This Thanksgiving, showing compassion and kindness towards our fellow animals is easier than ever. While plant-based options were quite limited years ago, there are now endless options to create the perfect cruelty-free feast.
Whether you are looking to buy a plant-based roast and cook all the sides, or you want the stress-free option of ordering out, here are some animal-friendly Thanksgiving meal ideas you can feel good about. Wowing your friends and family with a delicious spread is just a bonus!
Meat-free Roasts
A dizzying number of plant-based roasts are available in the grocery store, which can make it overwhelming to choose one. Tofurky debuted the original Holiday Roast in 1995. The company now offers its signature Plant-Based Roast and Wild Rice Stuffing as is, with gravy, or with gravy and brownies. Those looking for something different can also opt for the juicy and delicious Ham Roast with Amber Ale Glaze. You can find it at a grocery store near you.
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Another favorite is Field Roast, which introduced its Hazelnut and Cranberry Plant-Based Roast to the world in 2010. They now offer both the original roast and the Sage and Garlic Plant-Based Celebration Roast — with or without porcini mushroom gravy. Here’s where to buy it.
Two other notable fan favorites are the Gardein Vegan Turk’y Roast and Whole Foods’ Holiday Plant-Based Roast.
Mouthwatering Sides
For those who enjoy whipping up tasty, cruelty-free dishes in the kitchen, several options from acclaimed vegan chef and cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s “The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook” will make your meal stand out and have everyone asking for seconds.
Mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving standard, but these whipped potatoes take them to new heights. The secret is a cashew cream sauce that makes them irresistibly fluffy. The suggested white bean gravy is the perfect complement.
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Green bean casserole is a dish that is sadly ranked as one of the least-liked Thanksgiving dishes, but you can change everyone’s minds with this from-scratch recipe that uses cashews to add a creamy cheesiness — making this “boring” dish so tantalizing.
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A Thanksgiving meal is not complete without dessert. If you’ve made apple or pumpkin pie too many times to count, maybe this is the year you shake things up a little. Chocolate pecan pie from Post Punk Kitchen puts a twist on an otherwise traditional dessert. One commenter described it as tasting like “the soft, underbaked center of brownies with a bunch of pecans thrown in.”
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Meals for Pick Up or Delivery
If you’d rather have someone else do all the cooking, there are many locations to accommodate you. One of your local plant-based restaurants will likely offer a meal for you to pick up, but heavenly options can be delivered from other locations, too. Whichever you choose, an easy, relaxed option is just a phone call or a click away.
You don’t have to go to Minnesota to enjoy a turkey-free feast from The Herbivorous Butcher. The vegan butcher shop — which is the first of its kind in the United States — sells all of its products through an online shop, delivering delicious, cruelty-free food to all 50 states plus Puerto Rico.
The sides accompanying The Herbivorous Butcher’s turkey-free turkey change annually, but they are consistently impressive. Thanksgiving 2023 featured butternut “squasage” (a sausage and squash concoction), maple bacon, cranberry brie, and mac and cheese sauce.
Another option is California-based The Butcher’s Son, which ships holiday meals nationwide. This is a great option for those who want dessert included. The Vegan Turkey Day Feast includes turkey roast, sausage stuffing, eggnog, cheesecake, shepherd’s pie, and — for early bird orders — chocolate chip cookie dough.
For more motivation to go plant-based this Thanksgiving, check out these 5 fascinating facts about turkeys that will make you reconsider your holiday meal.
