Bonnie Sorak, an Ellicott City mom who is raising her family vegan, does not appreciate being wished a Happy Turkey Day this time of year.
“When people say ‘Happy Turkey Day,’ I say ‘Well, the turkeys are happy in our house because we don’t eat them,’” the mom of four explains. “It’s just silly. We’ve been to a turkey farm and they are not happy there.”
Many local vegan and vegetarian families shudder at the thought of carving breasts and wings to celebrate Thanksgiving and have found meatless replacements for the holiday’s main dish.
About 2 percent of all American children are being raised vegan — a strict vegetarian diet that includes no animal or dairy products, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, a national nonprofit based in Baltimore that educates the public about vegetarianism. The parents of these vegan kids, however, have found ways to make Thanksgiving still Thanksgiving.
What’s Thanksgiving without turkey?
Sorak is baffled by some people who refuse to forgo turkey on Thanksgiving.
“It’s kind of funny about Americans. If they don’t have turkey on Thanksgiving, they don’t think they have the holiday,” Sorak said.
The mom of four boys, Jacob, 17, Ryan, 13, Matthew, 11, and Aaron, 7, was worried about the family’s first vegan Thanksgiving 16 years ago.
“That was one of the things I was most stressed out about,” Sorak said.
As vegans, Sorak, her husband, Arthur, and the boys do not eat any animal products, including eggs or dairy, so Sorak sought out substitutes for some Thanksgiving staples.
She devoured vegan cookbooks, searched on the Internet and created a menu that looked a little like the traditional Thanksgiving meal, minus the turkey of course.
There was cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, and the centerpiece was a chestnut roulade, which consisted of dough made from lentils and a bread crumb mixture, filled with a chestnut stuffing and topped with Portabello mushroom gravy and cranberry relish.
Like many vegetarians, Elkridge resident John Cunningham, his wife, Kim, and 1-year-old twins, Sophia and Jonah, love Tofurkey. It is a meatless wheat gluten roast, which is a favorite for Thanksgiving.
“If you put gravy on it, it kind of tastes like a roast,” said Cunningham, who is the consumer research manager for the Vegetarian Resource Group. Along with the roast, Cunningham serves winter vegetables like squash and potatoes at Thanksgiving.
The Vegetarian Resource Group holds a potluck Thanksgiving celebration the weekend before the actual holiday every year and vegan families bring dishes to share.
For Charles Stahler, of Baltimore, who is co-director of the group, and his family, no Thanksgiving is exactly the same.
“Our typical Thanksgiving has been different every year,” said Stahler, father of Sam, 13.
One year the Stahlers spent Thanksgiving at the Vegetarian Society of D.C. dinner and last year, he and a group of extended family members enjoyed Thai takeout. Another year, he and his family went out to a restaurant in Chinatown in Philadelphia and a couple years they enjoyed traditional Thanksgiving dinners with Tofurkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and apple pie.
Eating vegan at a traditional Thanksgiving
Avoiding all animal products at a feast centered around meat might not be easy, but vegans find a way to eat around the bird.
Jenny Saccenti, of Perry Hall, usually spends Thanksgiving with her husband Brian’s parents. The Saccentis are raising their two daughters Emma, 5, and Fiona, 3, “mostly vegan,” though the girls sometimes eat cheese or products made with eggs.
Though Brian’s parents eat meat, they are accepting of the vegan lifestyle. Turkey is the main dish at the meal, but the Saccentis bring along a Tofurkey roast basted in olive oil, rosemary and soy sauce, accompanied with onions, carrots and potatoes. With stuffing, vegan green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, the Saccentis are well fed and happy.
“It’s not awkward at all. They’re really nice and they don’t seem bothered,” Saccenti said.
Cunningham suggests vegans place more emphasis on spending time with loved ones than on eating. Bring a dish to share, eat beforehand, or just eat the meatless dishes.
“We get together with our families and Thanksgiving has never really been a problem for me because there are so many vegetables and side dishes that are traditionally served. You can just eat around the turkey and have a wonderful meal,” Cunningham said. “Our families are generally supportive, but not interested in joining us.”
The day before Thanksgiving is a busy time for Great Sage, a vegan restaurant in Clarksville. The restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving, but the day before, vegan families pick up traditional Thanksgiving dishes made with vegan ingredients to serve at their Thanksgiving meals, such as pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, stews and roasts.
“I think the best thing to do is to bring something yourself and bring enough so anybody can try it,” said Katie Smallwood, one of two restaurant managers at Great Sage.
Standing out in a crowd
Sorak had a more difficult time of convincing family members, friends, teachers and acquaintances that the vegan lifestyle is OK. Sometimes other mothers would question Sorak about raising her kids vegan, and birthday parties and sporting events weren’t always easy.
When her oldest son, Jacob, was 3, Sorak had to take away a little cup of ice cream at a birthday party, which resulted in tears and nasty looks from other moms. At soccer games, the end-of-the-year party is often held at a pizza restaurant with no vegan options, and Sorak’s mother-in-law was even a little slow to warm up to the idea of veganism.
