WESTFIELD - The Chautauqua Vegetarian Society will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the YWCA, 56 S. Portage St, Westfield.

The meeting will be the society's Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner.

The speaker for the evening will be Beth Haffender Southworth of Haff Acres Farm in Mayville. She will speak with us on "How much protein do people really need?" Ms. Southworth has been PKU since birth, which means she lacks the enzyme to digest protein and eats mostly fruits and vegetables. Therefore her diet is much different from the standard American diet loaded with meat, dairy products and grains.

The menu for the Thanksgiving dinner will include tossed salad, cranberry-orange relish, almond nut loaf, tofurkey, garlic mashed potatoes, miso gravy, baked squash with apples, sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts, corn bread stuffing, whole grain dinner rolls, pumpkin pie and apple cider.

Reservations are due by Sunday, since the meal is a prepared meal. For more information or to make a reservation, call Gail at 753-7761 or Anne at 782-4334. The cost of the dinner is $7, with reduced rates for children.

Those attending do not need to be vegan or vegetarian to attend. Society meetings are open to anyone who is interested in learning about healthy eating and living. The Vegetarian Society is an information and support group for individuals seeking to learn more about healthy eating through vegetarian, vegan or raw food lifestyles. Each month, the group meets for a vegan dinner. All meetings are open to the public.