Serve vegans first and don’t allow people to make jokes about their diet: Vegetarian group advises meat-eaters on how to make Christmas more enjoyable
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Vegans have produced an advisory guide for meat-eaters about how to make their plant-eating guests feel more welcome at Christmas dinner, including serving them first and making sure no-one makes fun of their lifestyle.
The list of dos and don’ts has been published by the New Zealand Vegetarian Society under the title ‘Give the Gift of Understanding’.
The guide says Christmas can be a ‘challenging’ time for vegans and others should take this into account.
‘If your loved one is an animal lover, seeing meat can bring back memories of animal abuse they’ve witnessed, such as slaughterhouse footage that convinced them to change their lifestyle,’ the guide says.
‘These intrusive thoughts can be upsetting, and can make their experience of Christmas much different to that of the meat-eaters sitting at the table with them.’
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A large meal is a tradition for most families at Christmas and usually involves various meats such as turkey, ham, and prawns
To make the day less traumatic for vegans triggered by those sights of meat, the guide suggests Christmas hosts get in touch with their vegan guests ahead of time.
‘If you talk to them beforehand and ask them how you can accommodate them, you’ll probably find that they arrive more relaxed,’ it says.
‘If you want to prepare food that everyone can eat, your loved one will likely have some suggestions, and know some good recipes.’
Beyond recipe tips, the Vegetarian Society also recommends those who persist with meat eating can become an ally of vegans and make them ‘feel safe’ among those who may disparage their dietary choice.
‘Saying ‘I really like that vegan chocolate you brought!’ or, ‘I admire your commitment to the environment’ within earshot of those making hurtful comments can be a way of supporting vegetarians and vegans,’ the guide said. ‘It communicates that they, and their choices, are accepted.’
Another recommended good turn was to make sure the vegans got a good helping of the vegetable dishes to compensate for the lack of meat on their plates.
‘If possible, make sure that they get served first,’ the guide suggested. ‘They probably won’t jump to the front of the queue – so why not do it for them?
‘You can say, ‘I know Sarah can’t eat everything here, so I just want to make sure she doesn’t miss out.’ Ask them what they’d like to eat, and make sure you give them generous portions.’
The guide said adopting all these recommendations should make for a happier experience for vegan guests because ‘everyone deserves to enjoy Christmas’.
Another good turn you could do would be to make sure they get enough food rather than missing out on most of the meal