Self catering holiday with a veggie for a week

I think it would be a bit shitty for the vegetarian to be expected to take a turn cooking but not be cooked for.

We will be taking it in turns to make dinner.

The point at which this arrangement was agreed was the logical time for you and/or the other non-vegetarians who'll be taking a turn cooking to say that you'll be cooking meat some nights and it might not be suitable and work out what she'll do on those nights (or decide the taking turns arrangement won't work for everyday). As things stand, it's reasonable for the vegetarian - since she knows you know she's vegetarian and have catered to that in the past - to expect that there will be some kind of reasonably balanced non-meat meal for her to eat on the nights she isn't assigned cooking duties. If it's important to you, I'd bring it up now and see what she says.

yes low meat eating is what I aim for, that isn't twice a day !

Whether she’s “sacrificing her enjoyment of food” isn’t really relevant here. The fact is, the OP has rejected three perfectly valid options (despite the lack of a fourth). It’s fine if the OP doesn’t want to eat vegetarian all week - I’m vegetarian, and I wouldn’t expect that of others. But she doesn’t want to cook vegetarian food either. And she doesn’t want to cook non-vegetarian food and add a pre-prepared meet free option. Surely at least one of these could work?

Yes, low meat eaters, meaning those with plenty of veg and fibre in their diets

That is the key

Its not the presence of meat that is the problem, its the absence of vegetables, green matter, fibre.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/dementia-diet

I can't see how eating meat twice a day is compatible with this.

Spose its ok

Wheres the Wellington though?

I think you’re overthinking it if I’m honest.
i was vegetarian for a long time (not anymore, but that is irrelevant to this).

Most vegetarians know their dietary requirements are theirs and theirs only. Only the most militant vegetarians object to meat eater’s choices. When I was vegetarian it was a bit rarer than today and still no problems.

These days there are some superb vegetarian options so less of a problem. But, if you want to eat meat then that shouldn’t be a problem either.
It is good practice to use separate cooking utensils for meat/non-meat products and maybe think about cooking oils etc. But generally vegetarians have made a personal choice and are used to sharing lives with meat eaters and adapt accordingly.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/becoming-a-vegetarian

https://www.ndph.ox.ac.uk/news/new-study-finds-lower-risks-of-cancer-for-vegetarians-pescatarians-and-low-meat-eaters

https://zoe.com/learn/what-is-a-plant-based-diet

you seem to be overthinking, it’s really a non issue. Half my family are vegi, we just make 2 of the same type of dish, it’s really not much more work. At the weekend we were all together and made a meat lasagna and a veggie one. Just chill and have a lovely time.

I'd plan for most meals the way you referenced in your original post-things that are substantial enough w/o meat and meat on the side to be added for meat eaters.
Also at least 1-2 nights when people split up and go out on their own etc.

Breakfasts seem easy enough to omit meat from.
Lunches-salads or sandwiches with plenty of options
Dinners-burgers w/faux meat burgers
pasta w/meat on side
stir fry w/meat cooked separately or remove a large portion then add meat to remainder
this blog post has some good ideas
https://www.budgetbytes.com/flexible-recipes-that-feed-vegetarians-and-meat-eaters/

@Octavia64 how does she struggle? Won’t eat anything until the meat is accompanying it? Would she not eat the veggie stir fry but would eat it if you put prawns in? Genuinely curious, I know some oldies can get a bit fixed in their ways! My mum was determined never to eat avocados until she did by accident at mine once and declared to her surprise that they don’t taste of much 🤣

Vegetable lasagne: make it at home, take it frozen, heat it up for the first night. Salad, garlic bread. Or make a standard lasagne using a mix of lentils and veggie mince instead of beef. Or make one meat lasagne and one veggie one.

Nut roast served with veggies, roasties and gravy (don't use a tomato sauce like the one in this recipe) The nut roast recipe is excellent though and it freezes beautifully: make it in advance, take it frozen or take it up there fresh, freeze until needed:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/nut-loaf

Veggie Thai green curry: use a jar or a pot of Thai curry paste if you don't want to cook from scratch. Add you own pre-cooked chicken to your portion if you really can't manage a week without meat/ veg, Add Quorn piees to the veggie portions.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegetarian-thai-green-curry

Quick easy creamy lemon prawn pasta: veggie base (add peas). Serve the veggies first and then add prawns to your portions.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lemony-prawn-courgette-tagliatelle

Veggie enchiladas: really good. Complicated to make but you can make in advance and freeze, then thaw and bung in the oven on the day. Or make the filling and the sauce separately, then assemble and bake in your rental cottage.

