For those who live in South Africa braaing is an important part of their culture. Most locals either grow up around the braai-vleis (barbecue meat) or have at least attended more than a few braais in their lifetime. It’s often difficult for those trying to live a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle to enjoy the popular past-time but it really doesn’t have to be; if you’re trying to eat less meat you can still enjoy a party around the fire. I recently spent a weekend away with a few friends who don’t eat meat at all, and we had some amazing snacks and meals that were completely meat-free. Here are a few ideas to make it easier for people to eat less meat but still feel like a good old-fashioned braai.
For breakfast we enjoyed fresh muesli with milk. While a lot of people enjoy eggs and bacon in the morning it’s always a messy affair when camping; the skottel gets greasy and someone has to clean it before it attracts ants and flies. Rather have a healthier breakfast; the muesli is filling and full of nutrients.
As a mid-day snack we brought along some savoury crackers, cherry tomatoes, olives, rocket and hummus. Being able to enjoy the tastes without having to use plates and cutlery is great. You could also bring carrots, celery and cucumber cut into bite-sizes.
For lunch or dinner you don’t have to go without a burger just because you’re trying to eat less beef. We grilled some Fry’s veggie burgers on the grill and enjoyed them on rolls with rocket, camembert and tomatoes. I honestly didn’t even miss the beef patties.
A great way to make sure you eat enough without pigging out on chicken breasts, pork chops and beef patties is to make a big pasta salad at home. We made one with feta, cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber and mayonnaise and it was a great hit even with the carnivorous campers at our site.
For our second night’s meal we sliced up some courgettes sprinkled them with some seasoning and grilled them on the grill while out potato, butternut and sweet potato mix was cooking in some tinfoil amongst the coals. We also cut up green, yellow and red peppers and put them in tinfoil next to the potatoes.
There are of course the regular side dishes that most people enjoy at braais that non-meat-eaters can enjoy; potato salad, garlic bread and salad-rolls are a few favourites. So the next time you’re invited to a braai break out the veggies. Who knows, you might even convince a few meat-eaters to try out the beans and bakes.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
