"Ask Amy"

Q: I live in a household where I'm the only one who wants to eat vegan. Any suggestions for how to handle this?

 

A: It's not uncommon for one person to embrace a plant-based diet, while others in the family are slower to make the transition or don't want to change their diets at all. In my house, I was the first to go vegan, but because I do most of the cooking, I simply made only plant-based meals. When others in the household desired animal products, they went out to eat. When we all went out to dinner, we'd choose a restaurant where everyone could be happy. I've also known people who said they'd only cook vegan meals and their non-vegan housemates could cook for themselves when they preferred animal products.

If you continue cooking delicious vegan meals and modeling the joy and health benefits of a plant-based diet, it's likely some or all of your family members will follow suit eventually. I encouraged my family to experiment with a vegan lifestyle and provided them with some information on its benefits. We also visited a farm sanctuary so everyone in the house could begin to make the connection between the beautiful animals there and what was on their plates.