How far would you go to accommodate a vegan?

[Juicyj1993]

In a few weeks we're hosting a bbq for my Husband's birthday.

We have about a dozen guests coming, one of whom is vegan. As we don't normally buy vegan food I've started looking at what we'd normally buy and what is and isn't vegan. To make sure the vegan has the same variety of choice as everyone else I'm going to have to spend quite a bit on alternatives. As we have the non vegan alternatives we won't be eating the vegan versions, so they'll either go home with the guest or be thrown.

How much would you accommodate a vegan?

Would I be unreasonable to provide vegan burger with vegan cheese, plus bun and nothing else or do I need to go the whole hog and get vegan sausages, vegan condiments and vegan coleslaw?

Ps they are vegan by choice, not for medical reasons

Pasta isn't vegan though is it? Thought it was made with egg in it?

Most dry pasta is just water and flour, rather than egg and flour.

Yes mostly just fresh pasta that has egg in it.

I've made a few of these-I think they'd be a great addition to a BBQ or any occasion, regardless of anybody being vegan or not. I might make one for a family BBQ that's coming up. https://veganheaven.org/all-recipes/15-amazing-vegan-pasta-salad-recipes/

Honestly, you don’t have to provide a vegan version of everything the meat eaters are having. Stuff like veggie kebabs or corn on the cob are good on a barbecue, and sides like potato wedges or a rice/pasta salad or something like that.

Fresh pasta does but there’s hardly ever any egg dried pasta - and it’s easy to check the ingredients on the label if you’re not sure.

Vast majority of pasta is vegan.

Sounds like a good plan you have. I would be very happy with that as a vegan.

it is really surprising how many people see including a few vegan options as a massive chore. There is loads of bread and crisps that is vegan and most bbqs include salad (and not just the type loaded in mayo). Any vegan burger, bun, salad, ketchup, mustard and balsamic and your are sorted but if you add some corn on the cob, veg kebabs, potatoes you have a good selection of vegan things which all your guests can enjoy and really the only thing you have to buy out of the ordinary is the burgers. Gro burgers from the coop are really good btw. Realistic enough to feel like a burger but not too realistic iykwim. I don’t like the Richmond sausages as they taste too realistic. That said if someone bought them especially for me I would load up with mustard and onion and appreciate the thought :)

Well it depends on expectations of the vegans too and what you normally serve. I don't have salads as nobody touches them, bread and crisps are fine. So the vegan would have to finish it otherwise it goes to waste. Anything off the shelf is OK but as you said you don't like some fake meat, you'll still eat it but others don't.

I apply the same policy to 'anybody' who has dietary requirements vegan, gluten-free, halal whatever I will definitely have a couple of things they can eat but I'm not going to make more effort than I do with the rest of the food. They're welcome to bring their own and most in fact do.

It's only the entitled ones who whine and expect a spread equivalent to that of the omnivores. Always the ones who don't communicate either..
Turn up and announce that they don't like anything provided.

I don't understand comments like this. Are people who are not vegan/vegetarian not supposed to eat salad, bread, crisps etc?

What's all that stuff about eating a balanced diet?

Yes, there seems to be an element of surprise amongst some that omnivores will happily eat food other than meat or dairy, but still want meat and dairy as well.

I've no problem at all if vegans choose to eliminate two of the basic food groups from their diet, and I believe this should be respected and accommodated, of course; but I don't get the faux bewilderment when omnivores don't wish to have their own balanced diets across all of the food groups arbitrarily restricted as well with the suggestion that 'vegan is suitable for everybody, so just do the whole thing vegan'.

Its not that difficult op, really it isn't. Don't make a fuss about it. Great suggestions already made.

You don't even have to buy "special " sauces, stuff everyone else will be having is vegan anyway like tomato ketchup, pickles

Dried pasta usually is, as it's made from durum wheat.
Fresh pasta has egg in it though

It would be an interesting experiment to take a selection of common, naturally vegan foods like onion bhajis, ketchup, pickles, bread, hummus, crisps etc etc, and pasta, because just about all dried pasta is vegan (how could it not be, it's made from flour and water) and set up two identical tables, label one of them 'vegan' and say nothing about the other and see how many people who 'don't like vegan food' avoid the table labelled as vegan.

@BarbaraofSeville I once took a chocolate cake around to my Sister's for a birthday get together. Everyone wanted some, and then my Mum (stupidly but she doesn't understand ) mentioned that it was vegan. THREE people put it back (they were my Sister's friends and hadn't tasted anything I'd made before).

Once everyone else started eating and saying how nice it was, they all picked it up again!

I said to my Sister (in private, later) that I did not understand this-and she said that when the word vegan is mentioned, folk envision that the cake 'will have seeds or something in it'.

Seeds?! In a chocolate cake?! TF. 😂

Actually some sugars are processed using bone char, so some strict vegans avoid ketchup.
Some crisps have milk derived flavourings.
There's a surprising amount of stuff that's off limits depending on how far you want to go!

Sugar is vegan in the UK.

Some crisps do have milk in them however lots don’t and are perfectly fine for vegans.

@FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper what two food groups do vegans eliminate?

what two food groups do vegans eliminate?

Meat and dairy, presumably.

Meat and dairy are not food groups.

Meat and dairy are not food groups.

OK, it looks like opinion varies as to what constitutes food groups. Dairy is widely considered a food group, but various kinds of meat and fish are a large part of the protein group, along with pulses and vegetable protein - at least on the NHS website that I just found with a quick search; so technically only one complete food group is being eliminated by vegans and none by vegetarians, my error.

But regardless of that, it's still a very large amount of different foods that are commonly eaten as part of a balanced human diet that are eliminated. Nobody is telling you that you shouldn't eliminate them, but equally, it's not on to berate or dictate to the very many people who do wish to include them.

Yes they are

Linda Mc Cartney veg sausages are vegan now. Bean burgers or some beyond ones. Some salad and rolls to go with them.

Sugar is vegan in the UK, not sure on other countries though.
Bone char is really a USA thing,not UK
Milk in crisps though seriously pisses me off, just why?! It's not needed.
Lots are fine though

The NHS no longer classes dairy as a food group. The name of the food group is now dairy and dairy alternatives.

I’m vegan and if going to a bbq would offer to bring my own food. I’d be very appreciative if a bit of the bbq grill could be kept for plant based things or, if that didn’t suit, if I could cook mine first.