You should not invite a vegetarian for Christmas if you have no intention of catering for them?

[Trueheart1]

You should not invite a vegetarian for Christmas dinner if you have no intention of catering for them?

I am a vegetarian. I went to my MIL's for Christmas dinner and all I could eat was Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots and potatoes. Without gravy!

The stuffing, gravy etc.. all had animal products.

There were 14 of us in total and 3 of us were very disappointed vegetarians.

I usually host and make sure everyone is catered for. I felt quite irritated, as I had offered to bring any part of the meal and if she had told me she was not catering for the vegetarians, I would have done it.

My MIL is very traditional and supports fox hunting. I suspect that she does not agree with being vegetarian and this was her passive aggressive way of showing that.

In every other way she is lovely and a great MIL. She wants us to come again next year. How do I politely make sure this does not happen again?

I assume they probably didn't have two other larger meals that day

They don't need to. An egg and 100g of peanuts are hardly a larger meal

There's so much ready made veggie stuff these days if she wasn't confident enough to make something. You're right - if you're not going to provide a proper meal then don't invite a veggie!

Why do people even bother with the whole xmas dinner shizzle then, if they can get enough protein from a few sprouts, an egg and a few peanuts

Christmas menu:
One boiled egg.
2 medium carrots
a bit more than your cupped hands of peas
About 12 Brussel sprouts
2 small boiled potatoes
100g of peanuts.

Hallamo I couldn't care less if you call me a bigot. I'm a vegan the happens to have a dairy intolerance, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm a vegan. You're a vegetarian with a dairy intolerance. I put up with enough people telling me that they know someone who is vegan but eats eggs. Do you think the waiting staff are going to know the difference between vegan and veggan? Can you tell me how each is pronounced? I don't care if someone is vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater, but veggan is a bullshite term used by a vegetarian who can't commit to being a vegan, but doesn't want to admit it.

and a partridge in a pear tree.

You forgot the peas

The egg is for breakfast and the peanuts are a snack for your drink.

Next time I invite a vegetarian, I must get a slab of protein in.

I had eight for Christmas dinner, three of whom were veggies. I had bought in Linda McCartney beef roast veggie thing and Morrison's chestnut roast - but in the end my veggie guests just said they preferred it if I did some of those quorn fillet things (like chicken breast) with all the roast spuds veg and Yorkshire puddings etc. We did a veggie gravy for those who inexplicably like gravy. Job done.

They don't need to. An egg and 100g of peanuts are hardly a larger meal

I must have missed the OP’s post where she said her MIL also served the vegetarians with an egg and 100g of peanuts. Haute cuisine indeed

Next time I invite a vegetarian, I must get a slab of protein in.

No-one believes you have vegetarian friends, mum

I catered for out vegetarian guests by ensuring all veg was cooked without any animal products, for example, sprouts without bacon and roasties in olive oil not goose fat. Also supplied a nut roast, veggie stuffing and gravy. Made veggie soup, curries, quiche and other meals for days afterwards.

OP says . I ate a couple of satsumas

Thete's about 1g of protein in each of those bad boys.

“Bad” being the operative word in the context of the most anticipated meal of the year, mum

“Bad” being the operative word in the context of the most anticipated meal of the year, mum grin

I'm only clarifying the nutritional content for the poster who said:

A plate of veg is not a meal. Where's the protein?

There does seem to be a lot of vegetarians on here that don't like vegetables.

Mum56 I didn't forget they're there!

5 go-old rings

^ yes. It's quite annoying, obviously.

Mumof56 This was meant to be Christmas dinner, a celebratory meal. Not very celebratory if the vegetarians had to suck it up with a plate of boiled veg, is it?

There does seem to be a lot of vegetarians on here that don't like vegetables.

I think you’re confusing not liking vegetables with not liking only vegetables. No-one has replied to my question of why only vegetables wasn’t served to everyone, so I’m guessing non-vegetarians also wouldn’t be impressed with a plate of only vegetables.

Mum56 I didn't forget they're there!

[santa] oops yes

I love vegetables. I would happily eat a huge plate of them but if I'd been invited for Christmas dinner and that was all I got i'd think WTF and feel sorry for the others.
And I'd still be hungry.

Mum as I mentioned on p1, we do just have a plate of vegetables on Christmas Day. We love vegetables in our house. But I’d still be a bit disappointed at getting a couple of potatoes and a dry sprout. It didn’t sound like a particularly generous or enticing plate of veg in this case did it?

For me the issue is that there are things, important things, like stuffing and gravy, that could have been made for all to enjoy so OP didn’t have to sit there with dry boring vegetables.

A couple of nice vegetarian stuffing choices would have made it a more substantial enjoyable meals. As would some parsnips but don’t get me started on that!

getting a couple of potatoes and a dry sprout

The OP had more than that

The OP had more than that
Oh yes she got a few peas and carrots as well: "OP: all I could eat was Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots and potatoes. Without gravy!"

Well if that is what you regard as a as a festive Christmas meal at your house Mumof56 - remind me to give it a miss!

OP didn’t have to sit there with dry boring vegetables

There was bread sauce and almonds aswell

I did have bread sauce. The Brussels had sliced almonds