written by Georgia Selih
When the decorations start going up and the minty scent fills the air, we all start feeling the Christmas spirit and enjoying all the benefits of this season. For a lot of people, the best part of Christmas is all of the delicious food that is prepared in this period. But, in the recent years, people have started paying a lot of attention to healthy eating and a lot of people have cut out meat and dairy out of their diets. But Christmas dishes aren’t exactly known for being vegan, so what should you make if you have vegan guests coming to your Christmas dinner? Don’t fret! There are plenty of amazing vegan dishes that will look amazing on your Christmas table and can be enjoyed by vegans and omnivores alike.
When the decorations start going up and the minty scent fills the air, we all start feeling the Christmas spirit and enjoying all the benefits of this season. For a lot of people, the best part of Christmas is all of the delicious food that is prepared in this period. But, in the recent years, people have started paying a lot of attention to healthy eating and a lot of people have cut out meat and dairy out of their diets. But Christmas dishes aren’t exactly known for being vegan, so what should you make if you have vegan guests coming to your Christmas dinner? Don’t fret! There are plenty of amazing vegan dishes that will look amazing on your Christmas table and can be enjoyed by vegans and omnivores alike.
Sides
There are plenty of side dishes that you
were planning to prepare either way, that are perfect for your vegan guests, so you should just make sure you
don’t accidentally add something that will prevent them from eating it. Make
mashed potatoes without cream, or substitute it for coconut cream, don’t bake
your veggies together with the meat, or bake an extra dish with just the
vegetables, making sure you don’t use lard or other animal products in the preparation.
You can also make small changes, like making vegan gravy, making dressing
mayo-free and simply paying attention to the small details. If you are serving
soup, make sure you have a vegetarian option as well.
Main course
If you’ve never
made a vegan dinner menu before, you’re probably asking yourself how in the
world you can replace a Christmas ham?! Well, there is a ton of delicious
options but, if you want something that will really be the wonderful
centerpiece, the way to go is a nut loaf. Made from a mixture of different
nuts, it’s so easily prepared and the flavors are easily customizable. You can
even decorate it with the traditional pineapple and cherry set-up. Of course,
you can think out of the box and roast a whole head of cauliflower, make a
whole stuffed pumpkin with Christmassy flavors, or a Christmas wreath filled
with nuts, veggies and tofu, all wrapped up in puff pastry. Of course, not
everyone has the time to prepare an extra vegan meal, or maybe you just don’t
have the inspiration. Luckily, you can always hire a
catering service that has a rich vegan menu and make sure that you
have something for everyone.
Dessert & drinks
You might think that this is easy – no
desserts have meat, after all. However, most desserts have eggs and dairy
products that will prevent your vegan guests from eating them. However, you
don’t have to get rid of your favorite desserts! You can alter the ingredients
slightly to make a vegan Christmas log cake, merengue kisses and even pudding.
Use egg substitutes, non-dairy milks and agar-agar. You can even go all out and
make a raw vegan chocolate cake that will knock everyone
off their feet. As for drinks, nobody will get angry if you don’t make a vegan
eggnog, but if you are planning on serving hot cocoa or other milky drinks, do
your best to have a milk substitute that you can use to make a cup for your
vegan guest.
Remember that when you are making a vegan
dish, you’re not making it just for the vegan person – other people can enjoy
that food as well, and you can make a real impact by showing people amazing
vegan alternatives to traditional dishes. Make sure you don’t make your guest
feel like a burden for having a different diet than the rest of the party, and
try to make it obvious which dishes are vegan, so that they wouldn’t have to
ask for each individual item. Who knows, maybe next year, you will be making a
vegan Christmas menu for more and more of your guests, so start practicing now,
and in the spirit of the holidays, make everyone feel welcome and accepted.
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