ALT-1 A Vegetarians Guide to Enjoying Thanksgiving
When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of turkey. Surprisingly, that is the first thing vegetarians think of as well. The only difference is they are thinking of how to keep the turkey away from their plate, while the rest of us are thinking of how much we want to heap on it. This can be a decidedly stressful experience for a vegetarian. The turkey dominates the table. Another problem is that many other Thanksgiving foods are made with meat product, like stuffing. There are ways that a vegetarian can enjoy Thanksgiving, despite these challenges.One way to ensure that you are going to enjoy Thanksgiving is to tell your dining companions that you do not eat meat. Do not be afraid to mention it. In fact, your host or guests will likely appreciate not being surprised. Cooking a major meal, only to find out that one of your guests is a vegetarian, after you have added meats and meat broth to nearly everything on your table is a buzz kill. If your host is aware, he or she is going to be prepared, which translates into dishes sans meat product for you. If you are vegetarian and preparing dinner, warning your guests that you do not prepare meat often will make your day easier. The upside to this revelation is that you may get some extra help cooking that nasty turkey. You might even be able to get out of it altogether.It is no fun to be a vegetarian and watch people eat meat. It may seem disgusting. You may want to lecture those darn meat-eaters. If you want to enjoy your Thanksgiving, it is best just to let it go. You should try to ignore the meats as much as possible. Try not to think of it unless you are simply asking about ingredients in certain dishes, so you know you are not inadvertently eating meat. If you let it get to you or you start discussing the meat more than necessary, you may bother your fellow eaters and/or yourself.The most important thing for vegetarians or anybody who wants to enjoy Thanksgiving is to spend it with people you care about. You would not know it by watching people, but Thanksgiving is not supposed to be about food. It is about being thankful. Being thankful that you live a life where you have enough food to choose what you want to it. Thankful that you live a life where you can take a day off work just to remind yourself of that for which you are thankful.
