Guess Who's Vegan To Dinner?

I became a Vegetarian at the age of thirteen. Recently I have decided to make the transition to full Vegan thanks to my new status as a Vega Community Ambassador, and to the inspiring recipes found on thriveforward.com and ohsheglows.com. I have yet to break the news to my family. I say "break" because, despite my not having eaten meat in over ahargahem years, I still hear "what are we going to feed you?" every time I attend a family meal. True, my father was raised on a cattle farm, but I have seen all of my family members consume at least some foods that did not consist of flesh.

All my adult life I have been asked, "well, what do you eat?" and "but, where do you get your protein?" Imagine their horror when I have to explain that eggs, cheese, and honey have joined the pantheon of "Protein Lisa Doesn't Eat". With Canadian Thanksgiving fast approaching, bringing meals with my family, my partner's family (both our parents are divorced so that makes 4 meals instead of two) where I will have to break the "bad" news to everyone I thought I'd do so in one missive with plenty of advanced warning.

The average Thanksgiving table in my family consists of a roasted bird or swine of some kind, boiled (generally mashed) autumn harvest root vegetables such as carrots, squash, potatoes, turnip, and a dessert (usually pumpkin pie) served with whipped cream or ice cream. All those root vegetables are my domain. They fall under the "not meat" umbrella of "Food Lisa Does Eat". I don't have nut allergies or gluten intolerance. I don't have a carbohydrate phobia (you need carbs, people). In fact, my diet has more variety than the restrictive fad diets of most of my family.

Let's start with the great protein myth; there are plant proteins, many plant proteins. It is very rare to eat anything that is all protein or all carbohydrate. Food is complex. Most things you put in your mouth contain protein and carbohydrate, and sometimes fat at the same time. Foods get labeled as a "carb" or a "protein" depending on the ratio or carbs to proteins to fats. If it has more protein than carbohydrates or fats, it is considered a protein. The only foods that are "pure" anything are manmade, heavily processed and should be limited if not avoided altogether. If it grows by itself, without humans doing too much to intervene, it is a mix. So, chances are something on the menu that isn't an animal will have protein, and that's where I get it.

The "well, what do you eat?" question is easier to answer; everything that doesn't have meat, eggs, dairy or honey. That includes, all vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and legumes, edible flowers, herbs and spices, I love herbs and spices. Essentially I eat everything edible that grows but doesn't bleed. That leaves the door pretty wide open for feeding me or heck, why don't I just make a few dishes to add to the table and I'll eat that! Everybody wins!