Yesterday's Tip covered ways to make your Thanksgiving meal budget friendly; today we discuss some ways to make it vegetarian friendly, too! For anyone following (or preparing a meal for someone else who is following) a vegetarian diet, holiday meals may seem daunting. However, simple steps can help deliver healthy fare that will please meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. Consider the following: 

1. Offer a meat alternative. In lieu of a traditional turkey (or as a complement to it), try one of the tofu "turkeys" available at most grocers. A tasty meat substitute, these faux turkeys feature tempeh, a fermented-soybean product often used in "mock meat" dishes, or seitan, a wheat-gluten-derived food. Some even come with gravy and stuffing, for a complete vegetarian alternative.
2. Make vegetables the main attraction. A pumpkin or squash stuffed with rice, cranberries, apples, nuts and other ingredients that typically go into turkey stuffing is not only satisfying, but provides a festive look as well.
3. Focus on sides. Potatoes mashed with carrageenan-free soymilk and extra virgin olive oil instead of cow's milk and butter, baked sweet potatoes, crusty whole grain bread, wild rice or vegetable casseroles, pureed cauliflower, steamed green beans, roasted root vegetables - your options are plentiful for making a healthy meal!

Dr. Weil's Spontaneous Happiness for Your Mood
Are you at "emotional sea level"? And what is that anyway? Find out - join Dr. Weil's new website, SpontaneousHappiness.com. Based on his best-selling book, this eight-week plan addresses the global increase in depression with gentle, natural therapies that can help treat the condition. Start your 10-day free trial now!