≡ Menu

Everything You Need for a Memorable Feast with Whole Foods!

in Other, Restaurant Reviews

Guess what?  Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years Eve are right around the corner.  Seriously, they will be both here before we know it!  When I think of the holidays I think of a lot of things, including family, friends, shopping, snow, decorations, and quite possibly and most importantly…food!  Let’s face it.  The holidays in America revolve around food.  Whether this is a “good” thing or a “bad” thing, it is what it is.  And honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.  But, since I am a foodie, I am certainly not complaining.

As many of you know, I am a vegetarian who eats a mostly plant-based diet.  So when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving (helllo turkey!) and Christmas (ham anyone?) it tends to be a little more difficult to plan out a dinner menu that is vegan-friendly.  While I have a couple years of experience with vegan cooking, most people hosting a holiday dinner likely do not have the slightest idea of where to begin when it comes to serving plant-based foods.  But, lucky for you, you don’t even have to think about designing a vegan-friendly meal plan or cooking up new-to-you dishes.  Instead, you can let Whole Foods do all of the work for you!

whole foods friendsgiving

Erin, Joanna, Trisha, Jess (and baby Jada!), and I were lucky enough to experience the greatness of Whole Foods catering for the holidays firsthand at our “blogsgiving” celebration.  We met up at the Omaha, NE location last night, and boy were we in for a real treat (okay, lots of treats!).  We sat down to a full Thanksgiving meal and experienced all that Whole Foods has to offer for holiday gatherings- including appetizers, main courses, sides, desserts, and drinks.  The Whole Foods catering department definitely has everything you need in order to make your holiday feast as memorable as it can be.

I know what you’re probably thinking.  Wasn’t there a lot of meat there?  Well, yes, there was- a humongous turkey, in fact.  But do you know what else there was?  A full vegan meal!  Trust me when I say that I did not leave hungry.

whole foods thanksgiving

My plate, loaded up with all of the goodness.

For my main entree I enjoyed Whole Foods’ wild rice quinoa cranberry roast with a hazelnut crust.  Fancy, right?

whole foods thanksgiving loaf2

It was so delicious.  Who needs turkey when you can eat that?  I might be slightly biased, though ;).

There were also several vegan sides that I enjoyed, including their traditional herb stuffing and green beans with shallots.

whole foods thanksgiving sides

I think we were all in agreement that the stuffing was to die for.

I finished up my plate with a wheat roll.

whole foods thanksgiving 2

These weren’t vegan because they contain honey, but I generally don’t follow the “no honey” rule very strictly.  Plus, we all need some bread with our holiday meal, right?

And last, but certainly not least, a heavenly slice of vegan pumpkin pie.

whole foods pumpkin pie

I kid you not.  You would never guess that this pie was vegan.  Trust me when I say that meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans will all appreciate finishing up their holiday meal with a slice of this.  I snagged a few extra pieces for the road because this definitely deserves to be eaten again and again.

And you can’t have dessert without something delicious to wash it down with.  I tried the vegan almond milk-based egg nog and the local apple cider made with honeycrisp apples.  I probably could have downed the entire half-gallon of that cider.  It was fantastic and I am one cider-loving girl.

While I know that you would probably love to try these vegan options and would be completely satisfied with a vegan meal, I also know that meat is a staple on many of your holiday tables.  Whole Foods as numerous meat offerings for you, too, and here are just a few:

Erin, Joanna, Jess, and Trisha all seemed to really enjoy the appetizers (both vegetarian), which included:

whole foods thanksgiving 4

Spanakopita triangles (Erin had to teach us how to properly pronounce this one ;))

whole foods thanksgiving 7

and butternut squash and apple galettes.

And of course the star of the show for many of you, a Midwest-raised whole roasted turkey:

whole foods thanksgiving 5

Though I obviously didn’t try this, the other ladies really seemed to enjoy this one.  They commented on how incredibly moist (sorry, I know some people really hate that word) it was.

The non-vegan portion was finished out with their classic mashed potatoes and gravy.

whole foods thanksgiving sides 2

I definitely missed not being able to enjoy these.  I am a big-time mashed potatoes and gravy fan.  It’s a good thing that Whole Foods also caters vegan mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy!

Hungry, yet?  Me too!

Now that we have established that the food is delicious, I also want to mention another fantastic reason to choose Whole Foods for your holiday catering needs.  All of the catering options always meet Whole Foods strict quality standards.  As a result, you can feel good about the food that you are selecting and serving during your holiday gatherings.

But possibly best of all, Whole Foods catering is convenient.  With Whole Foods, you do not have to worry about planning a huge holiday meal (vegan-friendly or not, this is time-consuming!), wrestling with the crowds in the grocery stores, or spending hours in the kitchen away from your family and friends in order to serve your next holiday meal.  Just let Whole Foods do the work for you so that you can relax and enjoy your holiday experience.  All you need to do is decide which delicious dishes you want, pre-order them, and then pick them up at your desired time.  You can even buy them precooked so that they simply need to be reheated.  They’ll even provide you with printed instructions on how to properly heat and serve your dishes.  It doesn’t get much easier than that!  Choose from whole meal packages- such as the traditional family dinner, the classic ham dinner, or the vegan holiday dinner- purchase appetizers, sides, or entrees a la carte, and do this all while catering to special diets (gluten-free included!).  It is easy to feed and please every single one of your guests.

