Thanksgiving. The holiday of everything turkey and pumpkin. If turkey is not a option in your diet, have fun enjoying side dishes and pumpkin pie. Sadly, for a lot of vegetarians or vegans, not many other options are available, especially when it comes to unknowing parents or guardians.

Sure, there are plenty of items already out on the web. “Tofurky”, field roasts, and mock meats are all substitutes that websites praise and recommend. When looking or stumbling across these options, some may not be too willing or courageous to try it.

Senior Danika Shane said, “I really liked the tofurky, it isn’t like tofu which is all squishy and gross. It was almost like turkey and had some good seasonings.” For Shane, tofurky was different, but worth the try, and has even become one of her favorite dishes.

Sometimes, it’s not the courage that makes enjoying Thanksgiving hard but rather the lack of support or choice. Former student Matthew Wood said, “Since my family didn’t have a meat substitute I packed my plate full of sides. My favorite was mashed potatoes or rolls with some gravy.” When your family may not be vegan or vegetarian, they may not provide substitutes, which makes side dishes your only option.

When it comes to desserts, the choices are easier to make and accommodate. You do a simple twist on the pumpkin pie by just cutting out ingredients and spicing it up with a gingerbread pie crust. Shane says, “I also made a vegan pumpkin pie with tofu and it tasted just like regular pumpkin pie.”

If you have recently made the decision to go vegan or vegetarian, don’t give up. Some recipes may seem odd and uneasy, but in the end you are saving a life. Personally, Thanksgiving was a downfall and one of the reasons that I stopped vegetarianism a few times.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to enjoy foods and spend time with your family, but don’t give up. Don’t let peer pressure force you to gobble up enormous amounts of turkey. Be the bigger person and enjoy some nice tofu recipes.