Actor Jesse Eisenberg Explains His Family’s All-Vegan ‘Thanksliving’ Tradition on Conan (VIDEO)

Every family has their unique traditions when celebrating Thanksgiving. Some families have special stuffing recipes that have been passed down for ages. Others make all the kids draw hand turkeys while dinner is cooking – no matter how old the kids are… By and large, however, the one tradition that runs as a common thread is that of the turkey dinner. But what about families that choose to leave turkey off the menu at Thanksgiving? What would that sort of holiday look like?

Well, for actor Jesse Eisenberg, it’s the celebration of “Thanksliving.” Sitting down with Conan O’Brien, Jesse explains that in his family, they forgo the traditional turkey in favor of tofu and devote the meal to the animals they’re saving by not eating turkey.

The fact is, most people who eat turkey on this holiday have NO CLUE what sort of lives their “meals” lived and if they did – as Jesse suggests – they wouldn’t be so keen to dive in. But the good news is, you don’t need to have a turkey on the table to partake in Thanksgiving as there are many, many, many plant-based alternatives you can choose instead.

So while you might not want to endure an hour-long speech on the horrific and short lives that turkeys in factory farms go through – you can celebrate your own little Thanksliving with some awesome vegan recipes instead. Surely, if Conan checked out the options for a plant-based spread, he wouldn’t find it to be as “horrible” as he thinks.

If you’re thinking about celebrating Thanksgiving sans turkey, check out the Ultimate Green Monster’s Guide to Thanksgiving to get inspired!