Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas brings a new battle of “What to cook for the vegans at the table?”
The season of apple pies and gingerbread cookies is only a few days away, but some already feel like throwing in the towel, panicing about what to serve vegan guests.
Don’t panic.
Although 2019 has been a successful year for the vegan consumer and the industry – even non-vegan establishments tried to cater to the plant-eater – it’s still the most controversial diet, according to some opponents.
Many people think it’s hard to whip up vegan- friendly dishes, when in reality it’s a lot easier than taking a chance of having a dried out turkey or burnt ham.
The surprising factor is that many items found at the regular grocery store are accidentally vegan – although maybe not labeled as such since they share a manufacturing facility with non-vegan items. Chances are that carnivores already have them in their fridge or pantry. For instance, frozen pie crusts or crescent rolls of popular brands are vegan, and certain cream of soups that come in a can, and cranberry sauce is certainly vegan.
Knowing this should make shopping for the holiday feast a lot more relaxing, all there is left to do now is to check if the selected items contain the following ingredients: milk (and casein or whey – a protein derived from milk), gelatin or eggs, and for allergy purposes, nuts and soy. But if it doesn’t – it’s vegan. However, some items may contain honey – which is not considered vegan – although some vegans are more lenient than others. Just keep that in mind, if you bought honey-anything, it might be the start of an argument that could ruin a peaceful gathering.
If you’re a carnivore and are hosting a Christmas party for your family this year that involves one or two non-meat eaters, there are many vegan dishes that can be prepared, without any hassle or extra ingredients you need to buy. Most side dishes can be made vegan friendly, by leaving out or substituting certain ingredients.
If you’re planning on serving some sort of mashed potatoes, skip the butter, cream and chicken stock, and use olive oil instead. If you’re planning on making a cake to easily be dressed up with frosting and peppermints, a boxed cake of a popular brand—which is accidentally vegan – will do the job. All you need is a can of a soft drink as a leavening agent – that easy. When it comes to the frosting, most packaged frostings are already vegan.
Had enough of a green bean casserole for Thanksgiving and now running out of ideas for veggie infused side dishes? How about roasted fall veggies, such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil and a little toss of maple syrup to let them get crispy in the oven- no butter necessary.
The bottom line is, you don’t want to create a whole new menu for just one or two people, and those vegans or vegetarians don’t want you to make a big deal about their diet restrictions.
If you’re the host of a Christmas dinner involving your friends, make it a potluck and have everyone bring one or two of their favorite dishes. No stress, no hassle, no guilt. As a host you can be in charge of the beverages and easy salads, where you can skip the creamy dressing in exchange for olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
The holidays are already a stressful time and having a teenager with diet restriction could be even more daunting. According to a poll from 2016 from the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, over half of parents with teenagers with diet restrictions said those restrictions became stressful and a source of conflict.
Health behavior researcher for the University of Michigan’s poll Sarah Clark said, situations like that can add negativity and create a gap between the relationship of the child and the parent.
“They’re trying to figure out who they are. For the most part, it’s a good way to try out new identities, but it does cause conflict,” nutritionist and professor of health behavior at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Leslie Lytle, who did not participate in the poll, said “Around the holidays this can be really challenging, as you can get extended family who often may really challenge the child’s [diet].”
As a parent, the best way to handle the situation of conflict is by preparing meals together.
On the flip side, it might be difficult to be a vegan host and inviting coworkers and friends who are neither a vegan or a vegetarian, but very much carnivores. Many carnivores have some sort of “phobia” when it comes to veganism or eating vegan dishes, although vegan dishes don’t all contain faux meats and soy products, but are mostly done with veggies. Some don’t understand or accept the fact that there won’t be any dishes containing dairy or meat at a vegan Christmas. Therefore, it’s important to be respectful when going to a vegan Christmas dinner, and not start a conflict about someone’s diet- or lifestyle choice.
Dinners with a big group might give some individuals the desire to talk about politics of any sort, that includes having a conversation about someone’s choice to ditch meat or not. But there’s usually no debate on why someone ditches all the veggies, and not the meat. Also, it’s good to keep in mind that vegans and vegetarians are usually in the minority at most traditional American Christmas dinners, so make them feel welcome and don’t treat them as if they are an inconvenience.
With that said, if you plan in advance, this holiday season can be a breeze, even with having more veggie dishes on hand than usual. Also, keep in mind, veggie dishes are a lot easier to prepare than a duck or a turkey. Be mindful of your guests, their allergies, diet restrictions, and any political conversations, in order to keep the holiday season peaceful.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
