CNN iReport

Our favorite vegetarian Thanksgiving centerpiece is Tofurky Feast, a vegetarian alternative to turkey.  It is always a big hit with our family that includes 2 children even though they are exposed to regular holiday fare in their friend's homes and at school.

It's great comfort to know they are eating a healthful alternative to meat, since meat in the USA is grown with female hormones to increase the weight of the animals.  That may very weil be a major reason so many people are overweight, and men are having virility problems since the female hormones in the meat affect your body when you consume them.

I like the fact that there is no saturated fat in vegetarian meals to clog arteries, liver and heart.  My optometrist scanned the retinas of my eyes during a routine eye exam and was amazed.  He said I had the clean circulation of a much younger man.  When I asked him if he thought my vegetarian diet had anything to do with that, he snorted, "No, you just have good genes."  Well, I decided it was too nice a day to argue about it.

So there's my little stump-speech extolling the virtues of vegetarianism.  I would just caution anyone who is or wants to try vegetarianism to remember to include whole grains, beans and legumes as primary diet basics, since they contain plenty of protein to satisfy nutritional needs, and to watch the sweets.

Anyway, the rest of our vegetarian Thanksgiving feast typically includes steamed string beans, baked buttercup squash or kabocha, a Japanese variety, homemade cranberry sauce sweetened with Stevia and/or a little 100% pure maple syrup or honey.

We also usually have whole-grain rolls and use soy margarine instead of dairy butter.  Also, baked sweet-potatoes are a big hit, as their naturally sweet taste is appealing, especially to the kids.

We usually serve Rice Dream, an icream-like dessert made with brown rice amazake instead of dairy milk or cream, along with apple pie made without sugar or other sweeteners -- just apples, arrowroot starch for thickener and cinnamon.

Apple cider and/or kukicha (roasted green twig tea) as beverages round out a very satisfying celebration of all we are thankful for, especially our health.

Best of all, it doesn't break the budget during these lean times...

Fred Pulver