Catering for vegans

[PieandPotatoes]

We have friends who come and stay regularly. One is a vegan. They never bring any food with them. It takes me ages to do the food shopping (checking labels for ingredients). We spend loads on oatmilk, vegan cheese/yoghurt etc and we end up cooking two dishes at mealtimes as my husband refuses to eat anything without meat. I think that they should at least bring some vegan food with them. What do you think?

Do you actually like them? Do you enjoy their visits or staying with them?

Your H is the problem-refusing to eat a meal without meat. What a spoiled brat.

You don't have to buy "vegan food". You can easily make a curry or a chilli for example with just "food"!

All you actually have to buy is some non dairy milk for tea and coffee.

Vegan here!

I'd rather take my own stuff than put anyone out, but most of what you normally eat will be vegan anyway (Bread? Potato? Chips? Rice? Vegetables? Pasta? Baked beans?), so it shouldn't be that difficult to sort something out - we don't all live on fake steak and avocado! Can't you make stuff where meat is a side dish and cooked separately, allowing your husband to have his daily fix?

Failing that, ask them what they'd like or just get a takeaway (Indian food is a good bet for vegans).

Giving their opinions is bad form, if unprompted, and I'd never do that, although if asked I'm happy to talk about it.

McVities Digestives and Rich Tea are vegan, as are most Bourbons. They can live happily on those if needs be 😃

Nope. Nope. Nope.
The problem is visitors making no effort.

It's also polite for a host to provide a welcoming environment for visitors.

Not eating meat with every single meal isn't going to turn him into a ladyboy 😃

@Nolegusta Oh come on! What giant baby will refuse to eat a single meatless meal?

And who expects their guests to "make an effort"?

It's polite for visitors to also bring something with them.

If your dietary requirements are significantly different from the host then of course you bring the items you need.

I’d be absolutely horrified if someone did this when I was hosting. A good host provides what’s needed- bringing it with you suggests you think they’re not a good host.

Yes but like a bottle of wine or a box of chocolats, not cooking ingredients.

I would be very non plussed if someone came to visit for the weekend and brought a pint of milk and a loaf of bread

I'm specifically referring to folk with specific requirements, who are staying with folk who don't have those specific requirements.

No, it doesn't.

Even then. I don't want people to bring their own groceries to my house. It's weird

I always thought eggs were non vegan, but maybe a vegan omelette using an egg substitute? Genuinely curious!!

@Nolegusta "I'm specifically referring to folk with specific requirements, who are staying with folk who don't have those specific requirements."

Utterly ridiculous. This would only apply if for some reason the hosts could not eat the specific requirements. Which does not apply to vegans. Non vegans can eat vegan food. Probably often do, probably without realising it. Vegans cannot eat non vegan food.

@HamptonPlace there's lots of egg substitutes, depending on what you eating flax, applesauce, aqua faber ( not sure that's the correct spelling!) silken tofu ...

An attention seeking vegan?
Imagine that.

Again, it's not weird.

The hosts don't routinely eat vegan meals, the visitors do. The hosts should make some effort to bring at least some if the specific food itens they need with them. This isn't ridiculous, by any stretch.

Don't bother with expensive substitutes.
Consider doing vegan chilli with fresh veg and rice or a butternut squash or chick pea curry. Most people like that but if husband not happy make a meat curry too.
No need for desserts etc most vegans are used to making do anyway.

The friends don't come out of this looking great either

Vegan requirements are usually 'whatever you're having but without the meat/fish/dairy', and are really not that special.

There aren't any special ingredients required to make meals vegan - it's more a case of just leaving some stuff out.

We're no trouble, really!

Thanks.

Most of us aren't shrill flag wavers.