Mm-mm. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we all know what that means: plenty of delicious food.

However, not everyone is going to the chain grocery store and placing Butterball turkeys, Sara Lee pies and canned cranberry sauce in their carts. Environmentally-conscious eaters know that local, unprocessed foods are better for the planet. Local foods reduce fuel emissions and global warming, they preserve genetic diversity in plants and they preserve open space.

Many Guilford community members and Greensboro residents follow “alternative” diets, such as vegetarian or high protein diets, that you might suspect would make Thanksgiving complicated. It may come as a surprise that individuals who choose these alternative diets do not encounter many obstacles.

“Being a vegetarian has not taken any joy away from Thanksgiving,” first-year Michael Caswell said.

Caswell has been a vegetarian for seven years. His diet consists mainly of vegetables, beans and pasta, and he tries to eat local foods. His main reason for being a vegetarian is that he believes the treatment that animals receive in the meat industry is morally wrong.

Of course, vegetarians do not eat the Thanksgiving turkey, but they do indulge in many of the same dishes that meat-eaters do.

“At first it was strange because, in the South, a lot of the side dishes are made with meat,” said Caswell. “A lot of the dishes use beef broth, (but) my mom and grandma use vegetable broth instead … And my mom buys me a tofurkey every year.”

While Caswell is a vegetarian for animal rights and environmental reasons, High Point resident Dara McMillan took her health into consideration when she began eating a vegan raw foods diet.

“Raw foods make me feel good and they give me energy,” said McMillan.

Foods can be heated up to 110 degrees in a raw foods diet, so a dehydrator is used in many of the recipes. A blender or food processor is essential to making tasty raw foods, especially Thanksgiving dishes.

“Instead of cranberry sauce from a can, you can blend fresh cranberries, oranges and walnuts in a food processor,” said McMillan. She also relies on salads and enjoys a variation on apple pie, consisting of a nut-and-date crust with raw apples, spices and sweetener for the filling.

Preparing a completely raw and vegan Thanksgiving feast is time-consuming, explained McMillan, but the foods are a delectable alternative to a cooked Thanksgiving meal.

Like Caswell and McMillan, sophomore Solomon Weiner tries not to eat processed foods. Weiner follows a diet based on research by Dr. Weston Price. Price found that when cultures incorporated processed foods into their diets, an increase in modern diseases arose in that population.

“I eat most meat, a lot of eggs, fruits and vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products and fermented foods, and I avoid vegetable oils,” Weiner said. “I cook in animal fat, olive oil, or butter instead.”

Weiner follows this diet for health, ethical, environmental and economical reasons. He loves to cook, and since he does not eat processed foods, he has peace of mind because he knows what is in his food.

Most of the food Weiner purchases is bought locally and through the farmers in the area. Weiner eats traditional Thanksgiving dishes such as turkey and sweet potatoes, but he prepares the food from scratch, and the Thanksgiving turkey is local and has had the freedom to roam the farm.

“I love Thanksgiving,” said Weiner. “The food aspect makes it one of my favorite holidays.”

Caswell, McMillan and Weiner’s Thanksgivings rely on local foods that are friendly to the earth, and you too can savor an eco-friendly Thanksgiving dinner.

Resources for an eco-friendly Thanksgiving

Vegetarian and vegan

www.vegetariantimes.com

An array of vegetarian recipes, articles in support of vegetarianism, and a “starter kit” article.

www.vegkitchen.com

More vegan-focused, with vegan and vegetarian recipes and nutrition-related articles.

Local foods

www.slowfoodpiedmont.org

Lists restaurants that use local foods, farms, farmer markets, and events supporting local foods.

Weston Price

www.westonaprice.org

Hosts articles explaining and supporting the high-protein Weston Price diet.

Raw foods

www.thebestofrawfood.com

Includes recipes, a how-to for starting a raw foods diet, and the benefits of eating raw foods.

www.groups.yahoo.com/group/triadrawfoodspotluckgroup

Online group to organize the local raw food potluck event that happens monthly.