Only Vegan At Your Holiday Party? Try These Survival Tips, Conversation Starters & Recipes
A nervous wreck!
That’s how I used to feel attending holiday celebrations as a new vegan.
Would someone challenge me about my choices? Would someone feel disrespected if I didn’t eat the turkey or offended for bringing my own food? Oooh, the list went on, especially culturally for our family, where traditionally there’s a lot of emphasis placed on comfort food that is made with meat or cheese.
I soon realized that no one was there to critique me. They were my friends or family after all, and had invited us to spend the holiday with them. It was more about my insecurity of being one of the ‘only’ ones, the only herbivore, and the attention that would bring. When I finally learned to look at being the only vegan at the holiday party as empowering, the game changed!
If you or your family are nervous about being the new vegan at your annual gathering this year, take heart!
Take Heart!
It’s OK to be the only vegan at a holiday party because…
We may be inspiring someone to take the plunge!
We are honoring our boundaries.
We are standing up for something that’s important to us.
Following our heart, listening to our bodies and intuition is gold when it comes to our family’s health.
We are breaking generational habits and setting a good example for our kids.
We’re showing that an alternative exists, and that it can be done as a busy person/mom.
If we’re truly there to give thanks, share love and gratitude, what's on your plate shouldn't really matter.
It’s in alignment with the spirit of our Native ancestors. The idea of giving thanks is central to Native American heritage and culture, especially when it comes to caring for the environment and nature. Long before colonists arrived, Native Americans celebrated “the autumn harvest,” and the gift of Mother Earth’s abundance.
Staying true to your vegan lifestyle amidst family holiday gatherings and lots of temptation can be tricky, but once you’ve done it, it’s empowering.
Need help navigating those curious conversations about veg life with respect, grace and confidence? Here’s some sample Positive Responses for Well-Intentioned Questions, like “Why be vegan during the holidays?” “How could you give up meat and cheese?" and “What about your children? Don't they need animal protein to grow?"
Once we get over the fact that we’re the only vegan at the holiday gathering, we can get to the good stuff: Delicious food! If you’re looking for good turkey substitutes to make or bring, try these ideas. They are all non or minimally processed, and easy to make:
Stir fried sweet chili tofu
Stuffed peppers or sweet potato filled with rice, beans, onions and Gardein be’f crumbles
Vegan lasagna
Black bean enchiladas (using Follow your Heart or Violife cheese)
Sweet potato & chickpea cakes (super easy to make & can top with cranberry sauce)
This year I enjoyed making sweet potato and chickpea cakes AS A MAIN DISH, using a recipe from Food 52:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of sweet potato mash (I boiled purple sweet potatoes. Once soft, I added in a little, non-dairy milk, vegan butter & cinnamon)
1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup bread crumbs (vegan panko or even coconut flour)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Olive oil for frying
Salt & pepper to taste
Quick & Simple Directions:
Add all ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor. Pulse until it’s mixed well, but there’s still texture.
Add additional bread crumbs if needed to thicken the mixture and make it easy to shape into cakes.
Shape into 6 chickpea cakes. Heat olive oil in a large, warm skillet and add the cakes in. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, until each side is golden brown. Serve hot.
Thanks for reading! For more resources for busy moms who want to lead healthier, plant-based lives: Follow me @getmommafied on Instagram, and subscribe to my bimonthly Mommafied Note.