Mixed Eating Styles Can Dine in Harmony

It’s summer on the east coast and for my family that means a lot of time away from our home base to a place where we trade off, back and forth, from quiet tranquility to frantic festivities. The rhythm of the days and the activities work in perfect harmony to give us that yin-yang, push-pull of life which spills over into the kitchen.

With so many faces and eating styles passing through our summer, the kitchen becomes a place for collaboration and compromise in a culinary cha cha of sorts. This dance allows me to prove to myself and our guests that a ‘mixed’ eating family or group can all dine from the same table. Plus, all come away having an utterly delicious meal without any one group feeling that they are the aberration, or after thought.

You see, I am living the mixed family of food consumption (and as you get healthier your family may too). My immediate family is comprised of two adult plant-based eaters, one teen omnivore and a teen vegetarian. Then, throw in the normal assortment of visitors, ranging from omnivore to vegan, and even gluten sensitive, and it sounds like it would be mayhem. But so far, we have managed to stay true to my theory that a family and a group can all be enjoying one basic meal.

So, how is it done? It’s really not as hard as some might think.

If it’s a soup, chili, casserole, or stew night, that’s a no-brainer. Just make two pots of the exact same meal, using the same base ingredients and spices, then diverge only when the core ‘proteins’ get added. Ex. beans, legumes, tofu, meat, fish, etc. Of course if broth is used, then it needs to be vegetable, and oils need to be vegetable, not animal, based, but that just makes it even simpler - for these types of ingredients just use the vegetable versions - always.
For other types of meals, start with at least two core dishes for plant-based eaters (their entrees). These will charade as side dishes for any omnivores, with the main difference being that these will be the best side dishes they will ever eat. In omnivore world the meal is planned around the meat - but that makes it more challenging to serve a mixed group. So start with the plant-based entrees - this is key.

Then think of a simple meat or fish based main dish for the omnivores that will compliment these plant-based entrees/sides. You will find over time that whatever amount you would have prepared before will be reduced considerably because of all the other great food available.
Offer some simple steamed or grilled vegetables to make sure that the meal does contain some simplicity for those that need it and to provide more sides for all, but mostly for the plant-based eaters.
Add a very large, fully loaded, exotic salad as part of every lunch or dinner. This means a wide assortment of greens and other veg, usually raw, but not always (roasted is also great), plus seeds (sunflower, pepitas,) or nuts (pine nuts, walnuts), and dried fruit (cranberries, tart cherries, blueberries) or fresh fruit (apple, pear, grapefruit, clementine, grapes, or even strawberries). Of course, the dressing is homemade.
Finally, if it’s a large group, set up buffet style, so that the flexibility that is built into the food flows through. You will also be pleasantly surprised at how much ‘trying’ of new food takes place with buffet style and a mixed eating style group.

It really is that easy. What happens in my house is that the omnivores eat a lot more veg than they usually do and are introduced to new grains, vegetables and techniques too. Be GLAD for new foods and harmony!

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