Worried about feeding French Exchange Student

[happymumday]

My DD (14) has an exchange student arriving for a week, on Wednesday. I had an e-mail from school just yesterday informing me that she is Muslim and as such does not eat any pork and only halal meat. This is not available to me locally and school has advised me to not give her meat at all. Obviously this poor girl is not vegetarian, and eats meat at home and I don't wan't her to go hungry or feel she is missing out. Any ideas on what I can give her? Are meat substitutes acceptable? Arghh!
Thanks in advance.

Fish should be OK as it is not stunned before it is killed. But not shellfish, crab or duck.

Fish!

Fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, lentils etc will all be fine. But if you have a chain supermarket near you, if you ask you will probably find that some of the meat is actually halal, just not labelled prominently as such.

Duh! in my panic I hadn't even thought of fish. Thank you. I'm planning on taking her to the supermarket to help choose some food. I might just ask if any halal meat is available. I would hate for her to go home thinking she's eaten something she shouldn't have.

I think most main supermarkets now stock halal also

Otherwise I would just stick to veggie for ease. Most dishes easy enough in veggie

Make something like veggie pasta with garlic bread first night, then you can ask her and go shopping next day for everything else.

Have bread/ cheese/ fruit in for back up

It depends where you live Artandco. None of the supermarkets near me sell halal meat as there is not much call for it.

I would go for veggie meals although Artandco has a good idea about asking.
Are you near a big town or city? There could be an area with a predominately muslim population and may have a local shop selling halal meat.
I have no idea if my supermarkets sell it but I know there are butchers that do
I can't see there would be any issues with quorn but I wouldn't want to say 100%. If you are not used to it though it does have a strange texture

Do you not have any Muslim friends or acquaintances you could ask where sells halal meat?

I accept this website looks amateur and unbelievable but it does work - will find stockists of halal meat for you. i.zabihah.com/o.php?msg= Honestly, just go veggie with a night of fish and chips. What kid doesn't eat margarita pizza or veg pasta bake covered in yummy cheese (check cheese is veggie!) :)

Fish with gills is fine, but not sure about shellfish - check.

Qorn will be OK and you might be surprised at your local supermarket, just because it isn't labeled as halal doesn't mean they don't sell it.

Are there any muslims at dd's school? If there is ask them and their parents what they eat/where they shop.

Personally I'd also buy some cheeses and nice bread (check not made with lard) so she can snack if she wants.

Most subways in London are halal, and tesco and Waitrose def def halal.

There is lots and lots of halal meat in supermarkets. They tend not to publicise it because it inflames the Daily Mail, the EDL and people who think they know about slaughter houses.

Going shopping with her would be excellent for her English and enormously helpful to her for future trips.

Many schools have a halal option on the menu and in some all meat is halal (they don't publicise it that well though). If that was the case she could have her meat portion for the day at school by having a cooked meal at lunch-time.

Thank you all for the ideas. I live in a rural village and don't know of a single Muslim family locally. I don't think the school will be offering her a halal option at all. I've asked at 2 major supermarkets in a nearby town today with no luck but have managed to get halal chicken and lamb from another by ordering online. I will be cooking mainly veggie but can now offer her meat a couple of times during the week. I'm still planning on taking her shopping for the majority just to show her the English supermarket but at least I have some meat sorted. Thanks again.