“She said ‘I’m worried that you’re depriving my grandchildren,’ ” Sorak said, “I looked at her and said ‘the only thing I’m depriving them of is cancer, heart disease, obesity …’ After that conversation, she pretty much stopped.”
Reasons for becoming vegan
While the majority of vegans cite animal rights as the reason for their lifestyle, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, the Soraks chose to raise their children vegans for health reasons.
Growing up, Bonnie suffered from allergies and upper respiratory issues and her husband had severe eczema, which remained a problem as an adult.
“When I was pregnant, I tried to think of the best way to feed my children to avoid allergies,” Sorak said. She nursed exclusively for six months and held off on introducing solids.” Then, Sorak read a couple of books correlating eczema and dairy products, and when her husband eliminated dairy from his diet, the eczema vanished.
The Soraks were sold, and decided to become vegans and raise their children vegan. They rid their house of all meat products, and Sorak scoured cookbooks and researched how to feed her family vegan. As the children got older, the Soraks discussed veganism and decided to tell them they were vegans because they didn’t want to eat animals.
“Kids are naturally empathetic to animals and we say why would you eat them? That’s what we told them when they were little. Now we tell them heart disease, diabetes. We progress as they’re old enough to understand,” Sorak said. “Now it’s a lifestyle. We did it for health reasons, but there’s so many benefits. I can’t imagine we would ever go back to eating like we did before.”
Staying healthy
Vegans can eat an entirely well-rounded, nutritious diet, but it’s not necessarily healthier than a diet that includes meat products, said Dr. Claudia Beck, a pediatrician with Pediatric Partners in Ellicott City.
Parents have to be involved and ensure their children are getting enough calcium, protein, fats and nutrients. A concern with vegan diets for children is they might not grow properly if they don’t get enough calories from proteins and fats.
“It’s not like this is a bad idea for your child. You really have to be conscious because their bones are growing,” Beck said.
Soy milk or almond milk are good sources of calcium, along with leafy vegetables. Calorie intake is also important. Dried fruits, nuts and olive oil are good fats.
Amanda Hillesland, registered dietitian at Howard County General Hospital, said a vegan diet can be healthy if it’s taken seriously and includes a balance of vegetables and proteins, as well as calcium. A vegan diet that only includes processed foods or junk food will be less healthy than a traditional meat-eating diet.
“You can feed your kid a doughnut for breakfast and whether or not your kid eats chicken for lunch won’t make a difference,” Hillesland said. “Even though you’re not eating animal products, it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have a healthier child.”
Hillesland suggested allowing children to pick out fruits and vegetables at the grocery store and help prepare meals, and sit down together as a family for as many meals as possible.
“Usually people who are vegan are very conscious about this thing. You just have to be logical about it,” Beck said. “The vegan diet is wonderfully complete.”
A Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
Sweet potato biscuits
Golden lentil chestnut roulade
Whole wheat bread stuffing with chestnuts, apples and vegan sausage
Portabella mushroom gravy
Green bean casserole with crispy onion topping
Sweet potato/pineapple casserole with vegan marshmallow topping
Steamed green beans
Baked sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Pumpkin pie with cashew cream
Pecan pie
Apple Pie
from Bonnie Sorak
Golden lentil roulade with chestnut stuffing
SERVES 8
1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbs. water or fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. soft butter or margarine
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Chestnut Stuffing
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped (2 cups)
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups canned peeled chestnuts
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Springs fresh sage for garnish
Directions:
In medium saucepan, combine lentils and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Stuffing: In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. In food processor, combine onion-pepper mixture, chestnuts, bread crumbs and sage; pulse on and off until well-blended. Transfer to large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Transfer cooked lentils to food processor. Add garlic, water or lemon juice, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and process until mixture becomes and smooth, pliable dough. Spread out a large piece parchment paper or wax paper on flat surface. Transfer lentil mixture to paper and pat into an 11- by 14-inch rectangle. Spread chestnut mixture evenly over lentil layer. Starting with a short end, carefully roll up lentil mixture, using paper to guide you (pull upward on edge of paper to propel the dough forward and create rolling action). Press roll firmly together with your hands as needed. Lift roulade onto a lightly greased baking sheet, rub softened butter or margarine over it. Bake until heated through and top is just beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
PER SLICE: 359 CAL; 16 G PROT; 7 G TOTAL FAT (3 SAT. FAT); 58 G CARB.; 8 MG CHOL; 475 MG SOD.; 14 G FIBER
Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (look for the non-hydrogenated version in the yellow container)
12 ounces light firm silken tofu (or extra-firm)
1/2 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned, not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (please!)
1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust (or oatmeal cookie crust)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth–not chalky or lumpy.
Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust.
Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 45-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours. Serve to delighted guests. (Don’t tell them it’s vegan, and they won’t know!)
Serves 8. Per serving (not including the crust): 218 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium.sadvsdasdva
From the Vegetarian Times