Well, cookout season has officially begun! Being one who thoroughly enjoys a good barbecue, as I started to eat more of a vegan I began to wonder how one would enjoy this American past time while still sticking to their plant-based diet. Last night, a couple of my girl friends came over and it was actually a quick topic of conversation since we just had a barbecue this past weekend for Memorial Day. Luckily, there was something for everyone there. Seriously. Just look:

Yum right? Yes, you do see a kale salad, which was amazing by the way. A vegetarian can go nuts on that table. A vegan can eat almost everything as well. We weren’t lacking in veg items from the grill either.

What do we have here? Portabella burgers to die for and veggie kabobs – oh my. You wouldn’t believe how quickly the portabella burgers went, especially by the “meat-eaters.”

So I guess what I am trying to say is: if you are vegan and are invited to a cookout, this is your opportunity to show people that you CAN go to events and EAT and have FUN. There are so many great items you can offer to bring that will be a hit for everyone there!

Here are a few ideas:

• Grilled veggies, such a zucchini, summer squash, peppers and mushrooms
• Guacamole or salsa and blue corn chips
• Black Bean Salad with Avocado-lime Dressing (wholefoods.com)
• Quinoa Black Bean Salad (savvyvegetarian.com)
• Tofu Stuffed Mushrooms (vegetariantimes.com
• Home made vegan burgers
• Fruit salad
• Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad (blog.fatfreevegan.com)

That is just the tip of the iceberg. The internet is chalked full of amazing BBQ dishes. Thing is, most people won’t even know it is purposely a vegan dish. They will eat it, enjoy it and continue to give you a hard time about eating vegan. Just smile. If you are lucky like me, you have awesome friends and neighbors who are also vegan or are open to cooking vegan! Those are true friends. Keep them close.

Enjoy your Wednesday,