Vegan Christmas: a survival guide

It’s the Holiday season! A welcome break from the hectic pace of daily life, and a chance to catch up with friends and loved ones and share some fun and happy times. Still, this time of the year can be a real headache for people with special diets, particularly veganism, whose popularity is on the rise.

When sitting down for the Christmas meal, how do you avoid upsetting your aunt Betty, who has been serving the same meatball dish year after year? How can you keep cool, calm and collected while being peppered by queries and judgment from the carnivores in your clan? Here are some tips for surviving the Holidays when you’re a vegan!

Contribute to the meal

Hosting people is always a bit stressful, and all the more so at Christmastime. Why not offer to help out your host in the food department by bringing one of your vegan creations? Your host will surely be more than grateful!

How to veganize the Christmas classics

If you yourself are the host, seize the opportunity to introduce your family members to vegan specialties. Nowadays, there are numerous food substitutes to help you revisit classic dishes. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Vegan mashed potatoes
• Vegan “meat” balls
• Vegan tofu “turkey”
• Vegan gravy
• Gelatin-free cranberry sauce
• Shortbread cookies

You can’t go wrong!

 Avoid confrontation

You need to expect that people will make comments and ask questions about your chosen diet. (“Plants suffer too, you know.” “If you’re so concerned with your health, why do you consume alcohol?” “You’ve got to eat some meat to maintain your health.”) People who don’t understand tend to try to point out possible contradictions in your actions or even appear concerned for your health. Some good advice: dodge all such questions, as nothing constructive can come out of them. The last thing you want to do is justify your personal choices in front of everyone. Remember all the reasons you adopted veganism: respect for animals and the planet, a healthy lifestyle, and so on. Leave such conversations for more intimate moments, and offer to e-mail information to those who show a genuine interest.

Enjoy yourself!

It seems like a no-brainer, but remember that all the beauty of Christmastime lies in the pleasure we find in the little things. After all, the important thing is to have a good time with loved ones!