Not every Iowan is feasting on turkey this Thanksgiving Day, there are those who prefer to go without the bird. Iowans who are vegetarians not only forsake turkey at Thanksgiving, but they also pass on any kind of meat the rest of the year too. The most common reasons given for going meatless are a concern for the welfare of animals and the environment, and worry over their personal health. Vivian Lindley of Centerville became a vegetarian in 1983. She says it was tough at first.Lindley says there are plenty of non-meat alternatives to turkey.Martha Dahlin (doll-inn) of Mount Pleasant says her concern for animals led her to give up meat.Dahlin uses turkey substitutes made from vegetable material. She’s trying a new one this year.Denis Wolfe-Keith of Des Moines says he is in the minority when it comes to not eating meat in Iowa, but he says it’s never been a big issue with his meat-eating friends. Wolfe-Keith says the issue usually never comes up.
