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<\/p>\nTurkey may be a staple in any classic Thanksgiving dinner — but it\u2019s not for everyone.<\/p>\n
In fact, when it comes time to sit around the table and give thanks with a festive meal, some families skip the turkey entirely. Whether it\u2019s a dietary preference, a moral decision or just because they straight-up don\u2019t like it, it\u2019s becoming more common for turkey to be absent from Thanksgiving feasts. Even celebrities are opting out of turkey, instead chowing down on a vegan alternative or just a whole lot of sides!<\/p>\n
Find out why these stars don\u2019t eat turkey on Thanksgiving\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1. <\/strong>Billie Eilish<\/strong><\/p>\n Billie Eilish lives a vegan lifestyle and that includes Thanksgiving day. In years past, the singer has pledged not to eat turkey on the holiday — and she hopes that her fans will follow suit. In an Instagram Story from 2021, Billie shared a snap cradling a turkey at a sanctuary.<\/p>\n “Turkeys are some of the most gentle creatures in the world. and 46 million of them are killed every Thanksgiving,\u201d Billie wrote. \u201cI know it\u2019s hard to change traditions but just keep it in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Kourtney Kardashian<\/strong><\/p>\n Kourtney Kardashian went completely vegan for an early Thanksgiving celebration that coincided with her husband Travis Barker\u2019s birthday. Since Travis is vegan, they opted for a faux turkey as well as sides that included vegan mac and cheese as well as lots of veggies.<\/p>\n \u201cvegan thanksgiving for my baby\u2019s birthday @travisbarker \u2764\ufe0f,\u201d Kourtney captioned a video from the dinner on her Instagram Story.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>Pamela Anderson<\/strong><\/p>\n Pamela Anderson is a vegetarian so she avoids the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Instead, she actually opts to spend Thanksgiving Day with turkeys. She says that she often heads to the Gentle Barn, a sanctuary for abused animals, and hangs out with the birds.<\/p>\n \u201cI go to the Gentle Barn and hang with the turkeys. I tickle them under the wings and I sit them on my lap, and I feed them pumpkin pie,\u201d Pamela told Page Six.<\/p>\n 4. Madelaine Petsch<\/strong><\/p>\n As a vegan and animal advocate, Madelaine Petsch skips the turkey on Thanksgiving. While partnering up with animal rescue organization Farm Sanctuary, Madelaine opened up about how turkeys are treated in the food industry and encouraged fans to take part in the organization\u2019s turkey adoption program.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know that each year, almost 46 million turkeys are killed and eaten during Thanksgiving time? During their short lives, they are often subjected to cruel practices\u2026It doesn\u2019t have to be this way and you can help,\u201d Madelaine said in a video for Farm Sanctuary. \u201cThis year, adopt a turkey instead of eating one.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Alicia Silverstone<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2020, Alicia Silverstone pledged to have a turkey-free Thanksgiving. The actress, who has been a vegan for many years, has often opted to have a vegan holiday dinner — and hopes by speaking out, she could encourage others to do the same.<\/p>\n \u201cThanksgiving is such a lovely holiday and it just feels so good to make delicious vegan food and share it with your friends and your family,\u201d Alicia shared. \u201cTurkeys are creatures\u2026and they are funny and they are loving and they love to be snuggled and they have big personalities and they certainly don’t want to be killed.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued, \u201cI think that by saying I\u2019m not going to eat a turkey this year means I am taking a stand on the side of making change, on the side of standing in my beliefs, and saying actually, \u2018I don\u2019t want to contribute to climate change. Actually I don\u2019t want to hurt animals.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong> Chrissy Teigen<\/strong><\/p>\n Chrissy Teigen passes on turkey on Thanksgiving but it\u2019s not because she abides by a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Instead, Chrissy admits she just really doesn\u2019t like Turkey, so she chooses to make chicken instead.<\/p>\n \u201cScrew turkey. Turkey sucks. Turkey is gross!\u201d Chrissy told InStyle. \u201cI do two whole roasted chickens because chicken is so much better and you can still get a great gravy out of it. I just really feel like people feel like they\u2019re forced to eat turkey, and nobody really enjoys it. Surprise everyone. Serve them chicken, and they\u2019ll be much happier.\u201d<\/p>\n 7. <\/strong>Jesse Eisenberg<\/strong><\/p>\n Jesse Eisenberg is a vegetarian and so is his family, so they have a turkey-free celebration every year. Instead of turkey, the family has tofu and also adopts live turkeys to keep them from being killed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m mostly vegetarian. My family\u2019s vegetarian. We have vegan Thanksgiving although my family calls it Thanks-living,\u201d he said on Conan<\/em>. \u201cWe buy turkeys\u2026We kind of buy them in theory. You know, we save them and then we put the pictures on the table like, \u2018You saved Mabel. You saved Todd.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n 8. <\/strong>Kristen Bell<\/strong><\/p>\n Kristen Bell has been a vegetarian for a long time so she\u2019s always skipped the turkey on Thanksgiving in favor of a Tofurkey. Her parents first started making it when Kristen stopped eating meat as a kid and now she continues the tradition each year.<\/p>\n \u201cTofurkey. It\u2019s a faux turkey that my parents always made for me because I\u2019ve always been a vegetarian. It\u2019s awesome. It\u2019s so great. You\u2019ll have to try it!\u201d Kristen once told InStyle.<\/p>\n In an interview with People, Kristen also noted that she often forgets to defrost the tofurkey in time for dinner, so she ends up enjoying it the next day.<\/p>\n 9. <\/strong>Kelly Ripa<\/strong><\/p>\n Kelly Ripa doesn\u2019t eat turkey on Thanksgiving, but it\u2019s not because of dietary preferences. Instead, Kelly says she once had a mishap which left her family with a ton of guests and a half raw turkey. Instead, they now focus on other Thanksgiving staples and \u201cprotein alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[My son] Joaquin is really big on the sage and butter pork chop. He loves it so much! My daughter is more like my people. We like a whipped mashed potato, but we also like a mashed sweet potato. We like anything mashed and carbohydrate,” Kelly shared with Entertainment Tonight.<\/p>\n 10. <\/strong>Mayim Bialik<\/strong><\/p>\n Mayim Bialik isn\u2019t a big fan of Thanksgiving, especially the tradition of eating turkey. The actress, who is a vegan, opts out of serving the dish — and actually shies away from celebrating the holiday altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like the tradition of killing a bird that, in most cases, has been genetically modified so that it\u2019s so big that it can\u2019t even stand up and then you lay its carcass on a tray and you carve it up and then you eat it. I don\u2019t like that tradition. I don’t want that one,\u201d Mayim shared in a YouTube video.<\/p>\n 11. <\/strong>Kaley Cuoco<\/strong><\/p>\n Kaley Cuoco abides by a vegetarian lifestyle so when it comes to Thanksgiving, she opts out of eating turkey. In partnership with Farm Sanctuary, Kaley encouraged fans to do the same and instead, adopt a turkey to save it from being killed.<\/p>\n \u201cEach year 46 million turkeys are inhumanely raised and slaughtered for Thanksgiving. The majority of these birds are raised on factory farms, which are linked to numerous environmental problems hurting us and our planet,\u201d Kaley said in a video for Farm Sanctuary, adding, \u201cTry something new. Take the turkey off your plate and sponsor one instead.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.toofab.com\/image\/7a\/5by4\/2023\/11\/02\/7a0b47451f1043d099b1db8b40b1c460_xs.jpg\")
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