Thanksgiving salad? No thanks.

I've been a big fan of Tara Parker-Pope for a long time, but she made a lifer out of me this week. Her post Going Vegetarian for Thanksgiving makes me want to weep tears of joy. Finally! Someone gets it... we vegetarians don't just eat salads!

I wish I had a dime for every time someone said, "We'll make a salad so you have something to eat." It's a nice offer, but do meat eaters really think vegetarians exist on salad alone? Don't you realize we need a variety of choices and nutrients just like you do? Our palates aren't unrefined and we don't lack creativity in the kitchen. We just don't eat meat. For vegetarian athletes it's especially important to have options. Nutrition fuels our performance, and a steady diet of salads (or filling up on mashed potatoes) doesn't cut it.

Take a look at the side dishes on your Thanksgiving table. You probably have all the good stuff fall offers -- butternut squash, apples, pumpkin, mushrooms, pecans. They include carbs, protein and fat, and they can be prepared in flavorful ways without sacrificing nutrition. This Thanksgiving I'm declaring a moratorium on the infamous green salad. (Now here's hoping my well-intentioned family gets on board.)