Options for meat substitutes have come a long way since Seth Tibbotts first few Thanksgivings as vegetarian in the 1970s.

Vegetable side dishes and salads were nice but they didnt seem as festive as a turkey, the traditional centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table.

The Oregon man tried all kinds of experiments, from a stuffed pumpkin to a gluten roast that took all day to make but was unsliceable and indigestible.

After becoming a professional soycrafter in 1980, Tibbott noticed that sales seemed to slow around Thanksgiving and Christmas as people lost their vegetarian ways and guiltily ate traditional fare like turkey, he said.

Aside from tofu, which was primarily only sold in Asian markets, the only commercially available meat alternatives were made by Seventh Day Adventist companies, and many of these products were canned.

I subsisted on a diet of homemade items like pressure-cooked soybeans and tortillas, soy grit burgers, bread and granola, he told CNN.

Over the years, fake meat or what some call plant-based meat grew to include burgers, hot dogs and ground beef. But poultry was still a relatively untapped niche, especially when it came to holiday centerpieces.

With the help of Portland sandwich maker Hans Wrobel, Tibbott came up with the first Tofurky Roasts in 1995 and sold them in the Pacific Northwest.

Tofurkey has became a punchline on shows like Jay Leno and The X-Files.

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What is Tofurky and why eat it?

Not everyone eats turkey on Thanksgiving. Whether youre vegan, vegetarian or just not particularly fond of the stuff, turkey-less alternatives provide the festivity and taste of a Thanksgiving roast sans the feathers. Plus, swapping out the bird can do the planet some good. An estimated 45 million turkeys are killed and sold in the United States each year for Thanksgiving alone, according to Farm Sanctuary. It takes 4.87 pounds of grain just to make one pound of turkey meat, according to Turtle Island Foods Inc. So shake things up this holiday season by embracing Tofurky or another tasty vegan entree. Itll make one lucky turkey extremely thankful this Thanksgiving.

TOFURKY

Yes, there is such a thing. In fact, its been around for nearly 20 years. And, yes, it is edible. In fact, its positively delicious. But what is it? Tofurky is Turtle Island Foods stuffed vegan roast made with local, GMO-free, USDA organic ingredients. A combination of tofu, wheat gluten and canola oil are molded into ham nets to make the Tofurky, with vegan stuffing in the middle. Heres a how-to video for preparing and cooking your Tofurky roast.

You can use the Tofurky leftovers to make finger-licking chili, gumbo, stew, buffalo pizza and potpie. Erin Ransom, Turtle Island Foods spokeswoman, said opting for vegetarian choices once in a while can have a positive impact on the environment. It doesnt have to be all or nothing, said Ransom, who is neither vegan nor vegetarian, but will be eating a Tofurky roast this Thanksgiving.

TURKEY-LESS STUFFED ROAST

This is basically Trader Joes version of Tofurky. The Turkey-Less Roast is filled with vegan stuffing and comes with vegan gravy on the side. The roast is made from soy, peas, wheat and ancient grains, which make it a protein-packed meal. Each Turkey-Less Roast is 2.5 pounds of vegan goodness and is available at your local Trader Joes for $9.99.

SAVORY STUFFED TURKY

Like Tofurky, Gardeins meat-free Turky is also made from non-GMO soy, wheat and canola oil. This holiday favorite is 100 percent vegan and dairy-free. The Turky is lightly breaded and the stuffing is made with cranberries. Each package comes with two individual stuffed Turkys with two packs of gravy -- perfect if youre cooking Thanksgiving for one or two.

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Tofurky Thanksgiving: Vegan Entrees For The Holidays

Recently re-published byAgriPulse, three renowned guest authors wrote a great opinion piecein the Des Moines Register on the beliefs and narratives aroundGMOs and organic food.

The authors include Nina Fedoroff, Ph.D., a plant biologist who hasserved as science and technology adviser to the secretary of state from 2007-10, Ken Cassman, Ph.D., an international agronomist at theUniversityofNebraska, and Marshall Matz, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee specializing in nutrition and food security.

In their piece, The Ghost of Thanksgiving Future, the experts discuss while 2014looks tobeanabundant Thanksgiving, dramatic change in beliefs will be needed if we are expected to feed9 or so billion at the global dinner table on Thanksgiving 2050:

The beliefs and narratives that need rethinking are those around GMOs and organic food.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are crop plants and animals improved by modern molecular techniques, rather than older, often less precise methods. GM crops, such as insect-resistant corn and cotton, have been in commercial production for almost two decades. They are now grown in 27 countries on more than 400 million acres by 18 million farmers, more than 90 percent of whom are resource-poor, small-holder farmers.

GM crops have increased farm income,reduced pesticide use, soil erosion and carbon dioxide emission, and benefited consumers by decreasing fungal toxin contamination of corn, they argue.

Its a fact that neither people nor animals have been harmed by consuming food or feed containing GM ingredients. Even decade ago, we thought that people would be reassured as evidence grew, as it has, that GM crops are safe. But thats not what happened. Instead, more and more people have come to believe that they are dangerous.

These attributes of GMOs are especially important since its been estimated that to meet the challenge of global food security, the worlds farmers will have to produce more food in the next 50 years than all theyve produced in the last 10,000 years combined.

So how does changing our belief system around GMOs and organicshelpto feed a rapidly growing population? The authors address:

Our belief systems and narratives matter, perhaps more than ever in the age of electronic social media. The organic food industry supplies a mere 4 percent of our food, but amplifies its message by promulgating the myth that organic food is more healthful and environmentally sound.

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For the Holidays: Change Your Beliefs Around GMOs

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