Planning a wedding menu can be challenging, and vegan wedding menu planning can be an extra challenging task. The tips and examples below will help!
Don’t focus on nutrition
You might usually calculate macros and aim for complete amino acid profiles. Don’t worry about that for your wedding. It’s one meal on one day, and nutrition isn’t the highest priority for most of your guests. Think instead about the three Fs: filling, flavors, and fotos.
Make it filling
The top complaint from carnivores eating vegan food is that it’s not satisfying. A lovely selection of salads leaves a lot of guests hungry. Serve soups and salads like the jewel-like salad below, but don’t stop there.
Then make sure you have something the carnivores will be able to identify as an entree, whether that’s an acorn squash steak filled with quinoa pilaf or a veggie-rich pasta dish. This is the most important part of vegan wedding menu planning for carnivorous guests.
Consider meat-like options like tofurkey in traditional chafing dish style.
Focus on flavors
Your guests — or at least your friends — may be an unusual group, but the CDC tells us that 90% of Americans don’t eat the minimum recommended amount of veggies every day. It’s fair to conclude that some family members and other guests won’t be salivating at the thought of kale and Brussels sprouts. Go with strong, familiar flavors that will make those guests feel at ease.
Plenty of traditional Mexican, Indian, and Italian dishes are vegan. If you want to use meat substitutes, BBQ sauce may be the perfect foil. Beans take bold spices well in traditional American dishes, and a spicy Thai papaya salad makes everything else on the plate sit up and take notice.
Fotos — or photos
If your spread looks good on Instagram, you’re halfway there. Fortunately, fruits and vegetables are very photogenic.
Special presentation can make a difference, too. Creative table settings, heirloom platters, or DIY centerpieces cast a glow on your vegan delights.
Food is a big part of any celebration, and your vegan wedding menu might open some of your guests’ eyes.
Check out our whole collection of vegan wedding posts!