When people get focused on their turkeys and ham, they can forget that holidays such as Thanksgiving, that revolve around a meal, cannot feed the needs of everyone. Vegetarians, vegans, and other people who cannot eat certain things can face problems when dinner is served at a friends house or even their own because they find that many of the dishes involve ingredients they have chosen not to eat. For example, a vegetarian’s diet does not involve meat and Vegans do not eat or use anything that contains any part of an animal.

Thanksgiving is a big deal for Alexa De La Cruz, junior, and her family because they go spend the holiday with the only other family they have close to them, so she finds a way to enjoy the day with her family despite being vegetarian. She is the only vegetarian in her family so they accommodate for her by making sure that there is always something she can eat like mashed potatoes and soup.

“The day is not really about the food for me. It’s about spending time with my family. So as long as I can still be there with them and spend time together, I’m fine. The meal is just something we do, but it’s just nice to have a day where we can all take off work and relax with each other,” said De La Cruz.

For Sarah Cole, junior, this Thanksgiving will be her first year as an official vegetarian. Her family has never had a big celebration, but they try to do something every year. They prepare food dishes that are fast and easy like veggie burgers for her. She does not enjoy the holiday any less because of her restrictions.

“Being vegetarian does not really affect my enjoyment of the holiday very much. The main idea of the whole thing is to be with your family and reflect on how much we have that we usually take for granted, and obviously be thankful,” said Cole.

Arayha Grant, sophomore, is a vegan in a family of turkey lovers. Her family even goes as far as to plan the entire meal around the turkey, but she is never left out of the mix because her family cooks additional dishes that are vegan, so she can enjoy almost the same plates while eating dinner with her family.

“On Thanksgiving, people gain weight.But I lose weight, so for me, the holiday isn’t a big deal, but I always like being there with my family,” said Grant.

Thanksgiving can be stressful when trying to make sure that everyone has something that they can eat, but people with dietary restrictions still like Thanksgiving. When organizing for the celebration, people get caught up in the food, but the idea around Thanksgiving is having the opportunity to tell loved ones how much you care for them and showing gratitude for all you have. So instead of focusing on the meals that are missing, gathered family members get the chance to express appreciation for the things that they are fortunate enough to have.