Are you ready to order up your meal?  Or, maybe you just need an appetizer, side, or dessert to take along to a gathering?  Here’s how:

1. Order online at shop.wholefoodsmarket.com

2. Order at the Holiday Order Table in the store:
Whole Foods Omaha
10020 Regency Circle (at Dodge Street and Regency Parkway)

or

3. Order by calling (402) 393-1200 (Omaha location)

In order to make sure you place your order in time, please keep these important dates in mind:

*Thanksgiving orders are being taken through this Monday, November 25th
*Hanukkah orders should be placed 48 hours prior to your desired pick-up time
*Christmas orders are being taken through Sunday, December 22nd at 5:00 p.m.
*New Years orders should be placed 48 hours prior to your desired pick-up time

For those of you not in the Omaha area, I definitely recommend checking out your local Whole Foods and all that they have to offer.  Make Whole Foods your easy, healthy, and convenient holiday go-to store and caterer this year.  Now if only my parents’ house was located closer than three hours to the nearest Whole Foods ;)!  I sure am wishing that I could eat that vegan meal all over again..and again…and again this Thanksgiving.

whole foods blogsgiving

A huge thanks goes out to Whole Foods Omaha for offering such a fabulous event for some of the area’s bloggers.  We all had a fantastic time and left with happy and full bellies.

What is your favorite part of your holiday meals?

Would you ever try vegan alternatives to the “traditional” holiday dishes?

Disclaimer: Whole Foods Omaha sponsored and compensated me for this post, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.  Trust me, I seriously LOVE Whole Foods and all that they are about! 🙂

Share Good Eats
{ 23 comments… add one }
  • Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate November 23, 2013, 8:38 am
    Wow, what a fun night!! We have ordered from Whole Foods in the past-- stuffing and mashed potatoes-- and they were awesome! Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate recently posted...Blog Problems are the PitsMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:38 pm
      Whole Foods is just awesome! I am now definitely a huge fan of their catering. Heck, I'm just a fan of their food, in general ;).
  • Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite November 23, 2013, 8:49 am
    Those b squash ans apple gallettes look amazing! Everything looks so delish- now I can't wait until thursday to dig in! Happy Saturday, love! Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite recently posted...Friday Favorites: Makeup Edition #1My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:38 pm
      I can't wait either!! Food is definitely one of the best parts of the holidays!
  • Mom November 23, 2013, 10:05 am
    Wow everything looks delicious. I wish we lived closer to a Whole Foods. With my love for cooking (NOT) I would definitely enjoy having a catered Thanksgiving day feast.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:39 pm
      Yes, you definitely would love it. I wish we could have that roast on Thursday! :(
  • Jess @ Blonde Ponytail November 23, 2013, 2:32 pm
    I had a blast with you and the others last night--so fun! And, the food--Ah-maz-ing!!! Can't wait to do it again! Jess @ Blonde Ponytail recently posted...My Whole Foods Thanksgiving MenuMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:41 pm
      It was such an awesome time! I definitely can't wait to hang out with all of you again soon..and hopefully Whole Foods will be involved!
  • Trisha November 23, 2013, 2:42 pm
    Super fun & everything was delish! :) Trisha recently posted...Make This Holiday A Memorable Feast with Whole Foods MarketMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:42 pm
      SO delish! Gotta love Whole Foods :).
  • Jan @ Sprouts n Squats November 23, 2013, 4:09 pm
    Yum sounds like it was such an amazing feast. We unfortunately don't have Whole Foods here in Australia but I wish we did. And I am one of those ppl who hates the word moist. Also it may sound dumb but I never made the connection that vegans wouldn't always eat honey but now you've said it, it does make sense. Jan @ Sprouts n Squats recently posted...Friday FavouritesMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:43 pm
      Such a bummer that you don't have Whole Foods...but hopefully someday soon!
  • Kat November 23, 2013, 5:03 pm
    Im actually not a big fan of thanksgiving foods. I generally fill up on the cheese and cracker apps before the real food even comes out to tell you the truth!! I don't eat turkey, mashed taters (unless they are made without butter) and I cant stand stuffing, so that leaves very little on the table! Green beans and rolls maybe? Haha my family makes a few other random side dishes for me though :) Plus, I have to make sure I leave room for pie ;) Kat recently posted...Crockpot Chicken Tortilla SoupMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:44 pm
      Well hey, as long as you are loving the pie then that's all that matters!! ;)
  • Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie November 23, 2013, 6:50 pm
    I had so much fun last night!! Josh was in love with the vegan main course option. I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot of catering there in the future! Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie recently posted...Celebrating the Holidays with Whole FoodsMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:44 pm
      I knew he would LOVE it!! :)
  • Anastasia November 23, 2013, 7:56 pm
    All of that food looks awesome! I always stick to the good ol' Tofurky during the holidays. Although, I keep hearing great things about this cranberry field roast so I might have to try it this year. Anastasia recently posted...Weekly LoveMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 24, 2013, 8:46 pm
      Field Roast is just plain awesome. I LOVE all of their products!
  • Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness November 24, 2013, 9:44 pm
    That looks SO yummy! I seriously wish we had a Whole Foods in my town ( or at least somewhere close to me). ~M Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness recently posted...Friday Favorite Photo Dump- Orlando VersionMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 25, 2013, 8:36 pm
      I wish you did, too! They are an awesome grocery store. Hopefully once will come to your area soon!
  • Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health November 24, 2013, 10:40 pm
    Everything looked scrumptious! (minus the bird) That quinoa roast is calling my name! That was so nice of Whole Foods to host for you guys. I wish mine would do it for NorCal bloggers! How did they find out about you and the other bloggers? Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted...Thanksgiving Recipe Trials + Falling for FallMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 25, 2013, 8:37 pm
      It was so awesome. The 5 of us are actually a part of a group called the Omaha Bloggers. One of the girls was in contact with Whole Foods and got it all set up for us! It was a great experience.
Cancel reply

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge