What is Gentle Thanksgiving?

Gentle Thanksgiving 2008 was a success! Click here to view the report.

Gentle Thanksgiving is an opportunity to encourage friends, family and neighbors to adopt compassionate alternatives to unnecessarily cruel turkey dinners. We accomplish this by demonstrating the great taste and superior nutrition of gourmet vegan recipes and a variety of festive plant-based foods.

Millions of other caring folks across the U.S. are celebrating this Thanksgiving with a rich selection of delicious vegetables, fruits, baked goods, and mock meats replacing the carcass on their dinner table. The vegan bill of fare may include a 'tofurky,' lentil or nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder or chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie, and carrot cake. Sound good? Need some recipes? Click here.

Find out more by requesting a FREE Veg Starter Kit and weekly e-mail recipes.

No Turkey?! Why Not?

For the Animals

Abusing and killing an innocent bird betrays the life-affirming spirit of giving thanks for our life, health, and happiness. The nearly 300 million turkeys killed each year in the U.S. spend their entire lives crammed in large sheds with little room to move. Artificially inseminated and selectively bred to gain enormous amounts of weight, they... :: Click here to continue reading ::

To learn more about atrocious factory farm practices, check out these undercover investigations:

• Click here for PETA's undercover investigation of Butterball.

• Click here to find out about Compassion Over Killing's investigation of a North Carolina Turkey Hatchery that Supplies Butterball.

Find out the Top Ten Reasons to drop turkey from your holday menu!

For Your Health

The birds get even... their flesh is replete with cholesterol and saturated fats, which have been linked with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases that kill 1.3 million Americans annually. Turkey flesh is also contaminated with... :: Click here to continue reading ::

What About Free-range Turkeys?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the single condition for the term "free-range" is that birds have access to the outdoors. All other facets of a free-range turkey's life can be indistinguishable from the living conditions of a conventionally raised bird. Like all other turkeys raised for food... :: Click here to continue reading ::

Want Help?

For help in transitioning to a compassionate plant-based diet, sign up for a Free Veg Starter Kit and Meatout Mondays weekly e-mail recipes, product suggestions, and inspiration.