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 SPORTS, FITNESS & SPORTS, FITNESS & 
HEALTHY LIVINGHEALTHY LIVING

Mountain View News Saturday, November 22, 2025

PLANT BASED THANKSGIVING


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.
com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

ALL THINGS by Jeff Brown


This year, instead of talking about going vegan or giving up the 
turkey, what about trying a Plant-Boosted Thanksgiving? It’s a 
simple idea: keep the traditions you love, but add a few plant-based 
dishes that taste great, save money, and give everyone a healthier 
holiday meal.

This approach works for families who are curious about eating less 
meat, people who want to save a little cash at the grocery store, 
or anyone who wants to leave the table feeling satisfied instead 
of stuffed and sleepy. And best of all, adding plant-based foods 
does not mean your table suddenly becomes “vegan only.” You’re 
not replacing the turkey (although they have great substitutes for 
that now) you’re just boosting the meal with foods that bring more 
color, flavor, and nutrition.

Interestingly, the vegan dishes are often the ones people reach for 
first. Even picky relatives. These dishes stand out because they’re 
fresh, bright, and full of flavor. Most guests don’t notice they’re 
plant-based at all. They just know they’re delicious.

Let’s start with the one dish that disappears fastest at Thanksgiving gatherings: roasted vegetables. No, 
not plain steamed carrots. I mean a big tray of roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, 
and squash with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh herbs. When roasted, vegetables get naturally 
sweet, slightly crispy, and full of deep flavor. They look beautiful on the table too. People love them 
because they balance out the rich, heavy foods we usually eat on Thanksgiving.

Another crowd favorite is a big fall salad. Yes, a salad at Thanksgiving. But this is not a boring, limp 
side salad pushed to the corner of the table. This is a bright, colorful bowl filled with spinach or mixed 
greens, sliced pears or apples, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and a light balsamic dressing. It adds 
crunch, color, and a fresh taste that cuts through the heavier dishes. People will take seconds. Some will 
even ask for the recipe.

One more dish that surprises everyone: mushroom gravy. You might think turkey gravy is untouchable, 
but mushroom gravy has a rich, savory, almost meaty flavor thanks to the natural “umami” in mushrooms. 
This gravy goes great over potatoes, stuffing, vegetables—even turkey if someone wants to mix 
and match. It’s one of the easiest plant-based dishes to make, and it never tastes like a “substitute.”

Now, why do these dishes win over picky eaters? Because they hit all the things people want: flavor, 
texture, comfort, and a little freshness to break up the heavy stuff. Nobody sits down thinking, “I need 
a vegan side dish today.” But they absolutely appreciate something that tastes good and helps them feel 
better after the meal.

And here’s another reason to try a Plant-Boosted Thanksgiving: it saves money. Meat, dairy, and processed 
foods are the most expensive parts of the holiday meal. A tray of roasted vegetables costs far less 
than a meat-based side. A salad with pears and greens is cheaper than a cheese-heavy casserole. Lentils, 
beans, potatoes, squash, and seasonal vegetables stretch a meal much farther than sausage, butter, and 
cream.

If you’ve looked at grocery prices lately, you know that every little bit helps. A few plant-based dishes 
can lower your cost without lowering the quality of the meal. In fact, they usually make the table look 
more impressive—not less.

These dishes are also healthier. They’re low in fat and naturally rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 
After eating them alongside the traditional foods, people often say they don’t feel as weighed 
down. They have more energy, less stomach discomfort, and a better balance of nutrients. 

You don’t have to reinvent Thanksgiving or give up your favorite family recipes. It’s simply about adding 
a little more color, a little more freshness, and a little more nutrition. You can still enjoy the foods you 
love most. You’re just boosting the plate with foods that help your body and wallet.

If you’re trying this for the first time, just pick a few vegan dishes to add to your menu. I’ll give you one 
right here, my own recipe for brown mushroom gravy. I use low-sodium broth and soy sauce. 

Toast in a saucepan several minutes: 

¼ cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

Dash of pepper

Add:

 2 cups mushroom broth

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Whisk over low heat until bubbly and thick

Even if you just choose one recipe this year, that’s enough to shift your meal in a healthier, more budget-
friendly direction. And who knows? A healthier dish might become a new family favorite. Even for the 
picky ones.

TONY PARSONS QUOTES

Tony Parsons, a prominent speaker and author in the 
field of non-duality, offers profound insights on the 
nature of reality, self, and enlightenment. His teachings 
emphasize that there is no individual self, only the oneness 
of existence. He has many videos on “youtube”

On the Illusion of Self:

1. "There is no separate individual. There is only oneness appearing as a 
separate individual."

2. "Liberation is the realization that there is no one to be liberated."

 Highlighting the paradox that enlightenment involves the disap pearance 
of the seeker.

3. "All there is, is this. And this is everything."

On the Nature of Reality:

4. "There is no path to what already is. The search itself is the veil."

• Underscoring the futility of searching for enlightenment, as it is already present.

5. "Everything that seems to happen is simply what is happening – without meaning or purpose, but full of wonder."

• Describing the spontaneous and impersonal nature of life.

6. "What we long for is what already is. It’s not hidden; it’s simply not seen."

• An invitation to recognize the ever-present reality of oneness.

7."The apparent need to control and understand dissolves into the 
(Cross-Out comment Susan Henderson
11/25/25, 1:20:16.AM
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sim plicity 
of being."

• Pointing to the freedom that comes with the end of control.

8. "The end of seeking is the end of the seeker. What remains is boundless energy appearing as everything."

 Everything happens like the weather, spontaneous with no one doing it.

On Liberation:

9. "Liberation is not something that happens; it is the absence of something that never was."

• Emphasizing the illusory nature of separation and the realization of oneness.

10. "Nothing needs to be done because nothing is out of place. There is only wholeness appearing as everything."

• Reflecting the completeness and perfection of all that is.

The self that feels like our ordinary daytime “me”, is a fictitious, subconscious mental 
product being injected into our cognitive and perceptual experiences, feeling fully 
apart and separate from everyone and everything else “known”.


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