How to Enjoy Summer Foods… Without Compromising Your Ideals.

Summer, just like any other season, has it's own challenges to present to the green crowd. There's the everlasting debate between taking your yearly road-trip and obeying the smog warning signs, the pungent reminder of pollution when you dip your toes in the river, and, as always, the BBQ.

Social eating abounds in the summer, and it can certainly be a challenge to those trying to go vegetarian or vegan for the environment. While perusing the non-dairy dessert aisle at Whole Foods, I realized that the best way to discover new and delicious vegan BBQ goodies was to have a vegan BBQ! I raced home to call my friends, and let the preparations begin!

Now, if you're a burger and hot dog fan, things are pretty easy nowadays. There are quite a few different soy and garden burger options out there; it just takes a bit of experimentation with brands and toppings to find the right combination for you. As far as soy dogs go, my favorites are actually Trader Joe's Italian Sausage-less Sausages. The spices add a little bit more of a 'normal' look to the sausage, so they don't give the impression of being made of play dough, like some soy products sometimes do. However, tofurky dogs, Smart Dogs, and Yves' Meatless Jumbo Dogs are always sure to please. Personally, I just picked up a couple packages of Sausage-less Sausage, a few portobello mushrooms for grilled mushroom burgers, and called it that.

Potato salad is an American BBQ staple, and it still had its place on the vegan table. I made some Vegan Potato Salad from this recipe which ended up going over quite well, if I do say so myself.

The last thing to go on my grill that day (but certainly not the least!) was my trusty grill wok. I sliced up some veggies into that baby (organic, naturally!), and I was good to go. The grilled vegetables give the array on the table a bit more of a gourmet feel… and also, they’re just darn tasty.
Even if you aren't normally a vegetarian or a vegan, a vegan BBQ can be a fun experiment. There are many myths about veganism being difficult, unhealthy, or even just plain gross, and it can be fun expel those myths with friends and beer over that time honored summer staple: the grill. If my friends enjoyed it, I’m sure your friends will too.

So go ahead carnivores, have a Greener BBQ by including vegan options. It won't kill ya, and it might even make you feel just that much better about zooming past all those smog warning signs on your way to cool down by the river.
 

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By: Sara Nassrine, a GreenPosting writer on tasty organic plant based foods.  Enjoy her personal blog here.
 

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