Beginners guide to inviting a vegan for dinner

vegan cake from: life123.com vegan cake recipes

The holidays are coming up and you just found out that one of your guests has decided to become a vegan... deciding to not eat the meat and dairy that is central to most holiday dinners.  If you are like most people, this is what runs through your mind:

"Oh dear, he's a vegan!  Did I know that? Is this something new?  What does that mean exactly? What in the world will we make for dinner?!  How could he do this to us?  Now everything is going to be harder... we're going to have to make two separate dinners.... one for us, and the other for him!  Or maybe he won't notice that there is milk in the mashed potatoes and chicken broth in the soup.  I mean, we want to be supportive, but I don't have the time to cook a separate meal!  No, we can't do that, it would be wrong.  Maybe I'll head down to the vegan bistro and buy some prepared vegan food to pop in the oven.  I know it's expensive, but I don't see any other choice.  I've never cooked anything vegan in my life.  Ever.  I'm sure of it."

Take a deep breath.   Maybe breathe through a paper bag to stop hyperventilating.  Sit down.  Don't panic. 

As a vegan guest, I am here to give you a few easy pointers and insights.  Here you go:

1)  Talk to your vegan.  He or she is probably more stressed out than you are. Generally, people don't become vegans to be jerks (some do, but that is a different story). Most people don't take on such unorthodox food choices lightly.  It comes after considerably contemplation and consideration.  Most vegans I know feel guilty enough causing extra burdens for their hosts... so your extra stress is not really necessary.  Discuss what your vegan expects/needs as your guest.  As long as it is reasonable, find a simple way to be accommodating (and it really can be simple).  Ask for help!  Most vegans are at least decent cooks, and I'm sure your vegan would be happy to share some ideas of some of the easier things to make. If your vegan is anything like me, you might even get offers to help cook, bring covered dishes, or share recipes.  Don't be afraid to ask. 

2) Look up vegan recipes online, or look through your cookbooks to find recipes that are vegan by default (fresh applesauce, fruit salad, etc) or things that can be easily modified (switch up butter for margarine and chicken broth for veggie broth in rice pilaf or mashed potatoes).  You'll be surprised how many awesome things you can make that everyone at the table will enjoy.  You won't even have to touch tofu (unless you want to). Typically, lots of "ethnic" foods are (or can be made) vegan really easily.  Check out Indian, Ethopian, and Thai recipes.  Pasta is almost always vegan unless you use egg noodles or put meat or cream in the sauce.  Soups and stews are really easy to make and can be very tasty meatless.  Try chili (with or without fake meat, it is always awesome) and you can offer grated cheddar cheese and sour cream on the side for your non-vegan guests.

3) Read labels.  You would be surprised at how many canned and frozen things are vegan.  To find out, look for the obvious words (milk, butter, eggs, meat, chicken broth).  Look for the not-so-obvious ones as well (lard, whey, gelatine, casein, carmine - red coloring from crushed beetles... ew.).  Make sure you know how strict your vegan/vegetarian is.  Some also don't eat honey or yeast or white cane sugar, which is bleached with animal bones (sugar from sugar beet -about half of white sugar- is vegan... all "raw" sugar is also vegan.).  

4) Leave non-vegan sauces on the side, and prepare your side dishes without butter.  Want to serve cucumber salad with a cream dressing?  Awesome!  Just leave the cream dressing aside in a dish for people to put on themselves, and stick some oil and vinegar on the table as well. Want to make fried potatoes?  Delicious!  Instead of using butter, consider using margarine or oil.

5) NOT EVERYTHING on the table has to be vegan or have a vegan alternative.  No one is going to be upset if you don't have a Tofurky.  You don't need to go shopping for fancy meat analogues.  Just make sure that there is enough food for your vegan to eat from the side dishes.  Try to make sure that it isn't just fresh salad... try to include some protein and fat sources as well... beans, grains, potatos, nuts.  These will make it so your vegan feels just as full as you do.   If in doubt, call your vegan and ask if your plan will work.  If it doesn't and you don't have time to adapt, ask your vegan to bring some stuff he likes to eat. 

6) Clearly identify dishes that aren't vegan (and not particularly obvious about it).  You probably don't have to mention that the turkey or the roast is not vegan, but the non-obvious food, like dressings, soups or mashed potatoes should be explained. For a small gathering, just whisper it to your vegan guest.  For a huge banquet, label the dishes.

7) Don't lie.  Want to make an enemy?  Lie about what goes into food that you serve a vegetarian or vegan.  We'd prefer you to come out and say, "wow, I completely forgot about your diet, and I didn't prepare anything special for you.  Do you want a peanut butter sandwich? or should we order Chinese take-out?"  This is 1000 times better than trying to sneak something past us.

8)  Don't stress out.  Most of us carry emergency snacks and peanut butter in our cars or backpacks.  We know our choices are difficult, and we are prepared for the situations where we have nothing to eat.  If ALL else fails, rest assured that we aren't going to starve to death.  Just do your best.

9)  Have a sense of humor. Food is supposed to be fun.  So are the holidays.  Did you forget?  If you find yourself stressing out, call your vegan and explain the situation.  Pour a glass of wine, and have a big laugh about it.

10)  Enjoy the food!!    Believe it or not, but vegan food can be just as tasty as non-vegan food.  It has the added benefits of being good for the environment and being pretty darn healthy as well (low cholesterol, no animal antibiotics or hormones, high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber).  Who knows, maybe your vegan guest can even inspire you to have a vegan meal once a week.  Go ahead, expand your horizons :)



As a postscript to this post:  ANYONE inviting me to dinner is strictly advised (ordered?) not to stress out. Let me help you! Otherwise, I am insanely happy with a peanut butter sandwich (jelly, too, if it doesn't have gelatin in it).   Give me a sandwich and a glass of wine, and we'll have a great time, I'm sure :)    Happy Holidays!!!