• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

FITaspire

Health & Wellness

  • Health & Wellness
  • Nutrition
  • Recipes

What to Serve When Vegans Come to Dinner

April 17, 2012 By Heather Blackmon

.

This post might be a little self-serving. Why?  I want to eat at your house!

2012-04-15 16.07.27

I understand that having someone over who eats differently than you can be intimidating. What do they eat? Will you be able to make something they like?

But really, I promise it’s not as hard as you think and you may even find it’s something you could cook for yourself every so often! In fact, you can probably make your favorite meal with just a few substitutions and still make everyone happy.

But what do I serve in place of the meat?

These are very loose substitution rules, but they work pretty well for almost anything. If buying a pre-packaged option, just double-check the ingredients to be sure they contain no milk or egg products)

  • Chicken: Try firmly pressed tofu or meat-free chicken substitutes (like Gardein). One of my first “veganized” recipes was Buffalo Chikn Dip, following this “rule”.
  • Ground Beef: Cooked lentils or meatless crumbles (like Boca). I’ve used these in sloppy joe’s, chili, & meatballs recently.
  • Steak: Grilled firmly pressed tofu, with the same marinade or rub you like on your steak. Need inspriation? How about my Whiskey Marinated Tofu Steak!
  • Pork: I haven’t tried anything that would imitate a porkchop yet, but I do bacon quite often. Try Lightlife’s Fakin’ Bacon Strips, most Bacon Bits, or this tofu bacon recipe. For the liquid form, I’ve recently discovered Torani’s Bacon Syrup, which I’ve used in donuts, bloody marys, & hummus – all within a few days of purchase! 🙂

IMG_8476IMG_7994

IMG_7939IMG_8360

There’s no way I can bake without dairy?!

I think this might have been more difficult in the past, but it’s a snap now!

  • Milk: There are so many non-dairy milks to choose from. My favorite is Almond Milk, but you can also look for Coconut Milk, Rice Milk, Soy Milk, Hemp Milk, Flax Milk…there’s probably more! You can use these exactly as you would regular milk in recipes.
  • Butter: The most common vegan “butter” is Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I use this in cooking & baking exactly as I would have used butter in the past.
  • Whipped Cream: You can chill and whip (full-fat) Coconut Milk or you might be able to find a non-dairy soy based version in your grocery store.
  • Eggs: There are a few options here, but I’ve found Ener-G Egg Replacer to be the easiest & most reliable. You can also use Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds mixed with water as a good substitute.
  • Cheese: This can be the hardest one for many people. If you’re cooking with cheese, I recommend looking for Daiya Shredded Cheese or Follow Your Heart blocks of cheese. Both of these are similar in flavor and melt fairly well. The only cheese I’ve found good enough to eat by the slice as an appetizer was homemade using this recipe.
  • Sour Cream and Cream Cheese: Two different products, but for both I just get the non-dairy version at the grocery store. My favorite brand is Follow Your Heart, but any will work.

IMG_8418IMG_7562

I’m still nervous about serving the “wrong” thing!

Most people who eat a plant-based diet would LOVE to help make the meal, even if it is served at your house. Or, I bet they have LOTS of recipes that they could recommend to make it a little easier to plan for you. You can, of course, search the recipes on this site – all 100% plant-based!

Think about some foods that are already plant-based that you eat today:

  • Hummus
  • Salsa
  • Pita Chips
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Salad
  • Oil & Vinegar dressing
  • Rice, Quinoa, etc. (just make sure you use water or veggie broth in cooking)
  • Oreos
  • Sorbet

2012-04-15 18.03.49

And don’t forget about:

  • Wine
  • Mixed Drinks
  • Beer (just be careful about stouts, which are sometimes refined with fish bladder – gross, I know!)

This is a very small selection of items, but I hope it helps get you thinking. 🙂

*******************

Questions for you:

  • For the Plant-Based folks: What other tips do you have to share?
  • For the Non-Plant-Based Folks: What else do you worry about that we can help you with? Are you ready to invite me to dinner yet?!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner

« An Awesome Food & Fitness Weekend!
Pimiento Cheeze and Other Veggies! »

Search the website

Welcome

Hi! I’m Heather, a yoga & wellness teacher based in Colorado... Read More…

"Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleano "Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt

What scares me is probably different than what scares you.

I am admittedly a timid mountain biker - but getting better every day.

I'm afraid to face plant, but still working on crow pose in yoga.

⬇️ What is one thing that scares you & how are you working on it?
.
.
.
.
.
#mountainbiking #mtbiking #mtbdaily #mtblife #seemyadventures  #allaboutadventures #sheisthewild #mountainlife #liveyouradventure
Am I the only one still (basically) living in yoga Am I the only one still (basically) living in yoga clothes?

For at least part of the day, it's just easier to put on yoga pants, sports bra, and a "zoom-appropriate" top. Or a button-up layered over my workout tank. It makes it SO much easier to squeeze in a workout when I have time.

Tell me I'm not the only one who's not going back to work clothes?!
.
.
.
.
.
.
#vail #yogalifestyle #yogaliving #vaillife #vailcolorado #mountainlife #vailvalley #outtherecolorado #mountaingirls #womenofthewilderness #womenwhoexplorecolorado  #lovethelifeyoulive #vaillive
Wait, should I look at the camera? 📸 But reall Wait, should I look at the camera? 📸

But really, keep your gaze straight ahead to keep your neck safe in bridge (or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). It's rare that a version of this pose isn't included during cooldown in my classes.

Do you love bridge as much as I do?
.
.
.
.
.
.
#asana #goodvibes #bridgepose  #energy #feeltheyogahigh #happymindhappylife #myyogalife #letyourlightshine #letyourpranaflow #coloradoyogalove #coloradoyoga #practiceyoga #yogajourney #yogalifestyle #yogaliving #yogamakesmehappy #yogapractice #yogatime #ipreview via @preview.app
"Every ending is a beginning. We just don't know i "Every ending is a beginning. We just don't know it at the time." -Mitch Albom

Last Friday, we ventured to a trail near Carbondale for the most beautiful ride with huge wildflowers everywhere. It was a great trail with good climbing, plenty of flow in the middle, and A LOT of switchbacks on the descent. Our first 2 hour ride of the season and it was a blast!

I didn't know it at the time, but it was also the last ride on my Liv mountain bike - because I got a new bike on Sunday! ✨

If you're in Colorado & in the market for a new bike, I highly recommend Over The Edge in Fruita. I test rode 6 bikes & then took the Pivot Mach 5.5 out on the trail to be sure it was the right one. Great experience!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
#adventurespirit #alltrails #mountainvibes #mountainaddict #mountainadventures #mountainbiking #mtbiking #mtbdaily #mtblife #seemyadventures  #womenofthewilderness #womenwhoexplorecolorado
Follow on Instagram

Connect with FITaspire:

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
© 2021 FITASPIRE, LLC · TICKLED PINK THEME BY RESTORED 316