How World Vegan Day Came To Be

27 years ago, Louise Wallis—then Chairman of the Vegan Society—marked November 1^st as World Vegan Day. This was in tribute of the 50^th birthday of the Vegan Society. A society that was created by Donald Watson and Elise Shrigley in 1944 when they decided to remove animal products other than meat from their diets and branch out from the Vegetarian Society UK. Since then, the lifestyle of a plant-based diet has been on the rise.

Celebrate With Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Not only is today World Vegan Day, but it’s also the beginning of November. Which means Thanksgiving is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate the day than to replace traditional recipes with their plant-based and equally delicious alternatives. As someone who has been a vegan for around 4.5 years now, I struggled in the beginning to find recipes that lived up to the main dishes, sides, and desserts I’d grown up eating. But now that I’ve had years to search and experiment with recipes, I’ve found plenty to satisfy even the non-vegans in my life.

Appetizers:

In a world of cheese boards and deviled eggs, finding good appetizers that don’t contain animal products can be a struggle. Especially when there are some not-so-good brands of vegan cheeses and dips out there. One bad experience can throw someone off the lifestyle completely. If a cheese board is the kind of appetizer you’re in to, there are several brands that I suggest.

Violife makes an amazing cheddar block and even their pre-sliced cheeses are very good. Treeline has a line of soft, spreadable cheeses that are fantastic. The Tofurky and Mia brands carry a variety of vegan sliced meats. I’m not a fan of Daiya but I can’t resist their jalapeño cheese block. I find that plenty of crackers and store-bought baguettes are vegan so those can be a yummy addition to a board, along with nuts, jams and berries.

And if you’re not into fake meats and cheeses, here are a few recipes that are sure to wow. I’ve tried plenty of these and yes, they are good. But of course, my tastes differ from everyone else’s. I highly suggest tasting as you go and adjusting to your liking! Too many times I’ve followed a recipe word for word and been unhappy with the end-results.

• Deviled Potatoes - Click Here

• French Onion Dip - Click Here

• Cranberry & Thyme Cheese Ball - Click Here

• Garlic Knots - Click Here

Side Dishes:

Sides are the foundation for any Thanksgiving meal. Most are easily veganized and are a great way to get those daily servings of vegetables in. I included staples for my holiday but I know there are plenty other side dishes that make appearances on the dinner table. There is a great recipe for gravy but if you're too lazy or running short on time, I personally like the Road's End Organics Savory Herb Gravy but Tofurky carries some as well.

• Green Bean Casserole - Click Here

• Stuffing - Click Here

• Mashed Potatoes - Click Here

• Gravy - Click Here

• Cauliflower Casserole - Click Here

Main Courses:

The trickiest part of Thanksgiving is figuring out what to serve in place of turkey or ham. Yes, there are holiday roasts out there by Tofurky, Gardein, Field Roast and other brands but those can be disappointing in comparison. I like to keep it vegetable-centric but there's nothing wrong with buying a premade alternative. If any, Gardein would be my brand of choice.

• Roasted Cauliflower - Click Here

• Stuffed Acorn Squash - Click Here

• Pot Pie - Click Here

• Tempeh Pot Roast - Click Here

Desserts:

It's fun to venture past the traditional pumpkin and apple pie so I've included a variety of desserts that take it up a notch. And whether you're an ice cream or whipped cream kind of person, there are a ton of options for either! Make your own whipped topping with coconut cream or Silk's heaving whipping cream. Or buy Reddi-Wip's almond or coconut milk whipped cream. Truwhip and Cocowhip also make delicious whipped topping. Brands like Nada Moo, Oat-ly, So Delicious and many others make a vegan vanilla ice cream. You can walk into most grocery stores and find some brand of plant-based ice cream so the options are endless.

• Apple Pie - Click Here

• Banana Cream Pie - Click Here

• Cranberry/Orange Loaf Cake - Click Here

• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls - Click Here