Healthy Vegan Holiday Recipes for Thanksgiving or Christmas

Heather Nicholds, C.H.N.

Although people tend to think it’s hard, I actually find Thanksgiving and holiday meals a lot more fun as a vegan because I can enjoy more of the sides without leaving the table overly stuffed.

If I think about a typical Thanksgiving meal, it consists of a main dish (usually turkey), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, biscuits, green beans and pumpkin pie for dessert.

I love to think outside the box and make a soup, or a big quinoa salad or something else to make a creative new menu for a holiday meal, but here I’m going to give you some healthy and vegan alternatives to the traditional dishes.

Main Dish (Turkey alternatives)

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
No-fu Love Loaf by Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Kitchen
Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf by Oh She Glows
Garden Loaf with Cranberry-Maple Glaze on Bay Area Bites
Carrot-Pecan Nutroast by Ricki Heller
Sage-crusted Tofu Patties by The Blissful Chef

Stuffing

Cranberry-Pear Wild Rice Stuffing by VegKitchen
Cranberry, Apricot and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf by Oh She Glows
Vegan Stuffing Recipe Trio by Lunch Box Bunch
Cranberry-Thyme Stuffing
Vegan Stuffing Recipe on Savvy Vegetarian

Mashed Potatoes

Red Lentil-Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes, by Oh She Glows
Fluffy Mashed Potatoes from Post Punk Kitchen
Saffron Mashed Potatoes from the Shiksa in the Kitchen
Mashed Peas And Potatoes by JL Goes Vegan

Gravy

Ginger Cinnamon White Bean Gravy by JL Goes Vegan
Mushroom Gravy
The Best Vegetarian Gravy (easily made vegan with coconut or olive oil) by Umami Girl
Wild Mushroom Gravy (easily made vegan with coconut or olive oil) by Oh My Veggies
Vegetarian Gravy (easily made vegan with coconut or olive oil) by Herbivoracious