Turkey Day is right around the corner, however not everyone likes to indulge in a juicy slice of Thanksgiving turkey. Lately it seems that more people at Middletown High School are choosing to become a vegetarian which may restrict their options at a typical Thanksgiving dinner.
Vegetarianism is a lifestyle some people chose where they don’t eat any meat. Whether it’s because they don’t like meat, are allergic to it or don’t appreciate killing animals for food, meat is totally out of the picture on all days, including Thanksgiving.
Hannah Prensky, MHS sophomore and vegetarian, said she never opted for the “meatfull choice” anyway so becoming a vegetarian didn’t affect her life that much.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians are at lower risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and hypertension (high blood pressure). This is only true, however, if a person replaces proteins and fats with healthy alternatives and doesn’t eat excessive amounts of fried food or carbs.
It is a common misconception that vegetarians do not get enough protein or vitamins associated with meat. This is not always the case though. Beans, nuts and tofu are examples of meatless foods containing similar nutrients one would get from a steak.
“I eat a lot of rice, beans, cheese, fruit and eggs to get the protein I need,” said Prensky.
Allie Hough, MHS senior and vegetarian said, “I usually eat the fake meat stuff” to get vitamins and amino acids.
Many people also think that vegetarians have a super difficult time finding food to eat. This will most likely only be the case in a BBQ restaurant. There are tons of salads, soups, sandwiches, and of course desserts available that contain no meat.
“There are always vegetarian options at restaurants, they’re not always good options, but there are options,” said Hough.
This is the same for at Thanksgiving. While turkey is the main dish to a Thanksgiving dinner, it is only one small part to the main course. Most families usually will have stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bread and maybe a salad as side dishes. All these foods are things vegetarians can happily eat.
However, as much as the delicious food is what everyone usually looks forward to on Thanksgiving, it’s not really what the holiday is about.
“I’m still with my family,” said Hough. “The food doesn’t really matter as much.”
Aubrey Troop, MHS sophomore and vegetarian, said her family celebrates Thanksgiving with all the ‘normal’ Thanksgiving foods; however, she avoids the turkey and other meat. This is similar to how day-to-day meals are at the Troop house as well as other families with a vegetarian.
“I am tempted all the time by meat,” said Troop, “Thanksgiving is going to be difficult this year.”
Prensky and Troop both said their parents make meals containing meat at home, but they just don’t eat it.
“My mom will sometimes make a vegetarian meal as well,” said Prensky, “or I’ll just cook for myself.”
“Friends don’t eat friends,” Prensky added.
