Every week, the organizing group must provide a meal for the class that considers everyone’s dietary needs. They may create one meal that meets all the needs or provide alternatives (ex. A chicken veggie soup and an all-veggie soup). In our year, we had multiple vegetarians, a vegan, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, and allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, apricots, peas, and sesame. Here are some ideas from our year! 

  • Vegan chili and garlic bread 
  • Quinoa salad 
  • Charcuterie with many dip choices and variations of chips and crackers 

When purchasing your food, consider the social and environmental impacts. Is your food locally available and in season? Who are you buying from – local farmer, local grocer, or grocery chain? How did you choose the meal to make – cultural relevance, ingredient inspiration, attempted new skill, opportunity for community building?  

When introducing your food be sure to explicitly outline your considerations. Then, before inviting class participants to take food, acknowledge the source and build community as a class through song, prayer, or game!