How to Have a Sustainable Thanksgiving Meal
Photo taken at Moon Co-op, a small grocery store filled with natural, organic, and local foods!
By: Lauren Kleve, Intern
Fall is here, and I’m sure we all are gearing up for the delicious food waiting for us this Thanksgiving! If you’ve read my previous blogs on The Environmental Impacts of Different Diets and A Guide to Living Zero Waste, then hopefully you understand there are environmental impacts associated with what you eat and what you choose to buy. This blog post will utilize that information and transform it into how you can have a sustainable Thanksgiving meal this November!
Shopping
Before we can talk about some sustainable dishes to make for this food-filled holiday, let’s go over how to be eco-friendly when shopping for food!
When possible, shop locally at farmers markets or stands or co-ops! They will have plenty of great vegetables, like squash, for Thanksgiving!
Bring your own reusable grocery bags and reusable produce bags
Avoid packaged foods
Choose glass, metal, and paper/cardboard packaging over plastic!
If possible at stores near you, buy in bulk and use your own containers!
Make a specific list of what exactly you need and how much of it you need in order to avoid food waste
Photo taken at Moon Co-op in Oxford, OH showing part of their bulk food section
Dishes
Now let’s talk about what you’re all here for: the food! These were the traditional Thanksgiving dishes I could think of, but if you eat different dishes for the holiday, just apply the same ideas and principles to whatever yummy dish you plan to make!
Turkey Options and Alternatives:
Get locally sourced turkey from a farm near you. Bonus points if it comes from a regenerative farm where the turkeys are pasture-raised!
Substitute real turkey with a vegan Tofurky or with a vegan “ham” roast (these are packaged and might not be as healthy, but in general vegan meat alternatives produce less greenhouse gas emissions and require less land and water than regular meat)
Instead of turkey make a veggie loaf! (a great source of protein, very healthy, and you can create different flavors with different spices and glazes/sauces!)
Photo taken at a Kroger grocery store of a vegan “ham” roast
Mashed Potatoes:
Buy local potatoes from farmers markets or local farms!
If there are no local options near you, chose unpackaged potatoes at the grocery store
Use a vegan recipe with plant based butter and other vegan ingredients you may like for a smaller ecological footprint
Photo taken at Moon Co-op of package free, local potatoes and yams
Gravy:
If you bought a local turkey, use it to make a more traditional gravy
Or you can make a mushroom based gravy (this is a great vegan, eco-friendly alternative to regular turkey gravy and has so much flavor!)
Stuffing:
Choose a delicious meatless stuffing option!
Check your local farmers markets to see if there are any stands that sell local homemade bread for the bread cubes!
Or see if you can get bread at your grocery stores bakery without packaging
Buy all vegetables, nuts, and other ingredients plastic free!
Vegetable Side Dishes
There are so many different varieties of vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving, and they all are so delicious! I challenge you to make this year's green bean casserole or butternut squash or whatever it may be vegan, sourced as locally as possible, and bought with no plastic packaging!
Here are some great veggie side dishes:
Acorn Squash (there are so many great acorn squash recipes, I recommend checking some out on Pinterest!)
Photo taken at a Kroger grocery store illustrating the many plastic free produce options available
Apple/Pumpkin Pie
Buy local apples from local farms!
Buy local eggs or choose to make the pie vegan (I can never taste the difference between vegan and nonvegan pies!)
Shop for baking ingredients that are in paper, glass, or metal cans
Hopefully you are now well equipped to create a delicious and sustainable Thanksgiving meal this November, and I wish you the best and tastiest Thanksgiving yet!