I've never yet been on a dig where there wasn't at least one vegetarian or vegan. And there's always been a tedious ass-hat trying to wind them up - and that really needs to bite the dust. Volunteers and staff members on excavations are increasingly requesting vegetarian food, or vegan food, or - for medical reasons - food that is gluten-free, or lactose-free, or low in sugar. And good on them. People who choose to try to care for the planet in this way and look after their own health should be welcomed in my book, not excluded or derided.

Even in the challenging and often cramped conditions of a dig kitchen, it isn't that difficult to cook enough food to cater for everyone's basic needs. A lot of meals can be designed so that they can feed everyone on the dig anyway; or planned so that a portion can be separated out into a different pot at an early stage of cooking and adapted for vegans and vegetarians or for anyone who has dietary needs around, say, Diabetes, Crohn's or Coeliac.

A Dig Cook does need to understand ingredients and be pretty intuitive about estimating appetites, quantities and flavour. Yes, vegans eat lentils - but pulses do need quite a bit of flavour added, or they're bland.

So it's vital to ask for information about dietary needs at an early stage of registration, and act on it. The person in charge of the Dig Kitchen can then stock up on necessary ingredients to take with them, in case they're not available locally (a Google search should confirm this), such as vegan gluten-free bouillon.

I do use vegan 'dairy' and 'meat' substitutes, and by the fieldwork season of 2018 a whole new range of plant-based vegan 'dairy' products such as milk and cheese should be coming into supermarkets, at less cost than the current offerings available. The vegan world is starting to open up to non-vegan consumers who are looking for a particular kind of ethical, healthy diet.

Here are some recipe ideas, and I've labelled them for ease of reference around 4 main themes: vegan (& dairy-free); vegetarian; gluten-free; 'health-aware' (eg low in sugar and fat) - there is a lot of overlap!

Everything on my blog was made with cramped cooking conditions in mind - i.e. in a basic kitchen with one sink, using a cooker with four gas rings and one electric oven, and no food aids other than: knives; scissors; bowls; a whisk; a potato masher; a spatula; wooden spoons; regular cutlery; baking trays; pots & pans; measuring jug; oven gloves & tea towels. Nothing fancy. Nothing false.

I do use a lot of 'cheats' - eg garlic powder or granules instead of chopping garlic; canned tomatoes instead of always chopping fresh ones; and cake and pizza mixes instead of making them from scratch. Catering sizes can be very economical. It's all about information, and planning around it.

VEGAN meals and 'sides'

Many vegan meals can be eaten by everyone. By definition, they are meat-free and dairy-free, and additionally some are also gluten-free and low in sugars. It's really worth worth having a few 'all rounder' favourites in the Dig Kitchen's repertoire. The recipe ideas are all designed with 'Dig Cooking' in mind - difficult conditions and, frankly, limited time and money.

Breakfasts are easy - fruit, breads, dairy-free spreads, cereals, 'milk' made from plants (eg soya, almonds) are all fairly easy to access. Lunches can be sandwiches or pitta breads with hummus, salads, chopped or grated vegetables, vegan cheese; alongside a vegetable soup.

Recipes for these soups, and dinners in the evening, are below. These aren't necessarily 'stand alone' meals - they need to be served with something else. And I've lots of ideas on my previous blog piece about the basic store cupboard ingredients needed for a Dig Kitchen.