Since food is not only about feeding the body, it is very important that vegan and vegetarian people feel included in holiday meals. Food is about sharing moments and love, so everyone should be able to enjoy it.
One of the biggest reasons why people love holidays is the food. Holiday meals look different across cultures, but they always unite family and friends around the table to celebrate. However, most typical holiday dishes include meat, some type of dairy or both, which makes it difficult for vegan and vegetarian people to enjoy these meals and these moments.
For a long time, there was a misconception that vegan and vegetarian food was not only harder to make but also more expensive. Recently, however, people have been researching more about these types of food and realizing they are not harder to make or more expensive. They can easily fit in the budget and provide a bunch of nutrients and health benefits.
Vegan and vegetarian options can be as simple as side dishes. Main dishes often include meat, such as the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, and a lot of people love that. In order to be mindful of vegan and vegetarian family members, the main dishes do not necessarily have to be modified or replaced. A good idea is to have vegan and vegetarian sides for those who do not include meat in their diets.
There are also simple ingredient substitutions that can make any recipe vegan. Regular cow’s milk can be replaced with non-dairy milk, such as soy or almond milk. Eggs can be replaced by egg replacers or ground flax seeds. Vegan margarine is an alternative to butter and vegetable broth can be used instead of meat broths. These inexpensive substitutions are easy to find, simple to incorporate in recipes and make a big difference to vegan and vegetarian people while keeping the dish just as delicious.
A common misconception is that vegetarian and vegan foods do not taste as good. However, that is not true most of the time. Different ingredients have different tastes, obviously, but they are equally good and sometimes even healthier. During the holidays, the most important thing is for all guests to be able to enjoy a meal together, so these changes come at a small price.
Tradition is also important during holiday time, and in order to be inclusive, one does not have to adapt main dishes into vegan and vegetarian, unless they want to. In that case, a popular option is Tofurkey, instead of regular Thanksgiving turkey. Other suggestions include keeping squash rinds and stuffing them with vegetables, mushrooms, vegan cheese or any other vegan-friendly ingredients. Vegan recipes leave a lot of room for creativity, so don’t be afraid to take risks in the kitchen this holiday season.
The most important thing is for family and friends to be together around this time of the year, sharing not only a meal, but love. Vegan and vegetarian options can change the holiday season for one or more of your family members, and who knows, maybe the whole family will enjoy it.
