Code of cooking when having guests.

Well, meat eaters can eat either meat or veg, veggies or Vegans don't eat meat at any cost for whatever reason, therefore it isn't unreasonable if you are veggie to NOT have to prepare meat for guests, this is also because somewone who doesn't eat meat does not want their oven, cooking trays etc tainted with meat.However most people cook veg and so it's not the same problem. If you really don't cook for the vegetaian then there are some really nice ready meals on the market that you could just add baked potato slices to or something to make it a bit more special. And..don't demonise the vegetarian.

My husband is a musician and before covid, we often used to invite at least 8 fellow musicians round, mainly men. I am a vegan and I used to make a couple of huge vegan shepherds pies. Made them really tasty, adding vegan gravy powder and lots of marmite. They all used to love them and have second helpings, even though they were all meat eaters. I have also done vegan sausage casserole or curries. They always tuck in!

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Do what I do and give up cooking for others. I decided the beginning of 2020 after having hubs family and mine new years day, that at 73 I'd done enough cooking over the years and think I deserved to call it a day. Meals out from then on (but never happened of course due to covid).
When I thought back once I was married at 19 to my ex husband and the mantle of entertaining was passed to me. Neither my mother or my MIL did it, I did it all.

I've lost all patience with food fads - and I'm including vegetarians in this. My No.2 son decided his children were goingto be veggies - even though he wasn't (?!) it meant that every time they came over I had to cook 2 meals and as I got older, it became harder and more expensive. Then the kids told me that thier mother (parents seperated) always gave them meat, anyway!

Veganism is just plain unnatural for human beings and those fools who practice it will find out later in life just what they have done to thier health - and it won't be good news!

Veganism is just plain unnatural for human beings and those fools who practice it will find out later in life just what they have done to thier health - and it won't be good news!

Please do enlighten us, Belinda.
What exactly do vegans do to their health?

Buy a veg quich and add some salad.

I think you’ll find that studies have shown that vegans can be just as healthy, if not more so, as other humans - plenty of meat eater are overweight, have high BP , cholesterol, heart problems whereas vegans are generally slimmer, have low b.p., low cholesterol, fewer heart problems etc. Sure you can have unhealthy vegans who only eat chips and drink beer, as you can have meat eaters who are slim etc. You can’t make such huge generalisations with no evidence.

I simply do not understand people like BelindaB. I am an omnivore, at various times a meal, or even a day's meals may turn out vegetarian or vegan as well as having thoroughly carnivore days and I just do not see why having a vegetarian, or even a vegan among your guests means cooking 2 meals. A little bit of thought, a few tweeks and everyone is satisfied.

BelindaB,I am Vegetarian and have been for 40 years.It is not a Fad. The thought of eating animals horrifies me. I do eat in the in the company of meat eater ,as it is there choice,but I don't feel I can cook meat in my home.

why have to cook 2 meals ?
why not jut cook eg veggie curry that everyone can eat, or rice n peas/ black eye beans, or pot noodles.
with salad and extra veggies.

I would never expect a Vegan or Vegetarian to give me a meal including meat, or animal products.

I use the original 5:2 diet to keep my weight down and over the years I have collected neearly 100 recipes with a calorie count of 250 or less (I have 2 even sized meals on fasting days.) The majority of those recipes are vegetable based and some vegan. they are all delicious and there are a number of them, I wouldn't hesitate, even once, about serving to a meat eater, even though the recipes are meat free.

Is it really any different from having a guest who cannot eat certain foods for health reasons or because they hate them so much. Fresh milk, yoghourt, cottage cheese all make me heave and I could never bring myself to eat them if I was served them. Is it really much different in its effect when serving guests? When I entertain anyone who I havew not fed before, I always check on their likes and dislikes and any other eating requirements.