Christmas veggie
Friday 12 December 2008
Are you a veggie? Read our advice on how to handle the Christmas eating fest!
Pressure
Are your family worried that you have become a veggie? Try to sway their fears by explaining that a balanced vegetarian diet still provides all the essential nutrients you get from eating meat. Have your answers ready - where do you get your protein and nutrients? How do you maintain a healthy diet? Find out more!
Eating meat is not necessarily the sign of a balanced diet. Maybe you can help the meat eaters out with some nutitrition tips of your own.
The best way to prove it though is to glow with good health so make sure you do have a good diet. Check out some of the ideas for what you can eat below – many non veggies will be surprised about how good it looks and how good it tastes!
Not that again!
Wherever you go someone will probably bring up the cliché about veggies being ‘hippies’ or that “carrots feel pain too". Take it all as a joke! Try to explain why you have chosen to be a vegetarian and rise above it! Don’t try to convert anyone – being vegetarian is a personal choice. Christmas is a time to be happy so the best way to avoid a row is to laugh along.
What to eat?
Don't just load up on roast potatoes and dessert – there’s a lot of really simple dishes you can fill up on that are as festive as turkey. Also don’t expect your mum or relative to do even more cooking just for you! Xmas is a perfect time to try some recipes yourself.
On the side
Remember not to let your vegetables be roasted or cooked near the turkey.
Try a simple recipe to make you own vegetarian stuffing.
Also remember that the gravy often comes from the meat or meat products. Try using vegetarian gravy granules – add water and a few spices and you are all set.
Turkey substitute
Nuts are highly nutritious and can provide you with calcium, zinc and essential fatty acids. The nut roast is a veggie classic and easy to cook yourself so you don’t have to bother your mum to do yet more cooking!
Bangers and mash
Try this simple recipe from teenage cook Sam Sterm for Glamorgan Sausages. Dunk into chutneys, mayo, chilli sauce, eat with salads like a homemade coleslaw – or chop up new season apple with celery, turn it in a bit of lemon and mayo. Yum!
Winter veg
Why not roast some some seasonal winter veg like parsnip, turnip, swede, sprouts, leeks or cabbage?
Breakfast treat
Banana milkshake is a great way to start your Christmas morning – make it from soya milk, honey and ground almonds and of course bananas. Throw it in and whisk away.
Substitutes
Did you know that you can get vegetarian haggis, porkless pies and even a tofurkey – that’s right it looks like a turkey, tastes a bit like one but it’s made of tofu! Check out this website for other veggie ingredients.
Rock and roll veggies
Heard of Bloc Party? Did you know the band’s guitarist, Russell Lissack, is a vegetarian? He decided to become a vegetarian only about four years ago.
“I like a traditional Christmas dinner really… gravy, roast potatoes, carrots, Yorkshire Puds and then a Quorn fillet to replace the meat. It’d be nice to get some of those veggie sausages wrapped in bacon veggie style too!”
Other famous vegetarians include Victoria Bekcham who once turned down a skin care gift because the company sent along a turkey with it!
