How to Eat Plant-Based When Your Family Isn’t on Board

Let’s face it, shifting to more plant-based meals when your family’s idea of veggies are fries with ketchup can feel discouraging. I feel your struggle! At the start of our own journey toward healthier, more plant-based eating, my husband and I were all fired up to overhaul our eating habits, but we had 4 teenagers to feed … so you can imagine the groans and eye-rolls when we started serving more vegetable-centered meals!

How will you resist temptations when your healthy recipe seems too complicated, and your spouse offers to pick up Whataburger for dinner after an insane day at work? Or, can you handle the cravings when your teen’s Bluebell ice cream calls to you from the freezer?

Please don’t give up! With some intentional strategies, you can totally pull off a healthier, more plant-forward lifestyle without the frustration and isolation. In most cases you don’t need to, nor arguably SHOULD YOU, make dramatic changes overnight. Plan to take small steps that build on each other on your journey. For us, that meant getting creative – finding plant-based recipes so tasty that our teens didn’t mind having less meat, and discovering ways to incorporate optional meat/cheese add-ins to a vegetable-centered main dish.

Step 1 The Foundation: Craft Your Healthy Identity

Intrinsic Reasons

Start by getting clear on your core “why” for eating healthier, whole foods or plant-based. Are you craving to have more energy or to improve your overall health? Going more plant-based to reduce your environmental impact? Whatever your motivations, vividly visualize how you’ll feel when you get closer to that goal.  

Identity-Based Habits

Drawing from habit guru James Clear of “Atomic Habits”, instead of setting an outcome-based goal like “lose 20 lbs,” decide the type of person you want to become through identity-based habits. Declare “I am the kind of person who values making positive choices for my health (or the planet, or the animals).” Then take small, consistent steps aligned with this new identity, which will gradually reinforce and solidify your goals. 

Connect with Healthy Communities

As the health eating trailblazer in your household, finding your community will help you stay motivated without burning out. Check out online Facebook groups, local wellness meetups, or health-focused communities, like PlantPod, in your area to empower you so you don’t feel isolated. These groups are wonderful for swapping simple recipes, brainstorming meal ideas, and finding support when facing challenges.

Step 2: Be Flexible: Blend Plant-Based and Omnivore in Meal Planning

Promote Respect and Understanding

Before getting too gung-ho about your new lifestyle, first have a candid conversation with your family to open doors to mutual respect and support. Remind your loved ones that your connection with them matters so much more than your diets. When we first started eating more plant-based, we explained to our teens our “why” for choosing a plant-based diet in ways they could relate to without trying to become their “vegan evangelist”. We didn’t try to convince them to change (well, at least not too much!) , but simply modeled healthy behavior because perfectionism was not the goal. 

Joint Meal-Planning

Next, propose some meal compromises, ensuring that there’s always something for everyone.

If you’re the household chef: Don’t drastically purge the entire refrigerator at the start of your journey! Make tasty plant-based meals based on family-favorites like pastas, chili, soups, pizzas, or bean burritos, etc. This grilled veggie sandwich is still one of our kid’s very favorite meals! And involve your family by asking them to choose their favorite recipes or to prepare simple meat/dairy sides as a topping to accompany the meal. 

If you’re not the main cook: Offer to make universal sides that everyone can enjoy like salads, roasted veggies, quinoa, etc., topping your portion with canned beans, lentils or meat alternatives for protein. Batch-prep sauces and dressings to top your bowl with a flavor boost.

Build-Your-Own Meals

Themes like “taco Tuesdays”, and build-your-own buddha bowls, pasta, pizza, burrito baked potato or salad allow each family member to customize their plate according to their taste preferences. It’s fun and everyone feels included.

Once you plan a couple of weeks of easy recipes that your family enjoys, keep them on rotation to make your meal planning easier and help you grow in your plant-based cooking confidence.

Step 3: Tame the Cravings: Strategies for Not Caving

Okay, so your crew’s reluctantly supportive and you’ve got meal ideas … but then the aroma of your teen’s freshly-delivered pizza hits your nostrils and suddenly you’re eyeing it hungrily. To avoid cravings driving you to junk food, use this two-part strategy:

Defensive Plan: Hiding Unhealthy Foods

Research shows sugar- and fat-filled processed foods can trigger addictive cravings, so try to limit exposure as much as possible. Ask your family to keep tempting items hidden on hard-to-reach shelves, in locked cabinets, or inside opaque bins/containers. When urges do hit, pause and revisit your identity-based goals.  

Offensive Plan: Spotlight Healthy Snacks

Always have healthy plant-based snacks & meals prepped and placed front and center in the fridge/pantry so you’re not caught hangry and unprepared. Think crunchy veggies & hummus, your favorite fresh cut-up fruits, savory baked chickpeas or spiced nuts, frozen grapes and dark chocolate. 

Conclusion: Download a Veg-Flex Dinner Guide

Going plant-based in a mixed household is totally doable with the right strategy. Get clear on your motivations and identity, build your plant-based community, negotiate meal compromises, and proactively manage temptations. 

To help you get started on your plant-based adventure, even in a divided household, download our free guide “Plant-Powered Meal Planning 101: A 6-Step Guide” This checklist will walk you through creating delicious, satisfying plant-based meals that are easy to prepare alongside other dishes for your omnivore family members. 

One really important thing to remember is that going plant-based is a journey, not an overnight transformation. What you want to avoid is the yo-yo cycle of strict restraint followed by burnout. A decade later, did all our kids go fully plant-based? Nope! But we celebrate the small wins – one does marketing at an animal welfare org and minimizes her meat consumption, another is veggie during the work week, and one’s focusing on his health by going 90% plant-based. But they all enjoy a variety of veggies and salads, and even avoid drinking sodas! Perseverance is key.

Drop your go-to plant-based family meals, or plant-forward dishes that pleases both you and your meat-loving family or partner in the comments below!

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