Inspiring your family members to incorporate more plant-based food into their daily diet isn’t always easy.
There is likely to be a family member (or two) who are resistant. We get it.
Whether it is your spouse who will miss their cheeseburgers (and doesn’t realize that flavor comes from plants) or your child who says she hates anything green and demands mac n’ cheese every day, don’t worry.
We know some great vegan mac n’ cheeze recipes. We also know that embracing more of a vegan lifestyle will take some time for your family members to hop on board the vegan express.
Luckily, we have the secret to vegan success and we are here to help.
It is a combination of delicious recipes, inspiring information, cultivating compassion for the animals and pantry preparation. By combining these key ingredients and following our instructions, gradually transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle will be a huge success.
Here are our 5 Simple Steps to Help Your Entire Family Eat Vegan:
1. Find vegan meals that they love. Ask your family members what their favorite meals are and find tasty vegan versions of the same dish. If they love pizza, order a vegan pizza or–better yet–make your own delicious vegan Flatbread with Pesto* at home with a vegan cheese of your choice or homemade vegan mozzarella.
If they love tacos, make them lentil mushroom taco “meat” with cashew queso, guacamole, beans, pico de gallo and rice. If they love chocolate pudding, make them these delicious vegan Pots du Creme*
*Note: Email us if you want the Flatbread with Pesto or Chocolate Pots du Creme recipes at [email protected]
2. Slow and steady wins the race. We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare. Your entire family likely won’t race to go vegan overnight. It will take time, consistency and dedication to get results. Don’t rush your family members and be patient. Make it a fun experiment. To start, have your family choose 1-2 days a week to eat vegan. If they like it, you can continue to add on days. Start with small, simple and positive changes. Remove animal products from your pantry and refrigerator. Swap the dairy cheese for Daiya or Chao cheese. Swap the yogurt for Silk or So Delicious vegan yogurt. Swap the milk for Homemade Almond Milk (and learn how to easily make it here!)
3. Progress is more important than perfection. None of us will ever be perfect and isn’t that a relief? Life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting and we wouldn’t learn very much along the way. If your loved ones mess up on their vegan journey or start eating unhealthy foods again, it’s okay! Take a deep breath. Help them recommit to their goals. And, most importantly, find a supportive community like our fun Vegan News Daily Cooking Club Series to help uplift your family, inspire them, educate you all and show you how to succeed in making nutritious and tasty vegan recipes!
4. Visit an animal sanctuary together. Taking a trip to a local animal sanctuary is a wonderful way to help your family members form connections with animals. It is also a great way to educate your loved ones about the abuse that many animals endure because of the factory farming industry. Teaching your children about how intelligent and empathic cows, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats are is a powerful life lesson that your children or grandchildren won’t ever forget. Looking for a farm to visit? We love Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD. We also highly recommend visiting Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in High Falls, NY.
5. Watch an inspiring documentary together to help them understand WHY to go vegan. Make some popcorn with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (or vegan butter for the kiddos) and enjoy a family movie. Some of our favorite vegan documentaries that are available on Netflix are The Game Changers, Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, What the Health and Blackfish. Okja is another movie that we highly recommend. It isn’t a documentary but it is a powerful film with a plant-based message and you can watch the trailer for Okja here.
And, if you really want to get into the Thanksgiving spirit, join the fun in our upcoming Cooking Series: “Pardon My Turkey,” starting on November 5th!
Each Vegan News Daily Dinner Club class is approximately 90 minutes long and has a fun theme…
- Amazing Appetizers & Sides November 5th
- Exciting Entrées & Delicious Desserts November 12th
- Beautiful Breakfast & Brunch November 19th
You’re entire family will love the food! And we’ll love hosting you.
