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[Image Credit: Steve Voght on Flickr, Creative Commons license]

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away? Whether you’re hosting a meal or attending as a guest, this is a great time to flex those cooking muscles and spread the word about eating less meat. Meat production creates more greenhouse gases than the transportation sector. If your family and friends wouldn’t go for a whole vegetarian meal, just reducing the amount of meat at the table can have a big impact. Even cutting back the size of that turkey by a couple of pounds significantly reduces your meal’s carbon footprint.

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Pardon a Turkey
You can cut back or cut out the turkey in your Thanksgiving meal without feeling deprived. Seitan, a meat substitute made with wheat gluten, has a chewy, meaty texture and is really versatile. Check out this amazing seitan roast with wild rice and chestnut stuffing from Vegan Dad. If you’re looking for something a little smaller and simpler, Vegan Planet tells you how to whip up a seitan roast in the slow cooker. For an even simpler turkey substitution, there’s the old veggie favorite: the Tofurkey roast. With so many tasty options you could easily cut down the size of the bird or ditch the turkey all together!

Side Dishes
A lot of Thanksgiving sides are already vegetarian: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole. If you want to really go the extra mile to reduce your meal’s impact, you can try veganizing some of these favorites! Try substituting a vegan margarine, like Earth Balance, for the butter in your mashed potatoes and unsweetened soymilk for the milk. I bet your fellow diners won’t even notice the difference! For more vegetarian side dishes, In a Vegetarian Kitchen has some great suggestions!

Dessert
If you’re looking for a vegan substitute for boring old pumpking pie, check out this recipe for vegan acorn squash pie. You might also try this chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve served these to some super-picky eaters who couldn’t tell that they were egg- and dairy-free. The Post Punk Kitchen has an extensive list of tried and true vegan desserts worth peeking at, too!

Whether you just veganize some side dishes or go for a full-on vegan meal this year, there are lots of delicious ways to have a tasty, Earth-friendly Thanksgiving!

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