By Cloé Geffroy
For most of french people, Christmas meal is really traditionnal. It’s impossible to forget the turkey, the cheese or the chocolate. But it’s not in everyone’s habits. I met Noemie and Victor, a Breton couple who decided to cook a vegan Christmas meal on 24th december.
I met them in a vegan restaurant, not far from their apartment in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Both are 25 years old. Noemie is ostheopath and Victor studies mathematics. They live in Paris since 3 years and this year for the first time, they’re gonna celebrate Christmas without their families in Britanny.
Noemie is vegan, contrary to Victor who’s eat meat regularly : “I chose to be vegan for one reason : the animal welfare. Victor understand that, that’s why we are together since two years”.
But for Christmas, the osteopath have a challenge for her boyfriend : eat a vegan Christmas meal : “I accepted the challenge. Honnestly, I’m not very excited but we’ll see. I can be surprised and If I’m still hungry after midnight, I’ll buy a pizza on Ubereats in secret !”.
Before to know Noemie’s Christmas menu, what is vegan ?
Be vegan, it’s not eating any animal products. For example meat, eggs, milk or honey. It’s also true for clothes. Vegan people don’t dress with leather or wool.
The vegan Christmas meal of Noemie :
- starter: french onion soup
- main course: seitan* with morel sauce and roast potatoes with paprika
- vegan cheese from Jay and Joy (vegan cheese dairy in the 11th arrondissement)
- dessert: a mango frozen Christmas log from Picard
It is expensive to eat vegan at Christmas ?
Veganism is often viewed as a privileged and expensive lifestyle. New research suggests that vegans spend on average 40% less on food than omnivores.
For Noemie, eat vegan is not a problem : “I don’t save money but I don’t spend more. I always eat simple products like fruits, vegetables but also rice and pasta. About vegan meal, I buy it at the supermarket. I’ll pay more for Christmas but it’s only once a year”.
* seitan: food from Asia made from whole wheat flour