There just wasn't any turkey.

The turkeyless Thanksgiving dinner was held Sunday night so those attending could spend time with their families on Thursday, said Heather Falmen, banquet co-chairwoman and a member of EarthSave Louisville.

Falmen said the organization believes in reducing the amount of meat, poultry and dairy products consumed by Americans.

If that happened, she said, it would be better for the earth because there would be less pollution, better for everybody's health, and "ethical" because animals wouldn't be killed so people could eat them.

"In a way," she said, "this is a celebration of the fall harvest, and a chance for us to gather as a group."

The more than 200 people who attended the dinner at the Hyatt Regency heard an address by Terry Gips, a vegan and co-founder of the International Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.

He contended that pollution of rivers by runoff containing animal waste is one of the consequences of mass meat eating. If meat consumption were reduced, there would be less pollution, Gips said.

Some dietitians, including Nancy Tullis, a member of the Louisville Dietetic Association, have criticized vegan diets as providing too little vitamin B-12.