Vegans often get the short end of the Thanksgiving stick. Their hosts may forget that chicken stock and eggs aren’t vegan, and they’re almost always left without dessert, save some fruit.

This year, if we have our say, no vegan will be left behind! Follow a few simple swaps to create an amazing Thanksgiving that will please every one of your guests, no matter their eating style.

By the way…don’t feel like you need to make the entire menu vegan for a single guest. Most vegans will be happy to have a few options. For guests with dietary restrictions, it’s nice to make sure they have at least one salad and two side dish options. And if you’re still confused about serving a vegan at your Thanksgiving, just ask. Most will be happy to answer any questions, and even point you in the right direction with recipes.

Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas

Starters
Kick the festivities off right with a few options for your vegan friends. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or in the case of an easy-to-assemble vegan cheese plate…it can be!
* Vegan cheese plate: Bring together some Miyoko’s Creamery or Treeline tree nut cheeses, crackers from Simple Mills, a nice fig jam, a few grapes, and mixed organic nuts from our bulk department for a beautiful cheese plate. This is all about the presentation…look here for inspiration.
* Dips: We’ve got a whole selection of vegan spreads and dips:  Ithaca Hummus, Cedars Organic Hummus, Hope Hummus, or any of the fresh dips from our Deli case. Or try this vegan spinach & kale dip, a gorgeous, green, cheesy, melty dip that’s a real crowd pleaser.

Side Dishes
Many sides can be made vegan without missing a beat (and your guests won’t miss the eggs/dairy!). Check out our Catering Menu  for a nice selection (Lemon Cranberry Wild Rice Salad, Quinoa Walnut Butternut Squash Salad, Vegan Herb Stuffing/Vegan Gravy, to name just a few), and let us do the work. Or consider cooking these crowd-pleasing vegan sides:
Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Mark Bittman’s Green Mashed Potatoes
Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Vegan Stuffing

Entrees
Now that the side dishes are covered, let’s make sure none of your vegan friends are left out when it comes to the entree. You can opt for alternative entrees like stuffed squash, stuffed mushrooms, and vegan loaves (Chef John’s Mushroom Walnut Loaf, for example, is is one of the many delicious Thanksgiving options available on our Catering Menu. Or try this Vegan Mushroom Gravy Pie). Get close to the real deal with this array of festive meat alternatives (available in our freezer section) that will make every vegan feel part of the holiday. Choose from:

 Desserts
This is one area where you can definitely please all your guests simultaneously…no one even needs to know the care you’ve taken to make your desserts vegan. One bite of any of these treats and they will be beyond satisfied.

If you the have time/desire to prepare dessert yourself, check out the simple recipe for Chocolate Cranberry Nut Bark recipe in our Celebrate the Season Thanksgiving Brochure, available here or in the store. Or any of these vegan goodies will not let you down:

If you want to grab something quick and sweet for your own or someone else’s Thanksgiving feast, we’ve got some amazing sweets right here in the store:

Wishing you and all your friends and family an amazing Thanksgiving. With or without the turkey!