Thanksgiving is about family gatherings, great food, and expressing gratitude. Unfortunately for turkeys, the holiday means something entirely different.
In the United States, over 45 million turkeys are slaughtered for Thanksgiving alone. On factory farms, they’re rapidly overgrown and crammed into dark, warehouse-like spaces. At six-months-old, the birds are shackled upside-down, electrocuted and sliced by high-speed machines. Those who aren’t killed immediately are burned alive in boiling hot water.
These intelligent and social creatures, like the adorable Quincy from Life with Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary (see video above), deserve much better.
Thankfully, with plant-based turkey alternatives available in all major grocery stores, it’s easy to have a cruelty-free Thanksgiving!
Check out Lady Freethinkers list of cruelty-free turkey alternatives for a compassionate holiday:
The Very Good Butchers Stuffed Beast
The Very Good Butchers ‘Stuffed Beast’ is a new holiday go-to. Made of bread, vegetables, and savory herbs, it feeds up to seven people. And it’s “better than the real thing,” according to reviews on its website!
The company also offers a vegan Roast Beast. Or, if you want even more options, check out the Holiday Meat Box, full of plant-based items perfect for holiday gatherings!
Gardein Holiday Roast or Stuffed Turk’y
Vegan staple Gardein offers their Holiday Roast, a plant-based meat alternative with cranberry and wild rice stuffing. It even includes vegan gravy!
This is another great option for a family feast, as it serves up to eight people. If you’re looking for smaller portions, Gardein also makes their Savory Stuffed Turk’y, with cranberries, sage, and gravy.
Tofurky Plant-Based Roast
Of course, this wouldn’t be a complete list of the best plant-based turkey alternatives without Tofurky. Its Plant-Based Roast is made of wheat and tofu and stuffed with wild rice and bread crumbs. You simply baste it, roast it, and carve it. Tofurky also includes vegan gravy.
If you think the best part of a Thanksgiving feast is the leftovers, Tofurky’s leftovers are perfect for a sandwich, according to the company. Better yet, if you want the sandwich without having to cook, try Tofurky’s plant-based Oven-Roasted Deli Slices.
Field Roast Sage & Garlic Celebration Roast or Hazelnut & Cranberry Roast
Butternut squash, onions, and lentils are the main ingredients in Field Roast’s plant-based Celebration Roast. Whether it’s your main meal, an appetizer, or a sandwich filling, this is a great option for chowing down with compassion.
The Hazelnut and Cranberry Roast is another unique alternative, with hazelnuts, rosemary, and ginger stuffed into a puff pastry — all completely plant-based!
Make Your Own Stuffed Acorn Squash

Image Credit: Kelly Pitts
If you’re looking for something a little less meat-like, give this delicious roasted squash recipe a chance.
It’s completely plant-based and super versatile. If you don’t like any of the ingredients, just replace them with something else. And it won’t leave you feeling overly stuffed and tired all day long.
All of us from Lady Freethinker wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving, and thank you for making kind choices for animals!
Treys are very smart and sweet . The deserve to live! Vegan plant based farmer
DON’T EAT MEAT. THE ALTERNATIVES ARE AMAZING!!!!! YOU ARE EATING DEAD ANIMALS FOR GOD’S SAKE!!!
What can I eat for protein instead of meat or chickin or fish? I would really like to try this. I am 76 years old. Where do you buy the products advertised? Thank you!
Janice, society has indoctrinated you to believe you must eat animal flesh to get your protein. This is not true!! The question is not “where do you get your protein?” but rather, where don’t you get protein. If you read the nutritional labels on all food packages, you will see that it is difficult to find a food that doesn’t contain protein. The truth is, humans consume too much protein. I am your age, and I have been vegan for 16 years. My only regret is that I have been vegan for ONLY(!) 16 YEARS.
Compassion for animals please
Stop all animal cruelty now!!!
It’s so disgusting that a holiday created to encourage society to be THANKFUL(!) for ALL that their lives have been blessed with: transportation, toothpaste, indoor plumbing, shoes, clothes, health, family, etc, have demoralized the holiday to a celebration of national turkey slaughter!!!
Society needs to get a conscience, and change their focus of celebration from murdered victims to a celebration of Thanks-Living Day. COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS NEEDS TO EXTEND TO YOUR PLATE.
Society indoctrinated us to believe we needed to consume the products of enormous cruelty and murder, to live and to be healthy. Nobody NEEDS to eat defenseless victims, consume their mammary secretions, or their reproductive ovulation, to live or to be healthy. In todays culture, these animals-as-food industries exist, and are legal, only so the weapons of mass destruction (human monsters) can profit!!
How can anyone do this!!!! I hope they don’t sleep at night!!!!!’
Enough is enough. Enforce tough laws on animal cruelty.
Enough is enough. Enforce tough laws on animal cruelty.
Let us give thanks by giving Turkey’s a break and eating a plant based meal.
Trenger ikke å spise kalkun for å kose seg med et herlig måltid!!! Finnes så mye vegetarisk mat som er like god,for ikke å si bedre!!!! 🙂
Oh wow, I didn’t know they had all these great options! The Gardein one looks really yummy! I’ve been vegetarian (no meat/poultry, etc. for nearly 20 yrs now & for almost all holidays I’ve basically been eating just vegetables & pasta if my Uncle makes it.. I might bring my own meat or hot dog but shouldn’t have to do that for a holiday.. Hmmm maybe I’ll just start bringing my own turkey dinner??! I can have leftovers too… 🙂
Turkeys are also painted and dropped from planes.
Thanks Given to Whom, for crisis sake?!
Animals are there for human entertainment : So very Christian American way of thinking!
Thank you for caring for animals!
They all deserve a safe happy life!
Vegetables and other NON meat items are great, much better than eat animals!
IT’S APPALLING HOW HUMANS ARE TREATING PRECIOUS ANIMALS😡😡😡
THIS MUST STOP!!!!
Walgelijk dit soort praktijken.
this is so cruel
sono vegetariana da anni; amo moltissimo gli animali. Ho 7 gatti, 2 cagnolini meticci e 5 tartarughe di terra che una donna idiota voleva abbandonare.
🔴 hurting turkey’s!
Please help these animals!!!
I never have liked factory farming. It’s uncalled for, since everyone in the United States was able stopped be fed when we had traditional farming. No animals meant for consumption should ever have to go through the extremely unhappy life of torture or being slaughtered before getting to live a more complete life.
I’m an omnivore, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help but feel about what the farm animal whose meat I am eating may have gone through where they were raised. One thing I can say is I don’t eat veal, calves liver or any meat from an animal that hasn’t been allowed to live a full, complete life. Unfortunately, I realize that meat from unblessed factory farming does slip through.
Thanks
So pleased that we dont eat meat!!
I have not had a turkey on my table for 44 years and do not to ever have one there again not even as a symbol. A live one would beOK though.
No turkey for me!
With so many turkey alternatives, why would you celebrate your gratitude with a tortured infant bird as your centerpiece?
Please, please go vegan – for the animals, for your health, for the planet!