Your niece's new husband, who is a vegetarian, is coming for Christmas dinner. How can you create a Christmas dinner that will be suitable?

The first step is to find out what foods he avoids. Generally a vegetarian does not eat meat, fish or fowl or products containing these. But there are many different types of vegetarian diets. Some vegetarians also avoid milk and milk products and/or eggs. Some people will eat fish and some will eat chicken.

Try to find out if he has any favourite recipes that he would be willing to share. He may even volunteer to bring something. Others in your family may be delighted to try a new dish along with the traditional favourites.

A vegetarian entree can be served as a side dish for those who will still be eating the traditional meat dish. Traditional dishes that are already vegetarian are baked squash, roasted vegetables, baked potatoes, perogies, meatless cabbage rolls, wheat, borscht, bread and cranberry sauce.
Hints to help you prepare vegetarian meals include:

• Cook your stuffing separate from the turkey.
• Use milk free margarine instead of butter or lard.
• Use soy beverage instead of milk.
• Use a non-egg containing egg replacement in your baking.
• Include appetizers from a variety of cultures that have been popularized and are vegetarian; these include humus, olive paste, guacamole or Bruschetta. (You can often buy these ready-to -serve from the grocery store.)
• Read the ingredients on packaged foods looking for source of animal products that your guest would like to avoid.
• Include single food items like vegetables pieces, cut fruit, olives, marinated vegetables and beans, nuts and seeds, crackers and bread sticks.

Although it is not necessary to be vegetarian to be healthy, including vegetarian foods/meals in our diets adds to a healthy overall diet.

Source: http://www.homefamily.net