Each month, Body & More contributing writer Linda Ober will try her hand at a health-conscious food, fad, exercise or activity. This month, in anticipation of Thanksgiving, she prepares Tofurky, a turkey alternative for those who adhere to vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

By Linda Ober

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite food holidays, but not just because of the turkey. Sure, I enjoy a good piece of dark meat lightly drizzled with a thick, gelatinous gravy. Yet once I've had some artery-clogging, creamy mashed potatoes, tart cranberry sauce, hot rolls and other fixings, there's never much room left for the big bird.

But for non-meat-eaters, the decision of whether or not to partake of the poultry is an easy one. Vegetarians and vegans (though it's a difficult number to quantify, a July 2008 Research and Markets report puts the number at 2 million people, or about 1 percent of the U.S. adult population), can instead substitute their Thanksgiving turkey with a non-meat main dish, but what?

Though by far not the only option, one alternative is a Tofurky Roast, a tofu roast that's part of a brand advertised as America's #1 Turkey Alternative Since 1995.

Holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in particular can be lonely times for vegetarians, the packaging reads. For years, people who choose not to eat meat have been pretty much left out of the celebration with only side dishes to consume.

Now I've never been prone to vegetarianism I like a rare, juicy hamburger way too much but I've had friends and acquaintances who have chosen to go that route, and I understand why.

In addition to the ethical, animal-rights reasons that exist, there are also numerous health benefits to being a vegetarian, or even vegan, the latter meaning that you consume absolutely no animal products (many vegans also don't use products derived from animals). According to doctors cited on www.goveg.com, a website devoted to living as a vegetarian, this lifestyle helps protect against heart disease, strokes and even cancer.

Still, though I enjoy tofu in Chinese and Thai dishes and have read about its health benefits, the idea of a tofu 'turkey' never really made my mouth water. This year, however, I decided to get adventurous, so I called over to a local Wegmans to ask about one of the vegetarian Turkey Day options.

"I'm sorry, what?" the woman who answered the phone asked when I inquired as to whether or not the store carried the Tofurky line of products. I believe she was stifling a giggle.

"Tofurky," I repeated. "It's like turkey made from tofu."

"Oh," she responded joyfully. "Yes, I think we do carry that."

Still doubtful that I would find the product, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied to locate not one but several frozen Tofurky products, which Turtle Island Foods Inc. advertises as "a 'curd' of a different feather." (Come on, that's good.)

I wasn't after the breakfast links or chipotle franks, however I wanted the Thanksgiving meal. And I was going to pay for it - $24.49, to be exact.

True, that was for an entire faux turkey dinner, including the roast, eight cranberry-apple potato dumplings, Tofurky "giblet" and mushroom gravy, and Tofurky Jurky Wishstix.

My fiance, Josh, and I cautiously opened the box at home to reveal a tan mass of something tightly encased in plastic. Let's just say that I was leery but hopeful. After all, I'm a fan of tofu in general, and I was enthusiastic to try it in this new form.

After defrosting it overnight, I started to prepare the dish and was caught off-guard by its faint, almost musty ( but not necessarily off-putting ) aroma. I continued to prepare the roast according to the box's detailed instructions, surrounding it with potatoes, carrots and onions, and basting it with olive oil and soy sauce.

Roughly an hour and a half later, Josh announced that the house smelled like roasted turkey. I agreed our home was filled with a definite meat aroma.

But when it came down to it, the taste was decidedly not turkey, not beef, not pork and not chicken.

Now, I don't believe that the intention of the Tofurky Roast is to taste anything like turkey, but as my tastebuds met the tofu, I knew this was not my cup of tea.

Though the roast was a lot easier to carve than a real turkey, the consistency of the tofu was rubbery, the taste bland. Tofu absorbs the flavor of what's it's cooked with, and I tasted very little here. However, I'm sure that adding more baste or putting the roast on top of the vegetables would have helped.

Still, the stuffing in the middle was pretty darn good, and I ate it with my third bite of "turkey" to try to hide the odd tofu taste and texture. (I suppose if you're accustomed to eating tofu on a fairly regular basis, this might not bother you, but my tongue could not get over it.)

Also on the plus side, the roasted veggies were excellent with the prepared baste, and the cranberry-apple potato dumplings were scrumptious. The jerky was un-tofu-like and had a pleasant aftertaste similar to Virginia ham.

The roast of organic tofu is definitely healthy, with a 4-ounce slice coming in at 190 calories, 8 percent of your daily fiber, 15 percent of your calcium and 9 percent of your iron.

But when I poured on the mushroom gravy, which seemed to have the consistently of soggy bread pudding, I confess that I could not get it down.

My grand experiment left me with no love lost for tofu "turkeys," but it did instill me with a newfound respect for those who choose to be vegetarians and made me think about the need for people to be aware of the certain dietary requests or requirements of their guests.

If you truly want to be a hospitable host this Thanksgiving, think about your guests who are vegetarians or vegans, have food allergies, or have other health considerations (perhaps they require gluten-free foods).

Do some research, and try to find some appetizing options so that they don't feel left out. There are plenty of websites with ideas try www.vegcooking.com.

Even if they're not a huge fan of the meal, they will be thankful that you did.

Breakout 1

For more information on a variety of award-winning Tofurky products, everything from franks to beer brats, visit www.tofurky.com.

Breakout 2

Counting Calories

Don't want to blow your diet or gain a pound or two over the Thanksgiving weekend? Use the following table to add up how many calories you'll be ingesting on T-Day. You'll likely want to cut back on your portion sizes and/or plan some extra trips to the gym!

6 ounces white and dark turkey 340

6 ounces cured ham 300

6 ounces prime rib 330

1/2 cup stuffing 180

1/2 cup cranberry sauce 190

1/2 cup mashed potatoes 150

1/2 cup gravy 150

1 baked potato with sour cream 150

1/2 cup green bean casserole 225

1/2 cup sauted green beans 50

1/2 cup candied sweet potatoes 150

1 dinner roll 110

1 pat butter 45

1 piece apple pie (1/8 of 9-in pie) 410

1 piece pecan pie (1/8 of 9-in pie) 480

1 piece pumpkin pie (1/8 of 9-in pie) 180

1/2 cup whipped cream 75

1/2 cup ice cream 145

1 mixed drink 250

1 glass wine 120

1 cracker with cheese 70

1/2 cup mixed raw vegetables 25

1/2 cup mixed nuts 440

1/2 cup fresh fruit 60

1 ounce tortilla or potato chips 150

1 tablespoon dip for chips 75

Source: www.about.com Thanksgiving Calorie Counter

Photos (sent to Kirkland, photos by Joshua Slade):

Tofurky: Tofurky is a turkey alternative that can be served at Thanksgiving.

Tofurky 2: The Tofurky Roast before it is thawed.

Tofurky 3: The writer bastes the Tofurky.

Tofurky4: The Tofurky is sliced.