A festive spread of plant-based food across a table

Festive food tips for a delicious & animal-friendly Christmas.

Dreaming of a kind Christmas? Check out some of our favourite festive staples that will keep your bellies full, your family happy, and spare animals too!

Animals Australia

Animals Australia team

Last updated December 11, 2023

The festive season is upon us, which for many people, means one very important thing: food, and lots of it! If you’re one of the millions of compassionate Aussies who are eating fewer animal products – or cutting them out altogether – our kinder eating initiative, VegKit, is here to help with all the inspiration you need for a deliciously plant-based Christmas.

Choosing to eat kindly this Christmas (and indeed year-round) is one of the most powerful things we can do to help spare animals from cruelty. And that’s not the only benefit …

Piling up your plate with vibrant, plant-based versions of all the holiday classics can also do wonders for your health, drastically reduce your environmental footprintand liven up your festive spread with even more bright colours and flavours.

Browse all the product recommendations and recipe ideas you need for a fun, festive, and animal-friendly feast below, or jump to:

Look for these delicious plant-based Christmas products in stores:

With so many people choosing to keep animals off their plates these days, there are more plant-based products available in major supermarkets and online than ever before. And when Christmas rolls around, a whole new range of delicious seasonal products joins their ranks!

We reckon any one of these drool-worthy plant-based roasts would look right at home among a traditional Christmas spread, especially with a side of roast veg and a generous drizzle of vegan gravy:

And it’s not just meat-free roasts … There’s a nifty, store-bought option for just about everything you could ever need for an animal-friendly festive season, including dairy-free advent calendars, stocking stuffers, candy canes, cheeses, seafood products, Christmas puddings, fruit mince pies, chocolatey desserts, ice creams, and so much more – all super tasty and made from plants. 🌿

Check out VegKit’s plant-based Christmas product guide for all the amazing options available this year, and where to buy them. Your festive shopping list will be done in no time!

Keen to make some animal-friendly festive dishes? Try these easy recipes!

When it comes to recipe inspiration for plant-based Christmas food, we’re similarly spoiled for choice.

Whatever your favourite holiday meal is, chances are there’s an easy-to-make plant-based version of it online – so you can still create and enjoy all the festive flavours you know and love, with the bonus gift of knowing that every single bite is making a difference for animals.

If you’re looking for a hearty centrepiece to impress your friends and family, try making one of these ‘meaty’ plant-based roasts, mushroom wellingtons, or festive logs. Don’t forget the gravy!

Then it’s time to add a few sides to the menu. You can’t go wrong with seasonal veggies, Yorkshire puddings, mushroom and lentil sausage rolls, and roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries and toasted almonds – but there are countless recipes to choose from.

Last but not least, dessert! Whether you’re in the mood for sticky date pudding, fruit cake, mince pies, truffles, pavlova, peppermint slice, or something even more decadent like a fig-laden dark chocolate tart, there’s an easy animal-friendly recipe to satisfy every sweet tooth this Christmas. 

You can find all of these ideas (plus some Christmas-inspired drinks and cocktails!) in VegKit’s festive recipe round-up

New Year, new food?

If all this talk about bringing fresh, flavour-packed dishes to the table for Christmas has you feeling inspired to explore plant-based eating in the new year too, be sure to grab your free Veg Starter Kit!

It’s packed with all the support you need to get the year off to a compassionate, food-filled start – including animal-friendly recipes, plant-based product and dining recommendations, nutrition tips, lifestyle advice, and more. You can also check out hundreds of recipes at VegKit.com.

GET YOUR FREE KIT

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A hand reaches out to gently caress a young lamb's face.
Image credit: Edgar's Mission

Psst… Looking for last-minute gift ideas? We’ve got a whole range of Christmas presents that are perfect for all the animal lovers in your life. 🎁