Photo by Jdolenga: Flickr

Organic turkeys may be in short supply for the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday. Some farms have reported that orders were placed in June or July, and when they are out, they’re out. So the question for last-minute greenies is how to score a turkey that will tickle your tastebuds while being a friendly experience to the rest of your family? Here’s a few tips for a healthy and happy Thanksgiving that will keep antibiotics

1. Go for Organic or Local First
If you can order an organic bird, do it. One way to find organic and local turkey farms near you is to check out Local Harvest. Organic turkey farmers will identify their products as such. Do they taste better? I think they do. Conventional birds are heavy on the white meat, which takes the emphasis away from the tasty dark meat. The white meat on an organic bird has more of a taste to it than white meat on a conventional bird, which if you are dealing with the store frozen variety can taste like Styrofoam no matter how much butter you inject into it.

If you can’t find organic, support a local turkey farmer and buy your turkey from their farm. If your local farms are all out, pick a turkey from your local supermarket that was raised as close to you as possible to minimize carbon costs.

2. Whip up Lots of Veggie Dishes
If you have a large gathering, there’s a good chance that a vegetarian or vegan will be loading up a plate. While they are usually very good at feeding themselves, labeling dishes you set out as “vegan” or “vegetarian” really helps them out and gives your other guests some healthy options to go with the mashed potatoes and pie. Try to use organic veggies in your veggie dishes if your resources allow.

3. Use This Opportunity to Plan for Christmas
If you find a great organic and local turkey producer, place your order with them as soon as Thanksgiving is over to make sure you can enjoy the same high-quality turkey on your Christmas day feast.

4. Try out Other Organic Meat Dishes
If you can’t get an organically-raised turkey, have another meat option that is organically raised available. Organic pork tenderloin is a great addition to the holiday table, as would be an organic chicken baked pasta dish.

5. Use all Your Leftovers
Buy some containers in advance and encourage guests to bring home leftovers of their favourite dishes so that you aren’t left with a bunch of food that you end up dumping in the garbage.