The potatoes, the gravy, the cranberries, and the pumpkin pie will all receive their finishing touches as her family gathers about the table in eager anticipation of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Traditions, however, shift from family to family. We don't want it. And we certainly don't miss it. To a wide slice of the nation's populace, the very notion of a meatless Thanksgiving might seem strange and jarring and a little bit sad.
Health is probably the predominant reason.
I've raised three children as vegetarians. They've all stayed eating this way. Jackson has developed a holiday spread that looks pretty much like everyone else's, while accentuating her philosophy of culinary ethics and healthful living. It's about giving the best you have to give, and being truly thankful for the good things around us. All of that is heightened, I think, by the way my family chooses to live and eat.