Here are a few tips on how to overcome the challenge of becoming plant-based in a household of one or more.
Children On A Plant-Based Diet
If you want to encourage the children within your household to start a plant-based lifestyle, the initial step is to recognize your responsibility versus your child’s responsibility. Your responsibility is to prepare and serve food to your child, and your child’s job is to eat the food served. (1) To encourage a plant-based lifestyle to children, it is important to not bribe them into eating plant-based because threats to eat certain foods can backfire on you as a parent. Instead, serve as an example but do not force anything upon your children. If this is a lifestyle that you want your kids to follow, don’t rush the process, but also don’t give up!
Adults On A Plant-Based Diet
There could be confusion that comes from other adults when you begin your plant-based journey. You can share your own personal health reasons for why a plant-based diet is something you want to start or maintain and ask for support from them throughout the process. However, it is important to avoid dictating what they do or forcing plant-based lifestyles upon them. (1) If they can see how well a plant-based diet is improving your overall health, they can make the decision to follow this lifestyle. Just remember to let them make the decision to do so on their own.
Ideas On What To Include In Your Everyday Meals
When you begin a plant-based diet, you don’t always have to get rid of your favorite foods like pizza, pasta, sushi, and tacos. Pizza can still be appetizing without animal-based products. For example, you can include pesto or tomato sauce and top it off with many delicious veggies. Pasta can be consumed similarly with various plant-based sauces and vegetables like spinach or mushrooms. Sushi can also be filled with vegetables, like avocado and cucumber, and lastly, tacos can have a variety of beans, salsas, and so much more.
Final Thoughts
All of these delicious possibilities of plant-based foods can be the motivation for adults or children in your life who want to become plant-based but are skeptical of doing so. It can be challenging to encourage a plant-based lifestyle to people within your household but remember to never force anything upon them and instead inspire them with your delicious meals. Are there any tips that help you get healthy collectively within your household? Feel free to share these tips in the comments below!
References
- Class 6 Empowered by Food. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. https://pcrm.widencollective.com/portals/yfgoupfc/fightcovid19?ceid=2062442&emci=8006260f-a1c7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=5ec89ff1-cac7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7.