So you were invited to a BBQ and you are vegan. Now what? Never fear, being vegan absolutely does not mean you have to give up fun occasions such as this. Quite the opposite, really! Vegan food can be some of the most popular at a cookout.
These days especially, there are many people who have heard of going plant-based, and many are curious about making the switch. You can choose if you want to disclose your lifestyle or if you’d like to just enjoy the day in anonymity, as much as is feasible.
First things first: get your mind right
This is not the time to be standoffish or judgmental and make snide comments about the smells of meat wafting from the barbie. Just know that you are attending so that you can enjoy some time with friends or family, and have some great conversations and fun!
If someone asks you why you are eating “different” foods, definitely take the opportunity to let them know why you have chosen this lifestyle. Give them the cliff notes version, and if they are curious, they will ask more questions.
This is a great opportunity to be open and friendly about your reasons, and crush the myth that vegans aren’t able to have a respectful conversation about our lifestyle. Just know that you can excuse yourself if others are being rude, and do this if the conversation veers from a friendly discussion.
Focus on enjoying the company, and have some lively discussions about what everyone has done for fun since COVID, or since you last saw them. Participate in some games, and just generally enjoy your time!
Bring some vegan food so you have something to eat
By bringing your own food, you not only ensure that you’ll have something you can eat, but you can also share the vegan goodness and others will likely finish it off! So make or bring some delicious vegan burgers, or some sausages/hot dogs. These days there are so many great options. By sharing with others, you may even help to change some minds once they experience how delicious vegan food can be!
If others are hesitant to try a whole burger or sausage/dog, you can try cutting them into pieces so that people can just sample a smaller piece. Or, if you’d prefer, keep them intact, and if they don’t get eaten, put them in the cooler you brought them in (hint, hint) so that you can enjoy the leftovers later at home.
Beyond just the faux meats, you could bring some potato or pasta salad, or even a delicious vegan-style salad! (I say “vegan-style” because many people think of salad as some lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and maybe if they are getting fancy, some carrot shreds). We vegans tend to really build salads that are meal-worthy in and of themselves. So proudly bring that salad and prove vegans don’t just eat lettuce! 🙂
Or you could pre-cook some corn (this way, it only needs to be quickly reheated on the grill), prep some veggie skewers, bring some veggies and hummus dip, cut up some watermelon or cantaloupe, or make a fruit salad, or fruit crisp for dessert. Either way, people love these foods, especially on a hot summer day!
If you are wanting some leftovers, you may want to make some extra and leave this at home, as in my experience the vegan BBQ food gets devoured! People enjoy good food, and most of the time if you just offer it as “potato salad” for example, they don’t need to even know it’s vegan— until they are licking their lips after enjoying it, of course!
If you are unable to bring some dishes to share, then just enjoy as many of the sides as you can, and bring an already baked potato that can be easily reheated on the grill with you! 😉
Or, just plan early and throw your own bash
Another way to have a great summer BBQ when you’re vegan is to just plan your own BBQ! Plan this well in advance, so that you can get the word out and have your non-vegan friends attend.
This way, you can arrange to have multiple plant-based options. You won’t have a shortage of food to eat, and you can organically show others the wealth of good foods that a vegan can enjoy.
This is often much easier than making a bunch of dishes that you enjoy, and taking them to someone else’s cookout. Just be sure that any non-vegan dishes that others bring go home with them if there are leftovers, so that you don’t have a bunch of food that you won’t eat and that will go to waste. Vegan BBQ are celebrations of all the wonderfully fresh summer produce!
If you can, please share this post. We are passionate about getting the word out about plant-based living, but we can’t do it alone. Also, please comment, and let us know what you think!
