CHRISTMAS is not a happy time for our feathered friends. For most people festive food revolves around turkeys, the vast majority of which are intensively reared for their meat.

But for those avoiding turkey, goose or indeed any meat, the Christmas meal can be a tricky one, which is why it is a good idea to iron out misunderstandings between host and vegetarian guest well in advance.

Hosts short on cooking time should have no trouble picking up a ready-made festive veggie option from the supermarket or wholefood store. Conversely, in order to reduce host hassle, vegetarian guests could offer to do some of the shopping or even some of the cooking.

One of the pitfalls that cooks should be aware of is roasting potatoes, which should be done separately from the meat and in vegetable fat or oil.

Vegetarian gravy granules and mixes are readily available in supermarkets and the majority of commercially available stuffing mixes are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

But who would have thought that a traditional Christmas tipple could be a no-go area for veggies?

Vegetarian wines are free from animal finings such as gelatine and isinglass – the swim bladder of tropical fish – frequently used to clarify wine and they are stamped with the Vegetarian Society’s seedling symbol.

As a general rule, reading the labels is a must when shopping for vegetarians. Hidden ingredients to watch out for are animal fat, gelatine, which turns up in lots of desserts, and animal rennet, which can be in cheese. Crisps often use whey as a flavour carrier; so ready salted is the only flavour that is always vegetarian. Hummus is a great veggie dip but taramasalata contains fish roe.

A new option for the main course is farm-grown protein Gardein, a blend of grains and vegetables combined to look and taste like meat, which has just been brought to the UK from the USA by Grassington’s Food Company.

The range includes beef-style meatballs seasoned with tomato and herbs; chicken-style fillets with a tomato and herb marinade, and beef-style peppered steak.

Each of the three products in the range is made to a recipe that uses farm-grown grains and vegetables including soy, wheat, peas, beetroot and carrot. The ingredients are slow-cooked to give the product an authentic flavour and the texture of lean meat. It is then frozen.

Nutritionist Fiona Hunter said: “The Grassington’s Gardein range provides good quality protein but with significantly less fat and more fibre than meat based alternatives. With more people cutting back on meat and meat products, it’s good to be able to offer a healthy and tasty alternative.”

For other ideas for a veggie Christmas, the Vegetarian Society has created two new three-course menus for this year’s festivities called Novice and Nouvelle. They each use similar ingredients such as leeks, chestnuts, oranges, raspberries and white marzipan and are packed with seasonal flavours.

The Novice meal is aimed at first time veggies. It starts with tangy leek and ginger soup, followed by festive fillet with orange and pomegranate sauce, while dessert comes in the shape of raspberry frangipane tarts.

For those who like to be creative in the kitchen there is the Nouvelle menu, created by the Vegetarian Society’s Cordon Vert cookery school, which runs classes in Christmas cuisine. The starter here is crunchy leek and chestnut purses with ginger and red pepper relish. The main is a carrot and cashew flan on a bed of hot puy lentil and dill salad with an orange and cardamom sauce – the pudding, a few scoops of raspberry, marzipan and brandy ice cream served with lemon palmiers.

As for other desserts, Christmas puddings and mince pies are no longer a problem for vegetarians since many brands now use vegetable suet, which doesn’t affect the taste. Jelly for your trifle can be made using vegetarian or vegan jelly crystals. And if you buy cocktail cherries, check that they do not contain cochineal E120, which is made from crushed insects. The Vegetarian Society’s seedling symbol on products guarantees a food that is 100 per cent vegetarian.

For more information and recipes, visit www.vegsoc.org or, for information on cookery classes, www.cordonvert.co.uk Products in the Grassington’s Gardein range are available in Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda supermarkets nationwide, priced at £1.99.