White Christmas -- How About A Green Thanksgiving?
White Christmas is a cultural and traditional icon of our society. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, Green Thanksgiving will also become an American standard.
Naturally, the most eco-friendly meal would be a 100 percent vegan menu. Let’s be honest, though, do you really want to celebrate with turkey-shaped soy? If you do, more power to you. But if a “tofurky” feast isn’t your thing, bear in mind you still have other savory and sustainable options: Choose a turkey that is USDA-Certified organic and free-range, meaning it is given organic feed and is free from confinement. You can find a list of farmers at Local Harvest who use organic methods to raise their birds, perhaps there is one near you?
If you do choose to enjoy soy for Thanksgiving there are many vegetarian and vegan soy “turkeys” available, or you can even try making your own. Click here for an article offering many non-meat turkey options. There are also some vegetarian gravy recipes if you want the full Thanksgiving meal experience.
It’s also the season for pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. Traditional Thanksgiving food is usually in season anyway, so why not get the freshest possible ingredients for your mashed potatoes and pies by visiting your local farmer’s market? Eating produce that’s in season -- especially if grown locally -- cuts down on the carbon emissions needed to grow, plow, ship, truck and fly it from the farm to your table. If you can’t find a farmer’s market in your area, try to purchase as many organic, in-season ingredients at the grocery store as you can. Here is a list of recipes by in-season ingredient that you can try for your Thanksgiving meal.
Planning final headcount will help monitor unnecessary food waste, so get those RSVPs early! While we all love leftover turkey sandwiches, inevitably, some food spoils quickly forcing you to toss it; have guests bring a reusable dish to share leftovers. If there are any scraps left, try composting them to limit waste and add nutrients to your garden.
You can also consider, making your Thanksgiving meal a potluck and ask your guests to bring different side dishes so all you have to worry about is getting the best possible turkey. Share vegan, vegetarian, in-season and organic recipes as a little hint for the menu theme. This allows everyone to participate in creating a sustainable soiree.
Easy Décor
Don’t stop with dinner; incorporate a touch of green into décor as well. Create the perfect holiday ambiance with candles, but choose ones made out of soy or beeswax as they last longer and burn cleaner than paraffin and petroleum candles that emit toxic chemicals. Also, natural accents like baskets filled with beautiful fall leaves or a cornucopia centerpiece with organic pumpkins and gourds, are not only affordable but also eco-friendly.
When setting up for the feast, forget the disposable plates, paper napkins and plastic cutlery and opt for the real deal, including linens. If your party is too large for reusable items, try more biodegradable and sustainable party supplies that can be composted after use.
Before turkey-coma sets in, be sure to keep your daily habits of recycling glass, plastic and aluminum, and compost the leftover treats after the party. Also, remember to let leftovers cool before storing as steam can increase the temperature inside the refrigerator, which will then use more energy to keep it cold. Think you might have too much, even for those delicious post-Thanksgiving meals? Send guests packing with some turkey takeaways!
Shop Smart
First, bring reusable bags when shopping. Planning for a big meal means taking food home in a bundle of bags, so pass on the plastic at the grocery store. Secondly, because of the popularity of organic products, companies are starting to slap on organic labels for items that are not truly organic. Read the labels carefully. USDA's National Organic Program regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced so look for anything USDA-certified.
You may find that turkey that is free-range, organic and free of antibiotics is a bit pricier than the others at the supermarket. However, it is a better choice for the environment, your health, and the taste is incomparable. If that’s not enough, just remember that following the rest of the tips -- like making less food, not buying disposable plates and cutlery, reducing electricity, using natural decorations, etc -- will end up saving you money.
Most of all, enjoy the time with friends and family and be thankful that we have an opportunity to correct mistakes of the past by making environmentally friendly holiday decisions.
What are some ways you plan to go green this Thanksgiving? As always, I enjoy reading your comments.
Follow Jennifer Schwab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SCGreen_Home
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I haven't found them yet, but I'm sure they're out there (or soon to come): energy efficient Christmas tree lights? If anyone knows of any and where I can find them-- please let me know! Thanks in advance!
Great article-- growing up, my family always laid out the formal spread-- right down to the linens and I never thought of it as being "green" more so as it was just "tradition". Now that I have a family of my own-- I'm trying to instill the same traditions, but with a greener conscious.
think it’s weird to have to compost your leftovers because it’s really smelly. I think donating it is a lot better or just send it home with your friends.
oh and, Does anyone have good soy/tofu recipes?
The main issue with holidays is that so many people travel and this causes a lot of air pollution and in order to have a green holiday its important to understand that you don’t need to go to Hawaii but simply enjoy your Dakota weather.
If you can’t go green with your food then at least strive to decorate with reusable objects like little statues and lights.
Maybe this is more for Christmas, but we make garland out of popcorn, cranberries, baked cinnamon shapes and pinecones. It makes for a better smelling, beautiful, and bio-degradable decoration-- all strung upon hemp or twine.
Honestly, I just think it’s crazy that we’re already talking about Xmas and New Year. It’s too soon, but I would recommend doing some early eco-shopping like LED bulbs, recycled paper, etc. Cool stuff like a salt powered alarm clock
I think food is important to consider when going green, unfortunately many people don’t.
I am traveling this Thanksgiving...so not green I know...
Call me eco unfriendly, but I rather enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast. I have since I can remember. I won't give up my turkey, honey baked ham, or any other types of meats during this holidy. But I am open to buying organic, free range meats.
turkey is delicious... but sooo unncessary! i would strongly recommend that you just buy sliced deli turkey and dont invest too much
Definitely, same here. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same with tofurkey.
Boycott tradition. I say we all just buy a microwavable meal and go from there.
That's what I call a Thanksgiving meal. From a microwave.
Actually microwaved meals aren't that bad, especially for people who can't afford to go to restaurants or have a homecooked meal.
My family always does an afternoon barbeque for Thanksgiving and an active evening. Last year we even went and delivered meals on wheels to those that are less fortunate. If you can’t go green, you can at least be humane and help others.
That's pretty nice, good for you :-)
272 millions turkeys are raised for slaughter each year in America. That’s just disgusting and so inappropriate. And only about 150,000 of them are organically raised. There are starving countries out there and we are looking to buy more and more food with every holiday…
That statistic is horrifying! Not only is the amount of turkeys outrageous considering americans eat turkey during Thanksgiving only, but the fact that only 150,000 are organically raised. That is not acceptable.
THAT'S INSANE. i hope if the market for sustainable meat rises pesticide-full turkey (and other meats) decrease in production
oh nooooo. really??? that is way sad.
That's a lot of turkeys- I had no idea!
Tofurky isn't actually that bad. Meat isn't a huge part of my diet anyway so I usually fill up on mashed potatoes and pie.
sour cream mashed potatoes with chives and a bit of sharp cheddar makes any holiday for me :)
I don’t think that modifying you food will do a whole lot for creating a sustainable holiday. People just want to eat and pass out… no one cares about cleaning (ergo the paper plates) no one cares about saving money (ergo slaughter house meat) and no one care to be sustainable (ergo plastic bags, trash, and thousands of lbs of leftovers). It’s important to downsize your intake and then you can keep everything else in moderation.
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