It’s that festive time of year again! It’s time to dig out the baubles, wrap the presents and stock up on food for the big day. The traditional Christmas dinner invariable has a big fat bird at the centrepiece. So for vegetarians this can be a tricky time of year! But Christmas doesn’t have to be all about meat - vegetarians and vegans can enjoy a slap up meal too. And for those catering for the rogue veggie guest, it could even work out cheaper. The other positive to a veggie meal is that if you are already on weight loss diet program, you would not have to sway from it to enjoy a delicious Xmas dinner.

If you shop at Tescos the cost of a Xmas meal could be over 28% more expensive than last year, with a Turkey costing around £15. The cost of vegetables have gone up slightly, but no where near as much as meats, due to farmers fuel costs rising. So in this post we give you some ideas for those wishing to sample the veggie possibilities and save some cash.

For most vegetarians, however, the question of how to replace the turkey is a conundrum. Nut roast is the most obvious option. It may not be very original, but it comes in many different flavours, and can be pretty tasty depending on the recipe. Some might avoid the traditional and go for something Middle Eastern, or Italian. Others might opt for a traditional pudding style made with onion and mushrooms for filling or butternut squash filo torte. All of which would be a cheaper alternative to the Turkey.

It is however, also particularly good at slotting in with the rest of the regulation Christmas meal – the roast potatoes, sprouts and everything else, so it is a good option if you’re eating with non-vegetarians. But what are the other alternatives? Cashew and parsnip bake? Layered squash, barley and spinach pie? Fig and blue cheese tart? The options are endless and sound positively delicious… and cheaper.

And then there are the meaty side orders to replace, such as the pigs in blankets, the goose-fat roasties or maybe the second meat such as goose or duck. Again, the options are endless for the imaginative. You could try a truffled parsnip and parmesan bruschetta. Or maybe a mushroom filo parcel? Even a veggie gravy can be pretty good actually – onion gravy with loads of red wine, mmm!

To be honest, combining a meat and a veggie Christmas meal sounds like double the hassle. Maybe scrapping the meat and just catering for the vegetarians might be easier all round. Moreover -  will the vegetarian option prove to be cheaper? Meat is generally more expensive than vegetarian alternatives, and not just at Christmas.  It’s certainly possible for a vegetarian diet to be both more frugal than a meat-centred diet – but there are many different ways to be a vegetarian. A meatless diet composed largely of chocolate and chips for instance, certainly wouldn’t be healthy.

The costs also depend on which types of vegetarian foods you choose. Pound for pound, beans, vegetables and grains are still cheaper than meat (though their prices have risen alarmingly). Even organic vegetables can be cheaper than meat. However dairy products and eggs, which many vegetarians eat, can sometimes cost more. It could be argued that shopping around for your meat should cut costs and possibly improve the quality of the meat you eat. Sourcing your food  from local butchers or markets instead of supermarkets is certainly one way to do this.

Whatever the diet, the Christmas tradition of eating around the table with family and friends is one which simply can’t be beaten.

Jo can typically be found writing about healthy eating and how to lose weight fast on the run up to a summer holiday and after Xmas.