Is it hard for those who aren't vegan to make a vegan meal?
How do non-vegan friends manage when they want to invite vegans over for a meal?
Friends and family often show love through food. It's often a time to sit, socialise, give the body what it needs, and possibly go a bit further, and indulge, with those you care about!
I've heard and seen people get stressed and anxious over cooking a vegan meal, before the 'guests' have been asked, or date has been set. This fear and insecurity is often pre-everything, and I've seen it go either way. The host might find someone to talk it through with, after which they usually realise that they can make something without difficulty. Alternatively, they may not entertain the thought any further and decide to avoid cooking at home and meet everyone in a restaurant, or simply not go ahead with the food part of the meet-up.
What a shame.
Is cooking a vegan meal really so difficult?
The reason I said 'what a shame' isn't because I dislike eating out, or because I want every single social to involve food. I said it because the host didn't make an informed decision. If they knew what was involved in creating a vegan meal and they decided against it, that's fine, but if they didn't discover what they could make, and the fear of it all made them abandon the idea; then that's sad.
I've written a book called The Way to a Vegan's Heart: Delicious Recipes to Help You Eat Well, Cook Quickly and Feel Content. Here, you can have a look at a sample of the book without incurring any cost, or you can buy it for £1.99
I created the book to show that there's a huge variety of vegan meals that can be made. I deliberately chose simple recipes which, mostly, take less than 30 minutes. You'll also find recipes on this site.
When you have a little time, and your mind is open; have a look at some of these recipes and you'll see that they use ingredients that are readily available, they are quick and easy to make and there's a large range of different types of vegan meals. You'll see that it really isn't that difficult.
A vegan Arabian meal
We were invited over to our friend's place for dinner. One of them is from Palestine and the other is from Lebanon. They aren't vegetarian and they eat some form of meat on most days of the week. However, they made an amazing meal with very little hesitation or bother. What's even better; is while we were eating, they were talking about how they couldn't decide what to make, because they thought of so many dishes that are naturally vegan. This turned into a discussion about what they'll make for us next time. It was so exciting and inspiring to hear the way they couldn't wait to invite us over again. However, their plan is to make more things in a lesser quantity, so that we can have a tasting feast! Doesn't that sound cool?
We made the fudge for dessert. I really enjoy this fudge, so I was chuffed that they enjoyed it as much as we did. You can find the recipe for the fudge, here.
What are your thoughts about cooking a vegan meal?
Would you bat an eyelid about it?
Will you do some research and find out if your doubts are valid or not?
Might you challenge yourself to try making something and then decide how easy or difficult it is?
"People are the only animals that drink the milk of the mother of another species. All other animals stop drinking milk altogether after weaning. It is unnatural for a dog to nurse from a mother giraffe; it is just as unnatural for a human being to drink the milk of a cow."
- Michael Klaper, M.D.