I guess the first idea would be to pull a trick such as feeding them something that doesn’t look to be vegan, then having your glorious “Guess what?! That’s vegan!” moment. Perhaps for the more passionate (and less understanding) people out there, simply forcing them to watch a clip of animals being slaughtered or mistreated in factor farms, is a good idea. But I assure you, there’s more effortless options out there.
Most vegans have switched to this lifestyle for either moral or health reasons, both of which often produced positive effects psychology and physically. We’re all very well aware of the many benefits that come with the V-Club membership, but not everyone has had the opportunity to be enlightened. Even if they have, sometimes it’s so hard for people to get past that first image of a plant based diet being nothing but boring salads and soggy tasteless tofu. So often do I hear things like the famous, “Well how do you get your protein?” or “How do you eat out and have fun if you can’t eat more than half of the menu?”. The first step into making a proper introduction is by busting all the myths they might have, and showing them how amazing this lifestyle can be.
So, I’ve composed a bit of a list of things that have personally helped me, and hopefully with proper practice and dedication, it can help you too.
- Set an example out of yourself.
Sure, this is simple in thought, but I don’t think people realize just how annoyed others can get by us preaching and shoving our lifestyle in their faces. I get it, you want your friends and family to experience the same magically powers that veganism has given you, but you have to be gentle and most importantly- patient. You can try out things like baking (or buying) a batch of vegan muffins and having them available for someone to try during a visit or hangout. This is a great way to let someone’s curiosity be explored (and trust me, they ARE curious) without any pressure. It’s much different letting someone know that they can help themselves to your marvelous creation, versus you putting it in their mouth and staring at them intently until they swallow. Another great opportunity is during a trip to a restaurant, eatery or cafe. Don’t make a big fuss out of your lack of options, instead handle the task with confidence and show them how it’s not a big deal to ask the barista to make your Americano with soy instead of regular milk, or inquiring to the waiter about the ingredients in the bean burger. Take the pressure off and show them how you eat and get by just like everyone else- only better ;). - Roll with the punches. This takes a bit of biting down on your tongue and a whole lotta will power- specifically when dealing with strangers . From the silly questions to the jokes about how all vegans are tree hugging hippies (I hold my tie-dye flag high and with pride, thank you), it can be a little annoying. For me personally, I don’t mind the jokes, but it’s the stupid questions that suspiciously sound like judgemental statements that get on my nerves. But for whatever reason, people have it in their head’s that somehow we’re the judgemental ones!
I know, it’s ridiculous. I have yet to meet one judgemental vegetarian or vegan, nor am I one myself. If anything, plant eaters have always been very accepting and encouraging people. You can’t blame someone when they defend their diet against someone’s health accusations, it’s only natural. However, I know disputes are all too common, and if you don’t have a light hearted sense of humour, you might find yourself exploding on someone. But you must refrain from doing this! Like I mentioned earlier, we have to set an example. Show them that not all vegans are hot headed, self righteous pricks; and hopefully as time passes their preconceived ideas of us will fade. - Post Food Porn on social media for everyone to see. I’m so, so, sooooo guilty of this. But in my defense, I also post non vegan things! Visual stimulation is a great way to tingle someone’s appetite and peak their curiosity, allowing them to see how plant based food can be so freaken delicious.
- Cook Extra. This has been a bit of a sneaky trick for me when dealing with my own family in the beginning. Before I explain, I’d like to first give a bit of a background description of my upbringing. My family has always been huge foodies, not just the simple comfort food type, but the broadly-experienced-tastebuds-type. As bad as it is for me to say now, I ate a lot of different animals when I was younger. I’ve tried kangaroo, turtle, snails, alligator and the list goes on. Yeah…Judge me, I deserve it :(. But my point is this, my family loves exotic food and fine dining, and unfortunately a lot of these foods often have meat in it. So bottom line, I come from a family of meat eaters. However, when I became a vegan I had to start cooking separate meals for myself, and because I was paranoid and suspicious, I wouldn’t let anyone else cook for me. This set up seemed to work for everyone, but every now and then I would catch a curious eye when I was eating, and the expression wasn’t that of someone disgusted either. Shortly after I was more confident in my recipes, I began preparing a bit extra than I needed for myself and would leave it somewhere visible for a passerby to see. More often than not, someone would come home and be hungry and ask me if they could have a cupcake or one of my veggie burgers, or whatever I had made. I will warn you though, this technique has yet to work on anything like tofu or heavily plant based meals such as salads. My recent family hit has been my curries and soups, things that traditionally are focused on flavour and broth, rather than meats.
- Last resort. Trick them. Okay I know this is kind of going back on my previous statement, but it is a really good one. I particularly love doing this to my oldest sister, who loves to playfully joke about me being a vegan. I’ll leave prepared food out on the kitchen counter, as I suggested before, and sure enough, she’ll find her mouth on something I’ve made. Only after she’s asked who made it and stated that it’s delicious, do I have my “Guess what?! It’s vegan!” moment.
*This is shredded Jackfruit. Yeah…I know, I just blew your mind. Hey, I’m only human with simple joys in life :P.
Well I hope that this post was helpful or at the very least- entertaining. Thank you for reading nonetheless. I would love to hear any and all tips you might have in the comment section below.
Let’s make the world green!
-Baby Vegainz
Jilliana's Glow 