Code of cooking when having guests.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Buy a veg quich and add some salad.

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?

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!

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.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

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!

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.

I eat a ketogenic diet but if I went to dinner at someone’s house I eould eat what they produced. If it was that important to me I would offer, alway an offer so as not to offend and give the host a chance to decide., to take stuff that I can eat( I have done this)
It’s up the the ‘fussy eater’ to help make things easier .

Not eating meat is quite normal now. We just serve vegetarian for everyone if there’s a veggie round the table. Lots of brilliant alternative recipes to use now and usually healthier and cheaper than meat. What’s not to like? Even my meat loving husband and son enjoy the odd veggie meal now.

Had friends round for a meal pre lockdown wanted their company but one friend vegetarian. Prepared meal for everyone but made a meal for friend. Simple starter of Melon n then made a vegetarian curry with chickpeas served with rice. Made enough to freeze some as to be honest it was quite nice. Wasn’t any trouble and because unable to have cream popped into Tesco where they have vegetarian small boxes of substitute cream. If you don’t cook for friends very often think it would be nice to do vegetarian meal for your friend. With regard to when you visit her just make polite excuse if you are unable to eat certain vegetables n perhaps she will avoid them in meals she prepares.

Some vegans are pretty picky and have issues if others are having meat or dairy - even though they personally have been catered for separately. I have no time for these people - my house my rules, don't like it then don't accept an invitation!

You could word your invitations along the lines of. “We are planning to have Balmoral Chicken for dinner on Saturday. Would you like to come?” Then your guest can excuse themselves if that’s not to their liking.

Sorry, I haven’t had time to read everyone’s replies but I just make sure there are vegetable dishes suitable as a side for the majority or a main if you are vegetarian and some vegetable dishes without dairy etc. if anyone is vegan. If I know someone is coeliac I do gluten free and if Muslim the meat will be halal.
I don’t see any of this as being a problem but then I love cooking.

Lollin this is an amazing vegetarian restaurant in Manchester. When I was working there a lot and eating out in the evening often with Orthodox Jewish people, we would eat there - it was definitely better than the alternative of the Kosher restaurant ?

www.greensdidsbury.co.uk/

Set a buffet table that includes ethical cold meat, organic cheese, free range shelled boiled eggs , nuts, fruits, wine, beer, and salad veg so people can help themselves to what they want.

suziewoozie I agree. Having been brought up a vegetarian I miss the days of going all the way into the city to the one store that sold a wide variety of options for vegetarians. I miss the wonderful aroma too. Whenever I come across a vegetarian option for eating out I have sometimes, not always, been delighted when I discover a really good menu.

What no one seems to have pointed out yet (apologies if they have) is that when we invite friends/family into our homes to eat it is because we enjoy their company and we want to make them wlecome, so that means, with that sense of goodwill that led to the invite we prepare a meal that we hope they will enjoy. That means respecting those whose principles limit the food that eat, and an awareness of the problems of those with allergies.

With friends coming I will choose my meals to please them. One couple I always serve the simplest of traditional English food. usually a roast with the meat well cooked. For others I will do more adventurous food, currys and other ethnic cuisines.

Similarly, if I am a guest, I will accept what I am given and if I was a veggie or vegan, or had allergies I would let my host know in plenty of time and offer to refuse the invitation, if my limited eating pattern caused problems.

Eating together is an act of friendship and affection and that should be willingly reflected in our care for our friends chosen, or unchosen eating patterns.

Stilton I think that you have provided Lucca with op's 'no return' reason.

'Small circle of lock down friends' indeed!

Did we ever find out what OP meant by the 'small circle of lockdown' friends she is cooking for?

I'd think that the type of food she is providing for the vegetarian and 'the rest of us' is the least of the problems here.

Years ago we and a group of friends and neighbours used to get together in each other’s homes about every couple of months, taking it in turns to cook.
One friend was a vegetarian, around the time when it really began to be fashionable.
When it was my turn to host I remember worrying more about what I was going to give her than the rest of us!

Now though we invariably eat out whether it’s with friends or family and it is SO much more enjoyable.

The hostess doesn’t have to keep popping into the kitchen to check on the food, thereby missing the conversation (local gossip!) and in a restaurant everyone can have exactly what they want where everyone’s needs and faddy diets are catered for.

Plus of course once the hospitality industry is fully open again they will need all the support they can get or one by one they will disappear.