Carve Out a New Tradition This Thanksgiving |
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| A vegetarian dinner is a humane choice for this year's Thanksgiving feast. |
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This Thanksgiving, your family and friends can share a holiday celebration that gives loved ones—and turkeys—a reason to be thankful. Choosing heart-healthy and animal-friendly holiday fare not only protects your health, but also avoids supporting the abuses commonplace on turkey factory farms.
Whether you enjoy prepared turkey alternatives or homemade recipes, vegetarian options can be the centerpiece of a memorable holiday meal, and can help create a more humane world. But even if you're not yet ready to replace all your meat products this holiday, you can still help farm animals by adopting one of the other Three Rs: You can reduce your consumption of animal products or refine your consumption by choosing products from animals raised in the least inhumane conditions possible.
"This Thanksgiving, we can enjoy foods that are healthy for our families, giving ourselves and turkeys reason to celebrate," says Michael Greger, M.D., HSUS director of public health and animal agriculture. "Simply by choosing from the wealth of delicious, easy-to-prepare vegetarian meal options, we can leave saturated animal fat, cholesterol and animal suffering out of our holiday festivities."
Tragic Abuse
After enduring lives of frustration and suffering, tens of millions of turkeys are slaughtered for Thanksgiving meals. Most are bred to grow at an unnaturally rapid rate, preventing many of the birds from even walking normally. They also suffer from chronic health problems, including heart disease and skeletal disorders. Producers amputate parts of turkeys' beaks, toes and snoods, virtually never using painkillers in the process. After an often painful slaughter, they arrive on our tables.
Turkeys and other birds raised for food are left without protection from even the most terrible cruelties. The federal Animal Welfare Act does not cover animals used for food, and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act is interpreted to exclude birds killed for human consumption. And most states' anti-cruelty statutes exempt standard agricultural practices, no matter how abusive.
Start a Humane Tradition
Instead of starting your Thanksgiving celebration by purchasing a turkey raised on a factory farm, carve out a new tradition. There are many mouth-watering vegetarian options available for your holiday feast. Check out one of the delicious options available at supermarkets, such as Tofurky or UnTurkey, in order to satisfy your loved ones' craving for a filling meal. Surrounded by side dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce and vegetables, your holiday meal will be complete—and compassionate.
So, this Thanksgiving, gobble up an animal-friendly feast, and give turkeys reason for thanks!
See the Video
Petition for Poultry
Holiday Handouts: Too Much of a Good Thing
Related Links
About Turkeys
Factory Farming Gallery of Images
