Thanksgiving is about coming home, seeing your family, getting to sleep in a real bed, having someone do your laundry for you and of course eating. Thanksgiving in my humble opinion is the holiday of food. When hearing the word Thanksgiving the first thing that most people think of is a turkey.

But as someone who has experienced Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, I can attest for the fact that there is more to Thanksgiving than turkey. Even when I was a vegetarian turkey was never the highlight of my meal. When I think of Thanksgiving I think of sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, chestnut soup, brussels sprouts, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, roasted veggies, and of course apple and pumpkin pie.

So for those of you who feel sorry for vegetarians on Thanksgiving please don't, trust me we still have to unbutton our pants at the end of the meal to make room for pie just like the rest of you.

For those of you who are vegetarians and are a little lost on what to ask your families to prepare for you on Thanksgiving there are an array of options. For those looking for a turkey substitute, my personal favorite is a baked cauliflower. With the right seasoning, it can taste just as good if not better than a turkey.

Then, of course, you have your classic roasted veggies, sweet potatoes, and soup. In reality, one doesn't even need a turkey substitute because more often than not there are copious amounts of vegetarian-friendly food at Thanksgiving. At least every Thanksgiving meal I have been to has had more food for me than I can even fit on my plate, not including the turkey or turkey substitute.

So to all newly declared vegetarians don't get nervous about missing out on the joys of eating on Thanksgiving. If anything I have begun to enjoy Thanksgiving more as a vegetarian because I feel good about what I am eating, plus you get to save some calories from not eating meat for dessert, the best part in my opinion. So have a happy Thanksgiving full of eating and the obligatory awkward conversations with distant relatives about how you and how are in fact still single.