How to Accommodate a Vegetarian Guest at a Holiday Dinner
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Hosting a big holiday dinner, as for Thanksgiving, can be a stressful task. Add on special accommodations for the lifestyle of one of your guests, and you can be at nerve's end. With the holiday celebration being centered around eating a large meat roast such as a turkey, vegetarians are commonly left out. If you have a vegetarian guest joining you this year, and you have no idea what to serve, read on.
Steps
- Ask the vegetarian guest what they will eat. There are many types of vegetarians: classic vegetarians, pescetarians, ovo-lacto vegetarians, vegans, raw vegans, fruitarians and flexitarians. Find out what your guest is comfortable eating on Thanksgiving. If they express concerns about troubling you, reassure them that it is no trouble at all, even if it is. Some vegetarians will be flexible on Thanksgiving and willing to eat a smaller portion of turkey. Write down everything your guest says is or is not fair game.
- Plan what you will serve. Go over your list to ensure you won't accidentally serve something they won't eat. Avoid thinking you can just fill their plate with the vegetable side dishes and get away with it. Specific protein-rich items such as beans, peas, lentils, and nuts, along with, for many, eggs and dairy products, are as important to a nutritious, satisfying vegetarian diet as meat is to an omnivorous diet. And the lack of a fancy main dish may come off as inconsiderate.
- Ask your guest if they wish to collaborate with you on their meal on Thanksgiving day. It can eliminate any awkwardness and concerns from the guest, and you can learn a thing or two about a different lifestyle.
- Consider offering both real turkey (or other meat) and a turkey or meat substitute to all your guests. This can make your vegetarian guest feel more comfortable and offer potentially new foods to other guests.
- Artificial meat such as Tofurkey or Quorn meat-flavored mycoprotein is likely to be appreciated by vegetarian converts who miss the flavor or cultural significance of meat. But vegetables are usually tastier as vegetables than as meat, and will likely be appreciated as such more life-long vegetarians. Learn a little about foreign vegetarian food if your guest likes that: if you try it, make something simple and use a precise recipe if you wouldn't know how to adjust by taste.
- You could the meal a potluck dinner. Your vegetarian guest can bring their favorite meat substitute, and other guests can bring their own favorite dishes.
- Educate yourself on their specific dietary restrictions. For example, if your guest is vegan, know to avoid any and all animal products, including dairy, honey, and gelatin. Read labels and cooking instructions carefully before you purchase and cook anything. Do not buy anything that says "may contain" or "processed on equipment that also processes" followed by a food they said they will not consume, particularly if your guest is a vegetarian for religious reasons or extremely averse to meat.
- Time everything carefully. You don't want to exclude your vegetarian guest by making their meal portions before or after everything else is ready. Serve your guest at the same time everybody else is served. Be sure you give them the correct plate, and quietly ask them if what you have served is adequate for the evening.
- Eat peacefully. If you ask everybody how their meal is, don't ask your vegetarian guest individually how their substitute is out loud. This is disrespectful and can cause embarrassment for the guest. If they look uncomfortable, quietly ask them if everything is okay if possible. Take care of any concerns they express immediately and without creating a large fuss.
Tips
- Try to refrain from singling out the vegetarian guest in any manner.
- Make a few extra vegetarian dishes, in case your vegetarian guest creates a revolution at the dinner table!
- Try the vegetarian dishes you make. If you like it, establish it as a new Thanksgiving tradition food.
Warnings
- Avoid cross-contamination. Use different dishes and utensils for the turkey and the vegetarian dishes.
- Take allergies of all of your guests into consideration. Avoid serving a nut-based dish to your vegetarian guest if another guest is severely allergic.
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