Are you looking
forward to the holidays this year? Or are you afraid you'll end up with a
plate full of side dishes again? Well, this year, treat
yourself or your family members who are vegetarian to their
own tasty entree. Who knows, Meat
Loaves in Puff Pastry might just become a holiday
tradition!
Over at the Good Karma Cafe, we realized that many
people may want to eat or serve meatless meals, but they
don't know where to begin, aside from fixing a bunch of
vegetables and salads. To help guide you in the care and
feeding of your vegetarian loved ones this holiday season,
we've compiled the following helpful tips:
TIPS FOR
FEEDING VEGETARIANS
BE FLEXIBLE WITH SIDES
Many side dishes you make can be easily made
vegetarian, with little difference in taste. For example,
you can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, or
simply leave the meat or meat drippings out of vegetables
and soups. This will also cut down on the fat content.
MAKE SPECIAL VERSIONS
It's usually not too much trouble to divide portions
of some dishes, making one of them meatless. My father used
to make me special baked beans, cornbread dressing, hush
puppies, beans, and lots of other stuff without onions, so I
guess I'm used to this way of thinking. (Much to my friends
chagrin!)
ASK WHAT YOUR LOVED ONES EAT
Don't assume that a vegetarian will eat eggs,
fowl, fish, or even dairy. Your best bet is to ask people
what they do eat. Vegetarianism means something different to
everyone, and if you ask, your loved one will know you care
enough to make sure that they enjoy the holiday, too.
BUT DON'T ASSUME THEY DON'T EAT GOOD
STUFF
Some people err on the side of being too cautious
when it comes to preparing dishes for vegetarians. For
example, my husband doesn't eat eggs, but he does eat dairy,
sugar, regular flour, etc. Sometimes people feel as if they
have to give him a sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-less cake
when all he doesn't eat is eggs! And here's a tip: most
flavors of Blue Bell Ice Cream do not contain eggs. (Read
the label.)
DON'T BE JUDGEMENTAL
The holidays are a special time of year when
forgiveness and understanding should rule the day, don't you
think? With this in mind, please try not to be judgemental
of what people you love choose to eat. (This goes for
vegetarians, too!) Many a holiday meal has been ruined
unnecessarily by debating lifestyle choices. It means
nothing about you if your family member or friend eats
differently than you.
GET HELP WITH THE COOKING
If preparing something vegetarian is just beyond
you, enlist the vegetarian guest to prepare something
special and to make enough so that others can have a bite.
Who says Thanksgiving means turkey and Christmas means ham
EVERY year? Let people experiment and
bring something new for a change. After all, this time is
for people, not food!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with
joy, love and merriment ...Kristi
