A Happy Turkey Day — Without the Turkey
Rethinking tradition to focus on compassion, gratitude, and abundance—not turkey breasts.
Humans are funny birds.
We get so wrapped up in habits, comfort zones, and traditions that we don’t often step back to question who we are and what we do.
Thanksgiving is one such instance, often reduced to the alternative name “Turkey Day.” At its heart, Thanksgiving is meant to be a day when we celebrate the bounty of the harvest, pause in gratitude for the abundance many of us enjoy, and share what we have with others.
Most of us don’t stop to think about the nearly 300 million birds who are killed each year in the U.S. to satisfy our tastes, habits, and traditions. Of these, 45 million are killed for Thanksgiving alone.
As someone who has been an animal advocate for over 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of guiding people toward plant-based eating and watching them discover an abundance of delicious, nutritious food.
I also know it takes a real shift in perception to shed the comfort zones of the past and create new ones. Some people have a real fear that they will no longer have satisfying, familiar, filling meals—especially on Thanksgiving. I can say with confidence that they can put those fears to rest.
Our Thanksgiving feast every year is full of comfort foods galore:
apple–pecan stuffing with fresh herbs
roasted Brussels sprouts
creamy mashed potatoes with savory mushroom gravy
silky smashed rutabagas
cranberry relish
stuffed winter squash
sweet corn
tender peas
classic pumpkin pie
spiced apple pie
And if you like, plant-based “holiday roasts” are also an option, from store-bought wheat- or tofu-based options to beautiful homemade versions.
The point is, there is certainly no shortage of food on our table.
The gathering of 52 English colonists and 90 Wampanoag Indians in 1621 marked the beginning of what we call Thanksgiving today. For the Christians who had endured a year of starvation and disease, it was a time to praise God for the abundance of the fall harvest. For the Wampanoags, it was a time to praise the Earth for the same.
For me, 400 years later, not much is different. Community, gratitude, and seasonal crops dominate my thoughts, as does my quiet hope that more and more people will embrace a turkey-free Thanksgiving.
That would make it a Happy Turkey Day indeed.
For the turkeys,
Fueling a Compassionate Holiday
A compassionate Thanksgiving starts with taking care of ourselves, too — and for me, that means making sure I’m nourishing my body well, and along with my nutrient-rich plant-based diet, I thrive even more with some extra support. That’s where Complement comes in, I take Complement Essential as my daily multivitamin for B12, D3, iodine, zinc, and magnesium; Omega Complex for essential fats; and as part of my strength-training and muscle-building routine, I fuel up with their clean Organic Protein. With Complement and my nutrient-rich diet, I have everything I need to fuel my body, support my strength, and thrive so I can do my work in the world for animals — both human and non-human.
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Additional Resources
👉 Connect with me 1:1 – Get personalized guidance whatever you are looking for.
👉 Read A Year of Compassion – Daily inspiration to help you live with intention, kindness, and clarity.
👉 Travel with me! I host animal-friendly, luxury, all-inclusive vegan trips around the world, specifically curated to ensure high-quality, high-touch premium experiences. Check out our upcoming trips, and let me know if you have any questions.
👉 Check out my Recipe E-Books and my library of On-Demand Cooking Classes for recipes, including my popular High-Protein Recipes Featuring Tofu, Tempeh, and Edamame!
Questions? Comments? Thoughts?