Lightweight Eats

Last Thanksgiving, we'd been vegan for about a month before Thanksgiving rolled around. We were still too new to feel comfortable at the Thanksgiving table. Despite the plethora of articles about navigating the holidays as a vegan, there are very few about welcoming vegans, or really anybody with an allergy or food intolerance. These are some of the things that would have made the vegan Thanksgiving experience a little bit more manageable.

1. Print recipe cards. We do our Thanksgiving as a potluck so it's particularly difficult to check ingredients since who knows who brought what. This one is easy to pass off as a kind gesture—if you like the food, take a recipe. Plus, it lets people decide for themselves if each food fits their dietary needs. You won't have to remember whether barley has gluten and if the chocolate chips have dairy in them. (Bonus points if you include the brand you used—many experience vegans know which brands are vegan.)

2. Make some super safe dishes. Roasted sweet potatoes and beets with olive oil (gluten free, vegan, paleo, nut/seed free). Baby spinach, walnuts, dried cranberries, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic (gluten free, vegan, raw, paleo, low carb). Fresh fruit salad for dessert (gluten free, vegan, raw, paleo, nut/seed free—seriously, who doesn't eat fresh fruit?) These dishes are also easy to prepare, making your life easier!

3. Send out a rough menu plan ahead of time. If I know my dinner options are mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, I will come prepared with snacks. I may even volunteer to bring a small vegan-friendly dish, like I did for my family's Christmas celebrations last year.

4. Ask your guests to inform you of any allergies or dietary restrictions! That way you can avoid using the peanut butter spoon to stir the fruit salad if necessary, or switch to olive oil instead of butter where possible. A lot of people with dietary restrictions don't want to impose on their gracious hosts and choose to eat less rather than allow their hosts to provide options.

Any other tips?