Thanksgiving is really the perfect time to “green” things up a bit. You might have a lot of your family all under one roof and it is a great time to show them how you are dedicated to the planet and your health. For the family members that are unable to make it to the celebration, you can send them Thanksgiving eCards to let them know you are thinking of them.
Whole Foods is the BEST place to order a Thanksgiving feast that is healthy and planet friendly. You can get a meal for up to 12 people at $14.00 a person and it includes an organic free range turkey cooked or raw and lots of sides like honey-baked mashed sweet potatoes, rosemary chestnut stuffing, squash casserole, scalloped potatoes and old-fashioned soft dinner rolls. A few desserts on the list are apple pie, Georgia pecan pie, blueberry pie, pumpkin mousse pie and Alabama sweet potato pie. Make sure to tell them you want as many local selections as possible.
For vegans they have a turkey made from apples and winter squash and lots of vegan sides and desserts to choose from.
I even found some great ideas for raw foodies too. One great resource is this book with raw thanksgiving recipes from pumpkin pie and Waldorf salad to mashed potatoes and gravy. There are also numerous Meetups going on around the country where you can join other raw food eaters for a raw Thanksgiving. Of course if Thanksgiving is a big family event you might not want to go eat a potluck meal with strangers. :) It would be a good way to meet new people though.
Once you have the food covered here are a few other Green Thanksgiving tips:
- Ditch the disposable dinnerware and use the real thing
- Use cloth napkins
- Make sure to tell everyone at the table that fruit and vegetable scraps will be set aside for composting after the meal
- Help guests to arrange carpooling
- Consider having a meatless Thanksgiving feast
- Recycle your used cooking oil and turkey fat to places that can use it for biofuel
So what are you doing to make your Thanksgiving celebration healthier and/or green?
