If this is your first Christmas following a vegan diet, then it is completely normal to find it very daunting, and somewhat underwhelming as the shelves are stocked full of food that you would have enjoyed last year. But worry not, with veganism on the rise, it has become much easier to create a similar experience to share with your loved ones. Here are some initial steps to follow, before we reveal how to indulge in the most delicious vegan Christmas feast!

Top Tips

• Bring something for everyone to taste: you could make your own nut roast, vegan stuffing or simply pick up some ready-to-go vegan items, which will fill up the shelves the closer it gets to Christmas.

 

• Roast potatoes: If you are spending Christmas with your family, you could request beforehand that they swap the goose/duck fat for olive oil to cook the roast potatoes. This still makes them super crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside!

 

• Be prepared for questions: remember that others will be curious, especially if this is your first vegan Christmas, and they are interested in your choices. Practise patience and try not to feel attacked, seize the opportunity to share your opinion.

 

• Don’t get too concerned about the food: there is way more to Christmas than just the food. Of course it’s a major part of the day, but if everything goes wrong and you end up having to opt for baked beans on a jacket potato, then that’s ok too. You’re with your nearest and dearest, and that’s a perfect excuse to fill up on some yummy vegan chocolate, which you can use to decorate the dinner table, for everyone to enjoy.

 

• If you do want to cook it yourself, try our Meat-Free Christmas recipes for Vegetable Tart with a Warming Winter salad.

 
 
 
We have created a rough guide below, on how to create a traditional style English Christmas dinner. You don’t have to follow this precisely, but use it for inspiration if you’re wondering ‘what the hell am I going to eat?!’ We have included traditional ‘meat’ source, potatoes, vegetables, gravy and pigs in blankets. There are lots of vegan recipes online from Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose. For general snacking throughout the day, check out the Vegan Kind Instagram page for plenty of tasty snacks to share around!
 
If you are still searching for ideas, then watch these YouTube videos which have been massive sources of inspiration:

Rachel Ama: My Vegan Christmas Dinner

Rae: £25 Vegan Christmas ASDA Haul

Naturally Stefanie: Shopping for my vegan Christmas dinner

Niomi Smart: What I ate on Christmas Day

Emma Laird: What I ate Xmas Day

 

Vegan Christmas Day – what to eat

 

Breakfast option 1

Vegan croissants / pain au chocolat, mixed berries and coconut yogurt

 

Breakfast option 2

Traditional sourdough bread, vegan smoked salmon, vegan cream cheese and a glass of bucks fizz

 

Mid-morning snack

Pringles

Doritos

Jelly Tots

Vegan Galaxy

Mashed avocado on rice cakes

Homemade soup

Vegan cheese and crackers

 

Christmas lunch/dinner

Linda McCartney sausages or her Cranberry & Turkey Plait

Roast potatoes

Broccoli, peas or other favourite vegetables

Vegan gravy

Nut roast (homemade or bought)

Vegan Beef Wellington Bites – these make a great replacement for traditional pigs in blankets!

 

Dessert

Vegan chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream

 

Evening snacks

Chocolate digestive biscuits

Almond butter chocolate cups

Skittles

 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! 😀