Hosting a Party: How to Feed Your Vegetarian Friends

I showed up at my brother's house the other day for a cookout. As we sat around the living room with everyone else, he turns to me and says,

"Hey Sara... I got these great chips at the store, they're veggie chips."

This was my sweetheart of a brother, attempting to play host to a vegetarian. I was afraid my main course was in fact going to be veggie chips as I looked over at the grill, loaded with hot dogs and hamburgers. Luckily there was pasta salad as well. After he announced a last minute trip to the store for other supplies, I added Gardenburger Veggie Burgers to his list. Cookout saved.

Here are a few things to bear in mind when playing host to vegetarians:

1. Every vegetarian plays by their own rules. Do they eat eggs? Is seafood ok? Do they avoid all animal products? What about dairy? It may help to know why they have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle.

Vegans don't eat any animal products. This can include a lot of products you never would have thought of. For example, honey comes from bees, and bees are animals too! At least they aren't plants. Want to make s'mores around the campfire? Marshmallows have gelatin, and chocolate may contain milk. You don't necessarily need a list of acceptable foods, but it will make your life easier to know what they do eat, so you at least know what you can cook. (This is also a more "glass is half full method", and will seem slightly less frustrating as you add things to the list, as opposed to crossing them off.)

2. Let your friend know what you are planning for the menu. Having an ample veggie platter might not make up for the trauma of a 50 pound pig, roasting on a spit. Depending on the planned festivities, your friend may choose to respectfully decline. Or, they may offer to bring their own pot luck favorite to the party.

3. Just omit the meat. If you are making pasta with a meat sauce, put the sauce on the side. With things like pasta, or potato salad - be sure to let your friend know what's in it. They may avoid it altogether if it's difficult to tell what the ingredients are, and end up missing out on a good thing.