Challenge Results: Vegetarian Thanksgiving

I am not a vegetarian, but I have reduced the amount of meat that I eat. I have really enjoyed discovering vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts. In response to the Food, Inc. movie I recently watched (the awful commercial farming practices also apply to turkeys), I decided not to eat any turkey, ham, or meat on Thanksgiving.

What I Avoided:

1. Turkey
2. Ham with preservatives
3. Salad with bacon
4. Green beans cooked with bacon
5. Bread with preservatives

What I Ate:

1. My cranberry sauce
2. My Toasted Almond and Butternut Squash Tart (Source: Whole Living magazine)
3. Stuffing (afterwards, I realized that the bread used had preservatives in there. Fail!)
4. Mashed potatoes
5. Broccoli casserole

My Thoughts: Eating vegetarian was not as difficult as I thought it would be. To be quite honest, I did not miss the meat at all. I actually found it harder to avoid preservatives because I did not know all of the ingredients in the sides (ex: mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup, etc.).

I was prepared to answer any questions from family members who would be curious why I am not eating meat. I cannot say that I am "vegetarian sometimes" because they would look at me like I was crazy. So, I decided that a simple, "no, thank you!" will do it if I was offered turkey. Now, for the ham and deli meat, I am prepared to say that "I cannot eat preservatives." I could say that I cannot eat deli meat and cured meat, but I brought salami with me (preservative-free), so that answer would not fly.

Here are some of my canned responses:

1. No, Thank You!
2. I am allergic to ...
3. I cannot eat ... 

If you find it difficult to explain your food preferences to your friends and family, think of a few responses beforehand. No need to go into detailed and lengthy explanations. No need to be sorry for your preferences. Be prepared with a canned response.

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