Celebrate a Vegetarian Holiday

The holidays can be murder on turkeys, pigs and other animals who become the centre of Christmas dinner. Many turkeys and chickens in India are raised on cruel factory farms, where they are crammed into filthy sheds and packed so tightly they can barely move. Thrown into trucks for a nightmarish ride to the slaughterhouse, when they arrive the birds are hung upside-down and their throats are slit, often while they are fully conscious.

Pigs do not fare any better. In the Western part of India, pigs are raised in backyard farms. They are killed by having an iron rod rammed straight into their hearts. A slow and painful death, it often takes many tries – the rod often misses the heart and instead breaks ribs or punctures other organs – before the terrified pig finally loses consciousness. In Eastern India, pigs are killed by having iron rods rammed down their throats. Just as painful and terrifying, pigs struggle and try to cry out as the rod is forced deeper and deeper down their throats.

Bad for animals, eating meat is also bad for your health. Meat, dairy products and eggs have no fibre or complex carbohydrates and are full of fat and cholesterol. People who gobble up turkey and pork are more prone to heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and many other ailments than those on a vegetarian diet.

Christmas should be about cheer – not fear! This year, carve out a healthier, more humane tradition by ditching the drumsticks for a delicious vegetarian feast instead. Ready to get cooking? The following recipes are guaranteed to please every palate and make it easier to give up the giblets, giving everyone – including animals – something to celebrate this holiday season: