The Art of Thriving as a Plant-Based Eater During the Holidays

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The holidays this year are my tenth as a vegan, and in that decade I’ve learned a thing or two about navigating these decidedly not vegan-friendly settings both practically and, dare I say, ~emotionally~. Each year offers its own revelations, but the three insights in this post are ones I’ve found helpful year after year. I hope they ease your stress and up your enjoyment this season.

I would love to hear about your own experiences, and any tips ‘n tricks you may have, in the comments below.

When in doubt, BYOTVD

As in, ‘bring your own tasty vegan dishes.’ The appropriateness of this will of course depend on the setting and context of the get-together. But having go-to, tried-and-true dishes to bring to holiday gatherings not only relieves the stress of wondering whether you’ll go hungry, but is also genuinely fun.

The key here is to bring crowd-pleasing dishes. Not out of an obligation to add to the bounty of options the non-veg people can already enjoy, but because it’s much more gratifying to share delicious vegan dishes that everyone will get excited about. It’s a little faux feather in a vegan’s cap, if you will.

To that end, here are two strong options. They have been our go-to’s for three years running and unfailingly garner compliments:

This vegan pot pie from Nora Cooks. It’s a lovely, simple recipe that’s easy to add a little gusto to if you so desire. I like to add fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, and a little lemon juice. And if you prefer to save time and buy a plant-based pie crust versus making it from scratch, this one is the tops. (Just give it long enough to reach room temp before using). This dish stands out because (1) who doesn’t love a pot pie and (2) no one ever seems to make or bring pot pie to holiday meals, so it’s unique and exciting. Which feels good, ya know?

A baller kale salad. This one you can get creative with, but I highly recommend: massaging or finely cutting up the kale to soften it, using a divine lemon dressing (like this popular one, with maple syrup instead of honey), and adding a smattering of your favorite toppings to bring different textures and flavors. We use honeycrisp apples, endive, quinoa, pickled red onions, pistachios, and sunflower seeds. Let loose your imagination and enjoy.

Feel the feels, then keep it movin’

In my experience it’s inevitable that at some point(s) during the holidays, you’ll feel like the ugly duckling (who… at least… you’re not eating?). Because not only does someone always make a crack about being vegan – my beloved father is the only one who gets a free pass – but you also get the pointed remarks about how delicious meat is. And how it would be impossible to give it up. At which point you may be tempted to dunk your head in the cranberry sauce, slug the last of your wine, and head for the door.

You might also simply find yourself wishing that you could partake in the home-cooked dishes that have been simmering fragrantly for hours, and are the focal point of the gathering.

Alas, I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to this one. The best course seems to be acknowledging these downsides, feeling the feels, and then moving on. Because… is there sacrifice involved? Yes. Does it suck to feel like the odd one out in a group, no matter how fundamentally you believe in the cause? Yes.

But once you’ve allowed yourself to ruminate a li’l, it can help to remember two things. The first is the obvious one: how good it feels to eat in alignment with your ethics. It’s interesting to indulge the hypothetical where you throw your hands up and eat the meat and all the other dishes. Because it makes you quickly realize… you wouldn’t really want to, right? It’s more just that the holiday setting is testing the bounds, and the sense of sacrifice is front and center. But all the reasons you chose to be vegan still stand strongly, whether the animals, the earth, your health, or all of the above.

Second, it’s nice to remember that you belong to a community of vegans who are the only other people (besides those with other allergies) who will ever really get what this feels like. Because as isolating as being in a room of non-vegans can feel, knowing that other vegans in the world are out there in the same boat can offer a comforting sense of togetherness. It helps to remember that kindred souls with shared experiences are out there.

One weekend during (or shortly after) the holidays, have a plant-based feast for the ages

I highly recommend this to any vegan, because it will fuel your soul. After one or more holiday meals during which you’ve had to squeeze your eating style into the margins and sacrifice semi-obviously in front of lots of people, it’s time to FEAST, honey!

This can take many forms, and should be based on what sounds most exciting to you. Some options include:

Make your traditional holiday meal, reimagined to be entirely vegan. In my household this would mean a fab plant-based roast, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes full of superb vegan butter, more vegan pot pie and kale salad, roasted vegetables, stuffed mushrooms, and some sort of indulgent vegan dessert. Maybe pecan pie.
Cook a feast consisting of your favorite dishes, themed or otherwise. I tend to want to replicate holiday classics having just had to forego them several times over, but maybe you prefer cooking totally unrelated favorites. Dooo it. Spend a day or afternoon prepping a smörgåsbord of phenomenal vegan eats.
Enjoy an out-of-the-home feast, if you don’t feel like cooking. This can be anywhere, as long as it’s sufficiently lavish and deeply satisfying.

This practice is not just food for the soul, but a reminder that any sacrifice associated with your average holiday meal is the product of current eating norms. It’s not a reflection of plant-based possibilities, which we know first-hand can be spectacular and satisfying if done well.

So take this opportunity to remind yourself (and maybe your vegan SO or friend or colleague, if you want company) of what vegan eating really means: joy, indulgence, health, kindness, and lots of good feels.