Vegetarian Community Meals

Start a Vegetarian Community Meal group in your neighborhood, apartment building, town or city. There are plenty of great tasting recipes out there and you can certainly prepare meals together in one kitchen or agree on a meal size and convene in one location to portion out meals and share them. Creating community with many people and trying new recipes. On the concept of a cookie exchange during the holidays. Simply take your recipe and double, triple or quadruple the ingredients for as many families as participate. The more involved the more meals you will have.

Another spin on this healthy eating community concept may be for those who do not like to cook, do not have time or are simply unable to do so. Find a really great inventive friend who loves to cook and try out new recipes. Together choose a menu for the week, depending on how many meals this dear soul is willing to prepare, and begin to divide the ingredient list up amongst everyone receiving food. Sometimes this can be a little time consuming for everyone and meeting in one place by a certain time can be a little stressful. There are several options but here are two to consider: 1). take turns doing the shopping. Have everyone involved take turns on the shopping for the ingredients. When the receipt totals are in divide them by the number of families or households participating to reimburse the shopper of the week. 2). If you find a willing Cook who doesn't mind the shopping too, have them total the receipts and divide them into portions for reimbursement.

Regardless of who does the shopping make sure everyone is on the same page of the ingredient list. If there are food sensitivities make them known ahead of time. If there are food dislikes be clear. Everyone can bring their recipe favorites to be slated in for inclusion on the menu. Make sure every one brings a recipe and each person lists any food preferences to a recipe ahead of time, letting the cook know too! If you are all planning strictly organic, be clear on what may be appropriate to substitute if organic is not available. If there are vegan preferences, then make sure those options are also available. Do not make it too difficult for your volunteering chef - they have lives and feelings not just empty stomachs. :)


As an incentive to your cook be sure to purchase enough ingredients for them to have their portioned food paid for. It is after all their willingness and talents that have created great tasting meals for your convenience.

If you are really interested in community you can agree on either weekly or monthly group meals. Perhaps everyone eats a meal together when they come to pick up their meals. As they box up their menu meals have a separate pot-luck of food to eat and share a meal, good wine or beer or filtered water, and fun with friends. Or just have dessert and play a game together or watch a movie if you'd like too! Whatever builds community together is the concept that will work!

Above all else... Enjoy healthy living, one bite at a time!