Plant-based recipes like this mushroom gravy are a delicious way to celebrate — and reduce your impact on the environment.
In November, many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving, often with friends and family gathered around the dinner table.
This time of year, with attention to those people who sustain us, we give thanks for health, happiness, and friendship. With so many people around the country celebrating and investing in the day, it also seems like as good a time as any to think about, and give back to, that which ultimately sustains us — our environment. It is a time of year when small changes by a large number of people can add up to a big impact.
Living in California, I’m thinking about water. Things we eat take a lot of water to produce. One pound of beef requires 1,800 gallons of water to produce and process (1). That’s equivalent to a 14-hour shower in the average American house (2). Poultry, such as chicken or turkey, requires less water, roughly 470 gallons per pound. Most fruits and vegetables require much less.
Consider a few of the following tips to make this year’s Thanksgiving your most sustainable yet.
What are some other ways you plan on reducing your impact this Thanksgiving? Please share below. We’d love to hear them. Happy Thanksgiving!
References:
Mushroom Gravy
This recipe is a variation on one I found while looking for vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas. The combination of mushroom and soy is savory and delicious and will eliminate your desire for sausage or bacon in side dishes. It can be served over turkey, potatoes, biscuits, roasted squash, green beans, you name it.
Servings: 8
Note: Does not include added salt.