| Lately the trend in vogue is going vegetarian and | | | | celebrate this festival with friendly food and |
| sparing thousands of poor souls the brutal | | | | resources at their display to choose from. In fact |
| onslaught at the slaughter houses, to serve as | | | | vegetarian Thanksgiving can be a glamorous affair |
| delectable dishes for the occasion and delight the | | | | taking into consideration that being vegetarian is |
| appetite of the guests invited. PETA along with | | | | now in rage for the fact that is the best way to |
| the fervent efforts made by many organizations | | | | show your compassion towards the animals as |
| has raised the awareness of the public and | | | | well as living healthy, keeping ailments such as |
| interestingly encouraged them to tread on the | | | | heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes as well as |
| path of trendy vegetarianism or prompted them | | | | food poisoning at bay. In 1998, growing |
| to go all vegan, despite Thanksgiving being | | | | awareness about the unhealthy conditions in which |
| marked out in the American calendar as a | | | | the turkeys were kept and the inhuman manner |
| meat-influenced holiday. However, there is a subtle | | | | in which these were genetically engineered to |
| difference between being vegan and vegetarian. | | | | grow twice as large and twice as fast as their |
| Being vegetarian means compulsorily abstaining | | | | ancestors to keep in pace with the growing |
| from non-vegetarian food items like fish, meat, | | | | demand, prompted families across North America |
| egg, dairy products and sometimes even | | | | to participate in a tradition where they adopted |
| excluding honey from one's diet. While being | | | | turkeys instead of eating them. In a way the |
| vegan means one chooses voluntarily not to | | | | turkeys were treated as guest of honor. More so, |
| consume non-vegetarian food items like the | | | | till date PETA, the group for animal right |
| vegetarian mass of population and being content | | | | protection has also been consistent in its effort to |
| experimenting with the substitutes offered in the | | | | prevent the slaughter of these innocent birds by |
| market.Since long turkey has been the | | | | featuring Thanksgiving e-cards on its websites |
| centerpiece of Thanksgiving feasting, hence most | | | | that say "Don't Eat the Mascot" and "Happy |
| vegetarians tend to feel left out on that day, but | | | | Tofurky Day" instead of "Happy Turkey Day".In |
| now with this new trend in vogue one needs not | | | | recent times, in fact since 1995, America's leading |
| worry at all. Though this idea of going vegetarian | | | | turkey alternative is "Tofurky" or in other words |
| is gaining popularity at a rapid pace yet for most | | | | "Tofu-turkey". It is the best way to satisfy the |
| Americans, to celebrate Thanksgiving without | | | | vegetarian and the non-vegetarian populace alike |
| turkey would be similar to having birthday bash | | | | by offering this meat substitute which is equally |
| without a cake, Christmas without tree or Fourth | | | | appealing as their non-veg counterpart. In fact |
| of July celebrations without fireworks. Over the | | | | over the years, turkey has been completely |
| years, majority of people are found gorging on | | | | bowled over by its substitute, "tofurky'. PETA |
| the sumptuous meals cooked for the special | | | | supports this effort by listing out a host of |
| occasion with turkey featuring as the main | | | | recipes to choose from, including "Tofurky" roast, |
| attraction in the menu. While vegetarians being the | | | | dumplings, giblet and mushroom gravy, tofurky |
| unfortunate lot nibbling on the leftovers and side | | | | wild rice stuffing and wishtix, "Unturkey", "Tofu |
| dishes. But off-late, vegetarianism has been on | | | | turkey" are all kind alternatives to real turkeys so |
| the rise, with about 6% of the American | | | | that it is not missed at the Thanksgiving table. |
| population saying they never eat meat, the figure | | | | They are soy-based roast, stuffing and gravy |
| shooting up to 10% among those aged 18-34, | | | | that taste more often than not like the real meat. |
| according to a recent Vegetarian Resource Group | | | | If tofurky is not your type, then one has the |
| Harris Interactive Survey. There may be | | | | liberty to stick to the traditional dishes like corn, |
| variegated reasons for people opting for a | | | | squashes, apples, nuts, cranberries, as well as |
| vegetarian diet. Whatever the reason may be: | | | | favorites like pumpkin pie with a tasty crumb |
| religious, ethical, health considerations or out of | | | | topping to appease your appetite. Desserts also |
| serious concern for the environment or animal | | | | come in all kinds of varieties wooing the |
| rights, its true that unknowingly one is likely to | | | | vegetarian and the hard-core non-vegetarian |
| receive health benefits from it. In fact a recent | | | | mass alike with stuffs such as vegan pies in |
| study indicated that one out of every eight | | | | pumpkin, cherry blackberry and apple- |
| turkeys is infected with salmonella bacteria. Thus | | | | cranberry-currant varieties.This time that you plan |
| avoiding the consumption of turkeys may not be | | | | a dinner for your vegetarian guests, you no more |
| a bad choice. Again "The American Dietetic | | | | have to spend sleepless nights pondering what |
| Association" says that the nutritional benefits of | | | | would be a good and viable choice of food items |
| vegetarian diets include lower levels of saturated | | | | to be cooked. Your culinary art lies in preparing |
| fat, cholesterol, as well as higher levels of fiber, | | | | vegetarian food which will be enjoyed and |
| folate and anti-oxidants such as vitamin C and | | | | appreciated by both the finicky children as well as |
| E.This new generation of vegans and vegetarians | | | | by adults with more traditional tastes. |
| however now has a reason to party and | | | | |