9 vegan and healthy options for a party

When they arrive celebrations like birthdays, what do we do? Although it may seem very complicated to us, the truth is that we have at hand a lot of simple options, more or less healthy, for a very varied birthday party.

Vegan parties: what can we serve?

Here I leave you some ideas with things that I usually use for parties and celebrations. These are the easiest and most affordable, you won’t have to spend all day in the kitchen to make them.

1. Purchased snacks

French fries and many snacks are 100% vegetarian. There are many varieties to choose from, too. vegetable chips (beets, parsnips, cassava, plantains, etc.), flavored breadsticks, donuts with nuts, etc. They can be very good due to the crunchy touch that will contrast with the textures of other dishes that we put.

2. Nuts

Peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, broad beans… you can choose to buy them loose or a mix that comes with a bit of everything. I like to toast almonds at home and put a little rosemary on them.

Nuts in general are very sweet, They go well with any celebration., even if it’s just a family aperitif. Take care that they do not have too much salt or that they are not all fried, better toasted and you add the salt when serving.

3. Pickles

Olives of various types: manzanilla, arbequina, kalamata, etc., gherkins, banderillas, pickled aubergines… all these options are good and go great with other things, especially olives. You can leave them the day before in a pot with their broth, bay leaf, rosemary and whole black pepper to give them an aromatic touch.

In general, pickles are easy to serve and eat, they are one of those things for which you don’t need forks or anything special (you can put toothpicks, of course), only a container next to it for the bones (if you put olives with bones).

As a homemade pickle I usually make pickled zucchini. It remains like the traditional anchovies in vinegar but 100% vegetable. It is a starter that always triumphs.

4. Pates

Homemade pates and creams such as hummus, babaganoush, muhammara, nut and legume creams, etc. To serve them you can opt for toasted bread, but it will be more comfortable and easier by putting carrot sticks, whole wheat bread sticks or a snack that also serves to take portions of pate, such as nachos.

It is not necessary to put large quantities or a lot of varieties. At least one well-presented hummus, with olive oil, paprika and some cooked chickpeas on top.

Another option is prepare small canapés with these pâtés. You can use whole wheat toast on which you spread a generous layer of pate and finish it with seeds, fresh sprouts (broccoli sprouts for example), a pinch of some spice (for example paprika and pepper), or some fresh leaves (basil, cilantro, chives…).

Another advantage of homemade pates is that are done in a moment and you can have them prepared from the day before, well stored in the fridge. And what is left over can also be saved.

5. Assorted snacks

Croquettes, dumplings, gyozas, potato balls and the like. They are small bites that heat up quickly and they always like. You can make them the day before or buy them already made (there are 100% vegetable croquettes, of course), although their thing is that they are homemade and take advantage of things we have in the fridge, innovate and offer more variety.

For example, the dumplings can be made with the “traditional” filling, changing the tuna for crumbled tofu or textured soybeans. They look great. The croquettes, better small, and mixed vegetables (leeks, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) finely chopped.

They can be reheated in the oven or in the pan, always watching that they do not burn, moving them from time to time. If you don’t feel like cooking while celebrating, opt for things that are also very cold, such as dumplings and gyozas.

6. Sandwiches

In the birthdays of the 80 they could not miss. I don’t like to put sandwiches, but I admit that they are a good option, especially if there are enough guests.

Make them with whole wheat bread and cut each sandwich in 4 to make the portions less heavy. Fill them with vegan salad, vegetable pâtés with tender sprouts, ratatouille… above all that the filling does not spread very easily and that in combination with bread is very tasty.

7. Drinks

The most “exotic” that I put are flavored waters with lemon and/or orange and infusions made soft drink, like tea with lemon, but using different teas, which also contain fruits and flowers, for more flavor. For the rest, there is a huge variety of shakes and soft drinks that are 100% vegetable and that can also be served if a guest requests them.

8. The cake

On a birthday it is usually expected that there will be cake and sing “happy birthday”, so I make the cake the day before and keep it in the fridge until serving time.

As base, a vegan cake whatever you want (for example wholemeal with vanilla), and as a filling whatever you want. You have a lot of things to choose from, from chocolates to 100% vegetable whipped cream or homemade vegan meringue made with aquafaba. You can also make pastry cream, coconut cream, mix vegetable cream with some nut butter…

As a cover I usually opt for a thin layer of vegetable whipped cream that will act as a “sealer”, and on top of it chocolate ganache. I love chocolate, so my birthday cakes are usually made of various types of chocolates, vanilla, rum essence, cinnamon and hazelnuts.

Of course you can make it lemon, carrot or whatever you like. It’s your cake!

9. Other sweets

There are plenty of vegan sweets to choose from. From chocolate covered peanuts black jelly beans and similar 100% vegetables. I am not one to put a lot of sweets, but sometimes they give a touch of color and contrast with the rest of the things, which are usually salty.

One of the things I like to do is put a bowl with ounces of homemade chocolate. I make tablets starting from chocolates with more than 70% cocoa and add crunchy elements such as puffed quinoa, walnuts, hazelnuts, puffed rice… Once the tablets have solidified, I break them into small bars or pieces and put them in a bowl to snack on the sweet.