OK, I’m not here to tell you how to convert your family to veganism. However, I know being the only one who is plant-based in a family can feel tricky and sometimes isolating. When I first transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, my family took a while to get used to it. I constantly had to tell them that it was not a "diet", it was in fact a lifestyle choice that was first motivated by animal ethics and then moved on to include health and environmental reasons after much research. 

My "why" for doing it was so much bigger & more important than the inconvenience and awkwardness at times when navigating family and social situations.

I have never pushed my choices on anyone else or argued with them. Over time, I gently shared all the reasons for why I'm plant-based and how it could actually best serve their interest too. I helped guide them on opening their eyes and ears to how so many of our global health threats are down to our consumption of animal foods and how the small changes in their diets can make a world of difference to their health and the health of the planet.   

Remember, be the change you wish to see in the world. When you are passionate about why you choose to live the way you do, your family will see & hear this and in their own time start implementing some changes too.

If you're new to plant-based eating and are living with family or friends who are not, I want to help by sharing some of my top tips on how to navigate that situation.

1. Make the base of the family meals plant-based and let people add in whatever else they want at the end. The likes of curries & stir-fries are really handy for this.

2. Don't tell them how amazing plant-based foods are, show them through cooking delicious meals. There are so many amazing recipes online and lots that can be assembled in less than 15 or 30 minutes and with ingredients that should be already in your kitchen or easily findable in a supermarket. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

3. Identify plant-based foods & meals that they already eat and enjoy. They may be surprised at all the plant-based foods they eat already. Meet them where they are and build on that.

4. Involve them in the discovery of new plant foods. My dad, although not plant-based, loves trying new foods and has been getting very experimental with the plant-based options in the supermarket. I often go to him now for his suggestions on what I should try next. I mean, who doesn’t love being the first to discover new exciting things?

Although I no longer live with my parents & siblings, each one of them is starting to experiment with replacing animal foods with plant-based options, with my 70-year-old Dad being the most motivated in this space.

Is this helpful? Let me know. I'm always open to hearing your experiences and any topics you would like me to cover in these emails.