Becoming a vegan is more than just about what you eat. It’s a lifestyle change and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is something that you believe in, as well as taking into account all of the health benefits that you recieve, there is also all of the positive change that you can make by choosing this way of life. However, with so many health benefits for changing your diet to a vegan one, it can be difficult if you are the only one doing it. Many people have families, either people they live with, their partners, their children or just their closest family members, that may have opposed views. Or perhaps just don’t know much about the lifestyle choice in order to make an informed decision. Which is why it can be a great motivator to get the whole family involved. Not only will everyone become healthier but it will make the cooking much easier as you are accommodating for everyone. But how can you encourage people to give it a try? After all, it isn’t just about the food that they eat, it’s everything. Here are some suggestions to help you get everyone on board with your ideas for a vegan based lifestyle.
Get them excited about the lifestyle change
It is no good not making this new phase in your life exciting. If you have children to think of it’s going to be hard. After all, anyone can perceive a vegan or vegetarian diet to be bland and boring. If you go with it, then you are going to lose their interest pretty sharpish, the adults included. Explain about how good food can help them in school or the workplace with their energy. It would be best if you and your partner showed encouraging signs about how great things will be. Although you want them to be motivated and happy about it, try and not make it into such a huge deal. It needs to be something that everyone is content in and not forced.
Start things off gradually
The problem with lifestyle and diet changes is that we can try and do too much too soon. If you had a meat eating family before your decision, it would be very difficult to become completely vegan straight away. So accept that this will be a gradual process and cut things out on a weekly basis. Start compensating for foods with other things and adding more vegetables to your meals. This is a great way to get people to try foods they haven’t ever tasted before, without feeling like they haven’t got anything to eat at all.
It isn’t just about the food
If you are serious about this lifestyle change, then it may be time to start thinking about other aspects of your life that may need to change, and not just for yourself but for the family as well. These days we can easily get our hands on things such as vegan makeup, natural products for things like cleaning, and even food supplements that would normally me a no go area like mayonaise. There are so many vegan alternatives things on the market, that you can slowly start to change things that you use daily, as well as your food choices.
Be informed yourself
It is all well and good making this change, ro feeling the need to become vegan, but you also need to be informed about it? There are things you need to be aware of, and there will be vitamins and nutrients that you get from animal based products that you may start to lack with a vegan diet. It is all about striving for progress and not perfection, especially if you are new to this yourself. Be aware of these things so that you can ensure that you and the family can remain fully healthy and happy with this choice of lifestyle.
Keep them informed
Keeping your family informed about the reasons is a great way to keep everyone on track. You may be wanting to have a vegan lifestyle because of your beliefs in the cruelty of animals. You may find that a plant based diet is exactly what you need because of the health benefits. Whatever your reasons may be, keep your family involved and remind them. Just as much as you will need to remind yourself as time goes on and you get further along in your journey. Things won’t happen overnight.
Meal planning is the way forward
A great tip to help you stick with diet changes is to start meal planning. This enables you to think about your whole week, taking into account appointments and things you may need to do, and plan your meals accordingly. You can then write your list and only buy the ingredients you need for those meals. What this does is help you to be more accountable for the meals that you are eating. Rather than getting to an evening and wondering what you should cook, or then worse still, slipping back into old habits. This may not necessarily be a problem for you, but certainly an issue you family might have as they may be new to the diet and the lifestyle.
Batch cooking could help
Another good tip to consider would be to batch cook as and when you have the opportunity. If you are making a meal, why not double up the ingredients and create some portions that are suitable for home freezing? This again will help you on those evenings when people are busy and you have things to do, but you still want a nutritious and vegan meal to enjoy. Batch cooking can be a great way to help the family along, and there are so many recipes you can now find online that are firm favourites that can be created to become vegan-friendly. You will be surprised what you could make.
Let’s hope that these suggestions help you and your family on the journey to embrace a vegan lifestyle.