based/vegan feasting; some Turkey Facts drawn/written by Q last year; even my favorite Carl Sagan quote. :-)
Live Kindly, Feast Kindly, Grow Forward, and Enjoy. :-)
Looking for a main dish to sub in for the roasted intelligent/social soul? Lentil Loaf is our personal favorite.
There are also a feast of options at your local grocery store if making lentil loaf isn’t your jam. There is the ol’ traditional “Tofurky”, but there’s also all sorts of plant-based Wellingtons and more vegan-meat options than you can shake a stick at.
Guess what lentils also have going for them?
they have vitamins you won’t find in meat (Vitamin C and Vitamin K)
they are bursting with essential fiber (there is no fiber is flesh, breastmilk, or ovulation)
the have been clinically proven to be “protective against colorectal cancer”
they actually promote cardiovascular health (instead of ruining it)
they have free-radical fighting antioxidants
Mushrooms have a bounty of benefits:
They are a great source of of Vitamin D
They have potassium which “can help regulate blood pressure, and this may decrease the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.”
They’re packed with beneficial/essential fiber
And they are full of glutathione (<—powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress, “Reduces cell damage in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease”, improves insulin resistance, increases mobility for people with periphery artery disease, reduces symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and the list goes on!
Why do mashed potatoes generally get a bad reputation? It isn’t the fault of the potato: it’s all that cow-breastmilk-byproduct humans throw into them. My pre plant-based version was streaked with saturated animal fats (butter & half-and-half) and it tasted good but the after-result was a sluggish/sleepy soul wanting to snuggle up for a post-feast nap.
This plant-based version is more delicious than my butter bursting version; plus we feel better after eating it (not stuffed & slowed), it benefits our health, benefits the planet, and spreads compassion. Win, win, win.
What do Potatoes have going for them?
Minerals and vitamins (Copper, Manganese, Potassium, B3, B6, Vitamin C, and more!)
Antioxidants (<— Why would I want those? They are anti-inflammatory.)
Check out these stats for 1 cup of squash per your daily recommended values:
Vitamin A - 457% (<—HOLY MOLY! And that’s not a typo!!!)
Vitamin B6 - 13%
Vitamin C - 52%
Vitamin E - 13%
Vitamin K - 3%
Thiamin - 10%
Folate - 10%
Calcium - 8%
Iron - 7%
Manganese - 18%
Magnesium - 15%
Potassium - 17%
Squash are also flush with beta-carotene; and foods high in Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E make an immune boosting power trio. Why? Because Beta-carotene: is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and boost immune function by increasing disease-fighting cells in the body. It’s even linked with preventing cancer.
Braised Carrots Recipe
Carrots are healthy wonders:
1 cup has 428% (<—that is NOT a typo!) of your Vitamin A, and carotenoids are linked with a lower risk of various cancers.
So what do cranberries have going for them (aside from what we can see above)?
They are packed with fiber which is essential for a thriving microbiome (<— powers everything from your immune system to your mental health <— reminder that over 90% of your serotonin is produced in your gut by your microbiome <— Guess what erodes the mucosal layer of your gut and harms your microbiome? Animal products and processed foods.)
Here’s Harvard: “When we consider the connection between the brain and the gut, it’s important to know that 90% of serotonin receptors are located in the gut. When the balance between the good and bad bacteria is disrupted, diseases may occur. Examples of such diseases include: inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cognitive and mood problems. For example, IBD is caused by dysfunction in the interactions between microbes (bacteria), the gut lining, and the immune system.
The fermentation of indigestible fibers causes the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) that can be used by the body as a nutrient source but also play an important role in muscle function and the prevention of chronic diseases, including certain cancers and bowel disorders. Clinical studies have shown that SCFA may be useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.”
Their vitamin C helps us absorb the iron in whatever iron-rich foods we are eating… like maybe lentil loaf? :-)
Some evidence suggests that the polyphenols contained in cranberries may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Cranberries are very high in bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants
A number of human studies indicate that consuming cranberries may reduce the risk of UTIs in both children and adults (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
The PACs contained in cranberries may also benefit oral health. They do this by preventing bacteria from binding to the surface of teeth.
And they are native to North America, so on a day when we are to be “thankful” for taking over the lands of the folks who originally lived here, we can at least celebrate with a crop naturally found here.
Maple is also native to these lands and it surprisingly has minerals hiding in its syrupy siren song. Calcium is even one of those minerals. :-)
Our quick-pickled cabbage would be a great side.
Cabbage is the kind of food I would have balked at several years ago, and it has become one of my most beloved. It is incredibly good for you: not only is it packed with Vitamin C and the same fiber I keep mentioning above, there are also “20 different flavonoids and 15 different phenols in cabbage, all of which have demonstrated antioxidant activity. (These anthocyanins qualify not only as antioxidant nutrients, but as anti-inflammatory nutrients as well.)”
Throw in the added health benefits of raw garlic and apple cider vinegar, and you have yourself a prebiotic wallop that is bursting with minerals and vitamins, promotes gut health, and pops your plate with color.
Dessert Option: Black Bean Brownies
It tastes like a delicious, fudgy oreo cookie and is full of:
- nutrient-dense black beans
- heart-healthy fiber from the whole-oat flour and beans
- no refined sugars, just good old fashioned, whole-food fiber-filled fruit sugars (like dates —which are packed with minerals and vitamins— and bananas, which are full of health as well)
- plant-based proteins and fats, so you’re paying the earth back with kindness and not participating in animal agriculture that is dooming us all with its environmental impact.
