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

No vegan would contribute to unnecessary animal suffering, so of course we won't provide flesh or animal secretions for you. It's just not comparable to non-vegans buying vegetable stuff which surely most of you do anyway.

No vegetarians eat fish. Those people are pescetarians.

Yes, I know the label ‘pescatarian’. Like most of the world I just talk about vegans and vegetarians, who come with different diets.

If you choose to adopt a peculiar fundamentalist view about animals, knock yourself out. Just don’t expect others to indulge you by altering how they live their lives to suit you.

Being vegan isn't being fussy though.. They don't want to eat animals, don't want to contribute to their suffering. Why is that "being fussy?"
You wanting to eat animals that's up to you but you can eat both meat and vegetable dishes no problem, so why should they go against their morals and beliefs just because you don't like the thought of going without meat or dairy for one day?

“If you choose to adopt a peculiar fundamentalist view about animals,”

Well I suppose that’s a lot better than holding your “peculiar fundamentalist view” on certain groups of people based purely on what they don’t eat/west. Are you normally this insecure that you’re threatened by other peoples lifestyles?

*Wear not west

@JohnnysSoLongAtTheFair if you're comfortable with your choice to eat meat, why do you need to attack vegans? It comes across very defensively.
Bragging all defiantly about how you wouldn't cater for them, getting all irate and belligerent about their choices? You're sufficiently generous enough to imaging yourself hosting guests, yet so mean spirited towards some of them you'd be comfortable if there was nothing for them to eat in your home.
It would be an odd person indeed who had a moral objection to people NOT doing harm to animals, so what has you so riled up and spiteful?
I'm more than happy to listen to arguments about why you believe people shouldn't be vegan if you have them, because this level of anger towards a harmless lifestyle seems excessive.

Being vegan isn't being fussy though.. They don't want to eat animals, don't want to contribute to their suffering. Why is that "being fussy?"
You wanting to eat animals that's up to you but you can eat both meat and vegetable dishes no problem, so why should they go against their morals and beliefs just because you don't like the thought of going without meat or dairy for one day?

It's fussy because veganism has nothing to do with morals or beliefs. It's not a faith; it has no religious history or scripture, it has nothing to say about how we treat each other or about any other 'big' human question. I said straight up that religious dietary law and medical need are different. But veganism isn't a religion and if they have a medical food need they should and would tell me. They just choose what they do. And I don't believe that an extreme attitude to animals has anything to with morals either. Apart from morals being about humans' relationships with each other, it's very unattractive to suggest that people who eat and use animals (which is as old as humankind) are immoral. Leather, wool and silk are immoral? FFS. Veganism is just a lifestyle choice.

Well I suppose that’s a lot better than holding your “peculiar fundamentalist view” on certain groups of people based purely on what they don’t eat/west. Are you normally this insecure that you’re threatened by other peoples lifestyles?

I don't have a fundamentalist view about vegans, or a peculiar one. If people want to live as vegans, rock on, as I've said. I just cba to pander to them.

And "insecure"? You're having a laugh. Somebody decided to call me narrow minded, selfish and thick because I don't want to run around for someone else's lifestyle choice. I suspect vegans are on the whole quite unpleasant when they don't get their way or are disagreed with.

I think that's borne out by a PP throwing around "bragging", "defiant", "belligerent", "mean spirited", "riled up", "spiteful" and "angry" because I've made clear that I won't put myself out to cater for a person who has chosen to live in such a restrictive way that hosts have to be more careful about them than anyone else. Maybe that's the reason behind the vitriol against people who say "jolly good, but you'll have to look after yourself": vegans' desire to be treated as special.

Some vegans are unpleasant. Some meat eaters are unpleasant. I don't think it's diet related.

Well it is to do with morals and beliefs even if it isn't religious. Most haven't just decided to be fussy to annoy you. Though if I knew you I would certainly be tempted to go down this route. You don't have vegans over to eat anyway so why care ? It's not a situation that will ever arise.

…why care?

The thread title is How far would you go to accommodate a vegan?

So I said how far I’d go. If I think vegans create pointless bother I’ll say so. If you think only vegan indulgers are welcome to post, that says more about your attitude than mine.

I think the point is that I like my friends, and I enjoy feeding people. Many on here don't seem to!

@JohnnysSoLongAtTheFair what about if someones religion requires them to be vegan?

You mean like Jainism or some strands of Hinduism, the ancient religions of South Asia? Then I’d expect them to tell me and I’d respect it. That’s different to self-imposed, faddy diet restrictions which have nothing to do with faith or culture.

For all I know there may be people advocating veganism as a religion in itself. In which case I’d politely disagree.

Ok. I think you're just the standard bored wind up to be found across a variety of threads on MN, so good luck and have fun.

Is there a way of finding out beforehand what they might enjoy - even if that way you have to spend a little specifically on them, at least it won't be random vegan stuff that they don't even like/you don't even want? Even as a meat eater I have also always seen salads, corn on the cob, potato salad etc at BBQ's - surely most of them could be vegan/easily adaptable to be vegan and everyone could have some of those?

My friend went vegan and when I had her round to mine I made a vegan buffet. It was a good excuse to try some new recipes and everyone loved it even non vegans. I did a few chicken drumsticks just in case but they were barely touched.

You’re the typical “what I say is holy, don’t you dare disagree with me” poster.

@JohnnysSoLongAtTheFair

surely you can see that Veganism is different to fussy or daddy eating?!

So wanting to reduce the suffering to animals is pointless bother?....dear me.

Most vegans I know would far rather have a portobello mushroom or two to fake meat products. I usually make a bean salad as a side dish so they get a decent protein hit plus balsamic tomato salad and a vegan green salad. Then make sure that at least one pudding is vegan (and that they get some before the rest of the gannets move in....)

It's fussy because veganism has nothing to do with morals or beliefs.

Not wanting to eat animals has everything to do with morals. And actually, to me, seems a far more rational or ‘moral’ belief than not eating pork or shellfish (if you eat other meats and fish) or mixing meat and dairy on the same plate. Which you seem to deem worthy of respect as they are religious choices.

I am an omnivore and cater with energy and no resentment for each and every preference my guests make me aware of. I don’t cook meat for veggie friends due to their pro animal or environmental beliefs, they don’t cook goats cheese for me as the taste makes me bleugh!

I recently made a vegan pasta salad for a BBQ. It was just spirelli pasta; vegan mayo; diced sundried tomatoes; basil; jarred artichokes and capers.

It went downa storm, To the point that I separated out a large portion as the vegan it was intended for had not arrived yet.

Veganism is a core part of some religions and beliefs anyway. Such as Jainism. That may not be a traditionally western religious belief, but is a religious belief none the less.

I cook meat and use diary for cooking for my family. And I'm vegan. Why can't people be kind? If you don't want to accommodate vegans don't invite one...simple.