Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, football, and, of course, food. Across the country we’ll be gathering with loved ones to enjoy mouthwatering meals and great conversation. Whether you’re planning a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings or adding new alternative, plant-based Thanksgiving options to freshen up your menu or to accommodate your guests’ diets, there are so many ways to savor the flavors of this holiday.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means that if you haven’t already planned your Thanksgiving menu for this year, it’s time to sit down and figure out how to accommodate all your guests. This year, in addition to or instead of doing the traditional turkey dinner, why not try some non-traditional dishes? This is not only something to do in an effort to be more creative with your menu, but it is also a way to be more inclusive to those friends and family who have certain dietary restrictions.

Include A Variety Of Fresh Veggies

Regardless of what the main course is, you should make sure that there are plenty of vegetables on your Thanksgiving table. Fresh veggies provide a lot of essential nutrients and fiber. Fiber from vegetables will help fill you up without setting you back calorie-wise. They offer a wide variety of vibrant flavors that the whole family will enjoy. You can start by serving an appetizer of veggie grazing boards or charcuterie. We have put together some ideas for you with this Gourmet Veggie Platter, and Fall Floral Board. Both feature a mix of our snacking line and organic veggies that are colorful, crunchy and delicious.

Don’t forget the kids either! This Mini Munchies Snack Board is perfect for little hands. It features all the amazing textures and flavors in our Mini Munchies® Snack Sized Veggies and is perfect to tide kids over until dinner is ready. These snacking boards can also migrate to the table when dinner is ready so that those with dietary restrictions or those who are picky eaters will have something more they can put on their plates!

With a veggie dish, like this Fall Harvest Salad featuring our Sangria® Tomato Medley, cheese, almonds and an incredibly flavorful homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette, you can hit the mark for nearly all diets. This gives those who don’t want to have turkey and potatoes an option that will allow them to still fill their plates and stomachs.

Check Out Our Healthy Thanksgiving Ideas For Inspiration!


Healthy Plant-Based Menu Options

Sure, we all love the traditional Thanksgiving foods, ranging from mashed potatoes swimming in gravy to that sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows, but it is possible to stray slightly from those traditional recipes without sacrificing great taste!

This Sweet Potato Pizza is a fun, creative way of incorporating sweet potatoes into the menu in a much healthier way. Not only will it be enticing to those picky eaters (because hey, who doesn’t love pizza?), it is also gluten free, vegetarian and if you substitute with vegan cheese, it can easily be made vegan.

If you’re considering venturing outside the Thanksgiving box completely this year, or if you’re having a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving, this Roasted Pepper Lasagna is perfect for a main course. It would also be a wonderful addition to a turkey dinner if you know that you will be having guests with certain dietary needs. It is gluten free and vegetarian, but with a substitution of vegan cheese can transform it into a vegan main course.

For those who are following a low-carb diet, this Butternut Squash Pasta with Tomatoes recipe is a perfect side dish! It is also gluten free, vegetarian and can easily be modified to be vegan. This plant-based pasta dish features our award-winning Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. These unique, gourmet snacking tomatoes are perfect for snacking and are great in recipes, so make sure you pick up extra!

Honor Your Traditions

Even with modifications and variations, you can still keep the traditional Thanksgiving foods in mind. Adding new and exciting dishes to your menu could become a new tradition itself! If you are going to put a lot of work and effort into a meal, don’t feel confined to the traditional dishes. Making an inclusive table for everyone who sits around it and sharing a meal together is what Thanksgiving is really about.

For more inspiration on how to make your Thanksgiving more memorable, click here.

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