Crust Bars with Fresh Fruit, Cashew Cream, and some Berry Sauce (I always reduce a bunch of frozen berries in a pan. You could do that or also use cranberry sauce :-) )
And if you whip up some of our 30-second chocolate sauce, you can drizzle it all over any of the above.
Sweet Cashew Cream goes well with all of the above.
And here are some Turkey Facts Q drew/wrote last year that still rattle my brain and heart this year.
Some Shel Silverstein to rattle our minds & hearts as well.
There’s a handy multi-source article on Wikipedia about the environmental impact of animal products.
This was the very first slide in my first Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program. What followed was three courses, over 80hrs of classes from our global leaders (doctors) in nutrition science explaining how animal products are perpetuating this mess, and how plant-based foods can both better our health and our environment.
And all that damage isn’t even good for us! This is what an animal product dense diet does to our cardiovascular system. (<— from Undo It by World-Renowned Cardiologist Dr Dean Ornish.)
Here are all the essays I’ve written pointing to books and podcasts with/by cardiologists.
I’ll also redirect you to this horrifying/illuminating video again (and again, and again <—it’s equally-renowned Dr Michael Greger showing how cardiovascular disease starts in children), and the following studies that show the same thing:
- Evidence of the Beginning of Atherosclerosis in Infancy and Adolescence”
- “Cardiovascular disease risk factors and atherosclerosis in children and adolescents
- “Atherosclerosis: a nutritional disease of childhood”
- “A Few Unpleasant Facts About Atherosclerotic Arterial Disease in the United States and the World”
Compelled?
If you have a kid and want to transition them to plant-based whole foods, first: start eating plant-based whole-foods yourself. Our children see what we do and will learn from it; and their environmental sustainability is on the line… so why not try and show them how to live sustainably, healthfully, and kindly on this earth?
There’s a delicious path forward, and it goes beyond Thanksgiving. Start making slow steps forward and you will increase your health, lessen your environmental impact, and spare a soul from suffering.
It’s a win-win-win all around.
An all-time favorite Carl Sagan quote
What’s the most impactful thing you can do as an individual to help your kin, community, millions of species, and planet? Transition as plant-based as possible.🌎♥️
Why? Plant-Based foods are environmentally imperative 🌎. They also promote ideal health💪 (which takes stress off our overburdened health care system), are inexpensive🙌, delicious🤤, & compassionate. 💕
Why imperative, though? 🤔We’re approaching (& have crossed) climate tipping points that will doom our kin & millions of other species. 😱📣Reducing/eliminating animal products is the *most impactful thing an individual can do* to prevent worse. 🌎🔥
Why? Animal Agriculture creates more emissions than the entire transportation sector combined, it’s tied to water waste/loss/pollution (<-- freshwater is our most precious resource💧), land loss/deforestation (<-- exacerbates climate change by reducing our ability to sequester carbon🔥🌎), ocean acidification (<-- FYI 50-85% of earth’s oxygen originates from oceanic plankton🌊) & vast species loss/extinction/suffering💔📣🌎
Plus, consuming animal products is tied to increased risk of cardiovascular disease❤️🩹, diabetes👎, cancer👎, and chronic disease👎; whereas Plant-Based feasting is linked to preventing/reversing some of our most common diseases (<— like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer); plus it promotes ideal health & robust strength (ie Olympians, Weightlifters, Endurance Athletes are thriving via PBWFs too). 🎉🙌♥️
What organizations are promoting plant-based diets for best health and environmental stability? National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, the United Nations, Harvard School of Health, American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics, National Kidney Foundation, even the Parkinson’s Foundation.
We’re all overwhelmed in one way or another, but for the sake of our kin (and the millions of species we share this planet with) we need to start pivoting forward. As someone who once rarely ate green things & used to eat animal products at every meal, I can assure you that is possible, affordable, enjoyable, & purposeful to pivot Plant-Based. In fact, our whole family is now healthier/stronger than ever. 🙌♥️
Anecdotally, our son had failure-to-thrive, was also plagued with perpetual ear-infections/sinus-infections, and had an omnipresent runny nose. What was he eating? Grass-fed milk, organic/antibiotic-free/grass-fed/local meats, eggs from organic-fed/well-loved chickens from a neighbor, every meal came with vegetables, and we limited junkfood. He was healed via a plant-based diet: he’s launched out of that diagnosis and the last time he had a sinus-infection (or was sick at all) was in 2019 when he had some cheese at a school Christmas party. Before shifting to PBWF’s he was sick every month, and how he’s a robust, vital, thriving kiddo. 🙌🎉♥️
If you think any of the above sounds over-reached/absurd/impossible, please go read the links above. I understand the inclination to hackle-raise (<—because I was once totally there) but the science is clear: any step we make forward is imperative (<—and again “STEPS” is the focus. Don’t leap, just start making steps!). It’s as simple as starting with one meal a week and growing from there.💕
We have the ability (deliciously, healthfully, kindly, inexpensively) to *preserve/protect* the planet we share with millions of species & our kin. How are we going to use that power today?✌️🤟🖖
When Q heard one of his all time favorite souls is now 3 months without meat and fake fainted in happiness. <3
