Feeding Everyone at the Table

Planning meals when you are feeding people with a variety of dietary needs at the same table can be tricky. Hopefully I can help.

In June 2016 I started learning about plant based diets and the effects the meat industry has on the environment. After learning more about it, I decided that the best thing I could do for my health and the planet's health was to eat a mostly plant based diet. (I do not consider myself to be vegan) I do strive to be completely plant based but sometimes it just isn't possible for me. I didn't want to force my husband or to change his diet so I cook both, vegan and meat based meals. I thought it might be helpful to share five meal ideas to show how simple it can be to keep everyone at the table happy.

Meal 1

Spicy Vegetable Soup

what you'll need:

1 box vegetable stock

1 can pureed tomato

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 large potatoes, diced

1 bag frozen mixed veg

2 cans spicy hot v8 veg juice

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chili powder

-mix all ingredients in large pot and cook for 1 hour. after cooking, Separate the soup into 2 pots. Add 1 can kidney beans to one pot for the vegans and add cooked ground beef to the other pot for the omnivores.

Meal 2

Stir Fry

what you'll need:

rice of your choice (we use steamed white rice)

vegetables of your choice (broccoli, zucchini, carrots, onions, bell peppers, etc.)

seasoning or sauce of your choice (we like soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sriracha)

-for the vegan option add pan fried tofu and for the omnivore use chicken. 

Meal 3
Tacos

This one is super simple! Use all your favorite toppings but have beef or chicken available for the meat eaters and plenty of beans for the non-meat eaters (black beans are my favorite).

Meal 4

Spaghetti

Make spaghetti how ever you normally do but instead of meat, make half of it with cooked lentils. Have cheese on the side for those who eat dairy and make garlic bread with olive oil or vegan butter. You could serve this with a side of green beans or steamed vegetables or try mixing sauteed veg into the pasta sauce.

Meal 5
Green Goddess Rice Bowl with Tahini Dressing

what you'll need:
cooked brown rice
2 cups kale, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup edamame, shelled
1/2 onion, diced
Dressing: This is a basic Tahini dressing from minimalistbaker.com. I like to add a little bit of soy sauce and siracha to this recipe.
-saute onion, kale, zucchini, and edamame. Grill chicken for the meat eaters and tofu for the vegans. Add rice, protein, and veg to a bowl and top with tahini dressing