It can be difficult for you if you’re the only vegan in the family. This is especially true if you’re the cooker or if you’re the child. Many parents don’t understand and if you’re the parent cooking meat might make you feel emotionally bad. But, you can get through this if you plan it right and are open.
Educate Yourself & Them – Provide written education to your family from reliable sources such as doctors, nutritionists, and not groups like Peta. They’ll immediately be turned off by that. A good show to watch together is on Netflix called Forks Over Knives. Explain you want to eat this way because of health and put no judgment on them that makes them feel guilty about the animals.
Be Patient – Remember that you probably didn’t decide this overnight. Don’t expect your family to follow you just because you want to. Granted if you’re the mother you do have some power over your kids when you feed them. You can choose not to cook animal-based meals as the person who cooks. No one is forcing you. But if your spouse cooks themselves animal meals you should refrain from being judgmental.
Be Prepared – If you have a plan you can make sure you always have something to eat. But do remember that most family functions aren’t about eating. Even though we make so much that we do about the food you can always eat later. You won’t go hungry. But don’t make a big deal over it if there isn’t anything. If you make it a habit to bring food with you it’ll be okay.
Stay Flexible – Always be ready to make a new plan. If your diet is extra strict such as only eating raw or something like that it will be really hard for you to be around your family sometimes so it’s better to stay flexible and be willing to just not eat without calling attention to it sometimes.
Connect More – Remember to pay attention to the conversation and talk to your family and worry less about the food and more about the togetherness at events.
Laugh A Lot – Remember to laugh. Some of your family members will suddenly act like they are nutrition experts when they live off fast food when you become a vegan. You have to laugh about it.
Make Friendly Dishes – There are dishes that make themselves easy for both vegans and meat eaters alike. Pizza, lots of Italian meals, Mexican meals and the like often can be made totally vegan with the meat on the side for those who like meat to add.
You can be vegan even if no one else is. If worse comes to worse just declare the topic off limits and do your best to stick to your diet and let everyone else stick to what they’ve chosen. Sometimes just being a happy example works better than trying to be too much of an activist with your family.
