In this fast-paced, ever changing, trend setting, conscious-consuming time, it can be hard to keep up with dietary requirements and appropriate gifts for our nearest and dearest. But fear not – while it can seem daunting to keep up with what others can and cannot eat, rest assured that feeding vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-freers can actually be very simple.
At Commonsense, we've got you covered so that you can rest assured there’ll be something for everyone at your table. And remember - you don’t need to get it perfectly right – even making a small effort to accommodate a guest’s diet will make them feel welcome, considered and loved (which is what Christmas is all about really!)
Field Roast’s Vegan Celebration Roast - Available in-store
The Vigilant Vegan
The meal:
Begin with a meat alternative like Field Roast’s Vegan Celebration Roast (pictured above) and of course, vegans can eat all of the usual veg you’re used to at Christmas. To be safe, it’s best to keep a small oven tray aside of vegetables for roasting so that their food doesn’t mix with meat or butter you’re cooking the other veg with. Add some vegan gravy and stuffing and your meal is complete!
(If you are eating meat, we stock organic free range meats, so, much as the vegan at your table will decline from eating it, they’ll at least know that you bought it consciously).
For desert, try Little Island’s coconut ice cream (on special for December!) with Organic Viberi Frozen Blackcurrant (also on special!) and take a look at our Christmas Vegan Recipe blog here for more ideas.
Tip: It’s good to have a milk alternative in the fridge (like soy) for tea and coffee. And try to buy dark chocolate, like our delicious bars from Bennetto Chocolate as they don't contain dairy, so they’ll have something to munch on while everyone’s having chocolate!
The gift:
Our vegan delights hamper - everything you need to delight a vegan in your life.
Tailor Skincare – vegan and cruelty-free skincare made locally in Wellington.
Vegan Food Wraps - reusable food wraps - new in store and vegan!
The Gloriously Gluten Free
The meal:
We have handy shelf signs in our stores: an orange label means the product does not contain any ingredients containing gluten and a green one means that it does contain gluten. This makes it very easy to browse our shelves and find what you need. People who avoid gluten in their diet can generally eat the same veggies and meats as everyone else, but gravy can be tricky as many brands contain gluten. Try Massel stock cubes which are vegan and gluten free and are a great base for making gravy and we’ve also found this delicious recipe for gluten free stuffing.
The gift:
So that your gluten-free guest doesn’t miss out on Christmas Spirit – Bakeworks have created these delicious Christmas Puddings, Mince Pies and Panforte Di Siena. Available in-store and online now!
The Loving Low-Wasters
Plastic is a huge subject when it comes to conscious shopping – but fortunately, we’ve got everything you need to create a full Christmas banquet without plastic cluttering up your special day. And we’ve got you covered with perfect gifts options to be able to give while helping others reduce their waste.
The meal:
We’re delighted to say that most of our fruit and veg is now sold packaging and plastic-free – bonus points for bringing or buying your own reusable produce bags and not using paper ones. We also stock Bostock chicken in home compostable packaging! We recently added herbs, spices and some treat foods to our refill range. We’ve also got handy reusable beeswax or vegan wraps for leftovers.
The gift:
We have heaps of great options to make a plastic-free life easier in store – water bottles, coffee cups, tea flasks, tote bags, straws – show someone you love that you support their move to use less plastic and by grabbing one of these waste reducing products.
We've also created these Waste-Free Hampers to make your shopping experience even easier.
And these Fermenting Flasks are great for those who like to make their own waste-free sauerkraut, yoghurts and cheeses.
Other Diets:
There are a whole lot of different diets (and we’re sure there’s many we’ve never even heard of!). Whether it’s Keto, Paleo, Atkins, Raw or Fruitarian diets you're hosting, a good bet is to keep your meal as unprocessed and full of whole, natural ingredients as you can. Aim for low carbs, heaps of fresh veggies and unprocessed meats.
For diet specific recipes, we love these culinary geniuses:
Jamie Oliver’s Special Diet recipes
Delicious Organics Ideas from Ceres
And of course, our very own Commonsense recipes!
As always, our friendly staff will be happy to help you find everything you need in store. For more ideas take a look at our Christmas selection in store and online