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Just because you’re a vegetarian, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy bbq food, and catering for your vegetarian guests doesn’t have to be difficult. Catering for vegetarians at a bbq is just like catering for anyone at any meal – it requires some creativity, and some forward-planning goes a long way. Remember to find out what kind of vegetarian your guests are: fish might be an option, while cheese and eggs might not. These ideas cater to lacto-ovo vegetarians, who make cheese and eggs a part of their diet.

Stuffed peppers or pumpkin

A filling side dish for vegetarians and your other guests is a red or green pepper stuffed with cous cous and feta cheese: just clean out the inside of the pepper and add your filling. Another great way to do this is to create a blend of chopped peppers and whatever cheese you enjoy best, then stuffing butternut halves or pumpkin slices and roasting them in aluminium foil.

Veggie skewers

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Skewers of chunks of mediterranean vegetables with mushrooms and haloumi cheese make a delicious and attractive vegetarian dish. The haloumi won’t melt, so just make sure that you put lots of oil on the vegetables to allow them to cook properly, and remember to make lots – the vegetarian guests won’t be the only ones who want some.

Getting bread-y

You’ll almost certainly be having bread items at your bbq, so make them extra interesting to add a very savoury flavour to a vegetarian meal. Garlic bread can be tailored to individual tastes, with olives or spices, while flatbreads often work well on the barbecue, too. Try making your own bread on the bbq, or just make some interesting sandwiches and wrap them in aluminium foil to toast on the grill. It’s useful for any host who’s not familiar with vegetarian food to remember that it doesn’t have to be especially exotic – it just has to be tasty, like anything the rest of the guests would enjoy.

Tags: bbq, eating healthy