A vegan Thanksgiving can be a gourmet, delicious, healthy celebration that all can be grateful for. Traditional Thanksgiving is often crowned by a giant roasted turkey, something that is less appealing for vegans and vegetarians. Why not shift the focus to celebrate the season’s abundance of butternut squash, pumpkins, acorn squash, whole grains, green beans, rich mushroom gravy, vegan stuffing, and a spread of luscious and wholesome vegan pies and desserts? If you are vegan and hosting Thanksgiving this year, you probably want to give all of your guests a chance to enjoy the holiday festivities without sacrificing the comfort and familiarity of the classics. According to a recent study, veganism is on the rise in the U.S. from 1% in 2014 to 6% in 2017. This rapid growth means that veganism is gaining momentum and it’s likely you’ll have some vegan and vegetarian guests at your table this holiday season. In that case, it’s important to make sure all of your guests can enjoy the abundance of the autumnal harvest. Oftentimes, vegan and vegetarian options are overlooked at parties and celebrations where food is the center; leaving some guests to nibble on bread, salad, and cranberry sauce. Swapping a few of the traditional standbys for delicious vegan alternatives can be a great way to make celebrating together easier for everyone. Fall is an amazing season for produce. In fact, Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to put together a creative, delicious feast featuring the best of seasonal produce vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores will devour with pleasure. Creating a plant-based Thanksgiving menu also offers healthy benefits by incorporating healthy fats, fibrous whole grains like quinoa which are also complete proteins, as well as showcasing whole foods at their peak season of flavor and nutrition. Below are a few recipe ideas to incorporate into your Thanksgiving menu.

• Quinoa stuffed acorn squash with walnuts and cranberries (a perfect meatless main!) glazed with maple syrup instead of honey
• Mushroom gravy
• Mashed sweet potatoes with healthy fats instead of butter and cream
• A lighter, healthier version of green bean casserole
• Apple pecan stuffing for all of the rich flavors of this Thanksgiving table favorite
• Orgain’s vegan pumpkin pie!

Need more vegan dessert ideas? Check out this list of 9 vegan pies from Well + Good and these 14 ultra-decadent vegan desserts that are so good, no one will miss the dairy.