Veggie chilli and rice or fajitas with guacamole, mango salsa (mango, coriander, lime), salad. Or just serve the chilli with baked potatoes.

Root veg stew with veggie herb dumplings. Serve with veggie sausages for the veggies and meat sausages for the meat eaters.

Loads of other lovely veggie dishes here:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/vegetarian-collections

Nothing to get upset about.

I know about the links to bowel cancer.

But eating meat is not the same as not eating vegetables and a high fibre diet, which is a much bigger problem.

Which are thankfully vegetarian!

Linked to bowel cancer and recently to dementia. Just heading out but will find links when I get back.

In what way is it unhealthy?

I eat meat usually twice a day but at least once a day (or fish is the second type of animal protein)

My health markers are all excellent (except for underactive thyroid I believe)

I eat a lot of vegetarian and vegan food too but always add some meat to things as its the quickest, smallest volume way of upping protein. You need to eat an awful lot of beans to replicate the amount in a chicken breast or tuna.

So we have sorted the beef wellington

So now whats for the other 6 nights?

(this is exhausting, bag of scampi fries for me please)

But they can, really easily! The only person creating a problem is the OP!

Just get her a vegetarian pie/wellington when you have beef. Vegetarians are really very easy to cater for. There’s loads about…

Eating meat all the time is really unhealthy. I actually eat meat but live with vegetarians most of the time. I can't be doing with buying, storing and cooking meat. However we do holiday with carnivoures.

Meals which work well on holiday

1. Veggi lasange ( not quorn, proper vegetables or the lovely Ottelenghi ragu)
2. Rissotto either mushrooms or goats cheese and green veg- if they must the meat eaters can have chicken cooked separately.
3. Pizzas as suggested above 4)BBQ or bangers and mash ( no more trouble to cook 2 kinds of sausage)
4. Some sort of simple pasta or gnocchi dish a creamy sauce ( maybe blue cheese) with bacon bits done separately if needed.
5. Stir fry with eggs, nuts or tofu again chicken cooked separately if important.
6. Soup of all types, lovely local cheese and fresh bread
7. Curry again many varieties with lentils/ chick peas/ aubergines all the condiments- no one will miss the meat.

What is difficult is if you are keen on a 1950's meat 'n 2 veg style- that does not translate easily to veggi food.

I know I am being very annoying on the matter.

That about sums it up.

You don’t want the “chore” of cooking a vegetarian version of any of your meals. But you don’t want the vegetarian guest to have a ready-prepared alternative either. What DO you want? Basically for her to stop being “annoying” by daring to be vegetarian? Or for her not to be there at all?

Maybe you should just tell your brother you don’t want her there. He’ll probably be massively disappointed that you’re putting beef wellington before your own brother, but hey - at least you won’t have to chop a carrot.

I've lived on three continents and shared many, many meals with people whose culture/mores/languages/foods/vegetarianism/religious beliefs/whatnot were not closely aligned with my own approach to life/faith (or not)/food/whatnot. We all got along together just fine and we certainly were able to eat together happily and share in enjoyment of food!

We are a family of 5, 4 carnivores and 1 vegetarian. We are all good cooks too and find it so easy to produce great meals that we all enjoy. I'm surprised you are so phased by this. Do you want meal suggestions?

I find it hard to believe that in this day and age anyone eats meat for every single meal?! It’s so expensive.

OP if you are taking it in turns to cook then you will only be doing 3-4 evening meals anyway. I would suggest if you are really desperate to eat meat then do a ‘meat and 2 veg’ kid of meal and buy her a pack of quorn fillets or something similar. She can still have the veggies and sides etc.

If, as you suggested, she just ‘sorted herself out’ I imagine you would get annoyed with sharing your kitchen space with her trying to cook a completely separate meal every night!

I am a veggie and have generally always been catered really well for at family gatherings, either with everyone eating veggie or being bought a ready made but lovely
meat alternative to have along with the sides. I never realised I was such a hassle to people.