These 5 Tips Will Help You Go Vegan with A Family

We started our vegan journey as a family back in 2010.

Before 2010, I was the queen of Hamburger Helper, those frozen Voila bagged dinners and hitting up a drive-thru on the way home from work.

I used to think eating healthier would require too much time and I honestly wasn’t in the mood to hear complaints from my family.

I'll be the first to admit going vegan as a family wasn't easy for us.

My kids weren't interested at all, and even though my husband was supportive (with me doing it alone lol), he still wanted me to cook meat and potatoes.

Being consistent and patient made all of the difference in the world for us!

Instead of making my family feel like they "had" to be vegan, I focused on making a vegan version of their favorite dishes and asked them to help me grocery shop and cook. :-)

Here are some tips to go vegan with your fam....

*Replace ingredients - This is very important! Instead of feeling like you can't eat certain foods anymore, replace them with vegan alternatives.

For instance, instead of dairy milk, use almond, cashew or soy milk. And instead of pork or beef sausage, you can use a vegan sausage like Field Roast (made out of wheat and vegetables).

*Start with breakfast and snacks - If you prefer to take a baby step approach, breakfast and snacks are perfect because there isn't as much of a difference in what you're eating.

For breakfast: You can still eat toast (just check to make sure there are no eggs). Instead of dairy butter, you can use Earth Balance vegan margarine, jelly/jam, smashed avocado, etc. smoothies, grits, oatmeal, and tofu scramble, or JUST Egg instead of chicken eggs.

*Get clear on your "why" and have a candid conversation with your family about it. Is it for health? Is it for the animals or the environment? Be specific and loving. :-)

*Find your community. The Internet makes it sooo easy for us to connect with people from all over the world. Find and get inspired by like-minded people on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

*Watch documentaries and read vegan books - They will motivate you to get started and keep going. I like Sistah Vegan, Diet for A New America, and What the Health?

*Put as much of the lifestyle on autopilot as possible - The less thinking you have to do the better. Establish easy go-to vegan meals such as spaghetti & tacos.

*Don't beat yourself up - It takes time to get comfortable with a vegan lifestyle....especially with a family. Be patient and keep playing in the kitchen. :-)

Please please please be gentle with yourself as you move forward in your vegan journey.
Do you see all this Keith Sweat begging I'm doing right now? Seriously!

This is a process, so don't give up if it doesn't feel comfortable or when you don't feel like you're "doing it right"
There's a lot to learn (and unlearn), so don't expect everything to be perfect.
Progression over perfection...always.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:
I want to encourage you to start meal planning today.
Even if you're only adding ONE vegan meal to your meal plan this week, I promise taking this first step counts!
You don't have to be a gourmet chef every night.
Keep your meals simple, so that you can gain the confidence to move forward.

Progression over perfection…always.

Q&A: What Should I Do If My Child Doesn't Like Vegetables?

Q: It seems like you are the only vegan African-American woman on YouTube with older children that can relate to me. I am new to eating a plant-based diet and I want to transition my two children whom is 9 and 8 years old. I'm having a hard time with my youngest because he only like corn, carrots, green beans, peas and lettuce. Any advice?

A: I can relate! My son Elijah didn't like any vegetables when we started this lifestyle.

Here are some tips....

*Continue to put vegetables on his plate (even if it's just a tablespoon) because exposure is so important.

*Just say no to bland and mushy veggies! Be sure to season your vegetables and don't overcook them - A little salt, pepper and garlic powder goes a long way -- Roasted, lightly steamed and sautéed vegetables are much more appealing.

*Let your son explore the produce department with you once a month. Encourage him to pick out something to try, then go home and cook it together. It's hard for most kids to turn down food they cooked.

*Add about a cup of greens to smoothies (spinach is a good start because you can't taste it) This is a delicious and sneaky way for him to get more greens.

*Have fun, be gentle with him and I promise it will get better.

The fact that your son likes green beans and peas is amazing! Most people don't even like those vegetables. lol

I hope this question helped you with your own family. I promise it will get better with consistency.

My son Elijah eats a lot more vegetables these days and is really open-minded about food overall. :-)

Does Your Boo HAVE to be Vegan?

Last month on the podcast (listen here), I had a chat with my girl DeChantell about her transition to raw veganism and struggles with dating as a vegan.

Being in a relationship as a new vegan or while dating can be...interesting.

When I started my journey back in 2010, Eric looked at me like this when I told him I wasn't cooking meat anymore...

At the time, I was a vegetarian, so he was expecting me to continue cooking multiple meals for him and the boys.

Ummm, no.

Going vegan was all good until he realized my decision would affect him. Does this sound familiar? lol

It wasn't an easy transition, but worth all the time that went into making this lifestyle as delicious and family-friendly for us as possible.

These days he's loving vegan meals at home (the kids, too!) and is glad that we made the shift for the animals and better health. :-)

With only about 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it really does narrow down the dating pool when you're looking for a boo who is already vegan. Instead of limiting your options, I think it's best to find someone who is open-minded.

If I were to ever date again, the new guy wouldn't "have" to be a vegan, but he would have to be genuinely open-minded and respectful of my decisions.

He would have to be willing to try the food or cook for himself (I refuse to go back to cooking two meals lol), and we would have to share many of the same values.

Think of it this way, my husband Eric wasn't interested at all but came around once there was more education, consistency, and love.

What are your thoughts? 

Related posts: How to Date As A Vegan

Want Your Kids to Drink Green Smoothies? Check Out These Tips

I just had to snap a quick pic of Elijah drinking a green smoothie while he was catching up on YouTube vids.

I remember when he wouldn't even drink them!

Today he's loving this one with kale, mango & banana.

Green smoothies are a perfect way to get your picky eater to get more vegetables into his/her diet.

You can use raw spinach, swiss chard, lettuce, kale and other green leafy greens that are packed with high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.

💥Tips to get your kids to drink green smoothies💥

• Use spinach and Swiss chard instead of kale to start since those vegetables aren't as strong in a smoothie.
• Also, use less greens and more fruit in the beginning -- then gradually add more greens as they get used to it.
• For younger kids, (who won't drink because of the GREEN color), use a plastic cup with a lid and straw instead of a glass, so they can't see it.😂😂
• Use blueberries as your fruit to hide the green color

Just in case you're interested, here's the smoothie combination I used for the one Elijah is drinking above:

1/2 cup of water

1 cup kale

1 medium ripe banana

1 cup frozen mango

Blend until smooth. Add more water, if necessary.

Enjoy!

Share your own smoothie tips in the comments!

Easiest Way to Get Kids to Drink More Water - Infuse It, Baby!

We all know how important it is to drink lots of water but....sometimes it's easier said than done.

Maybe your kids find water boring, so they prefer juice or soda over it. I know I did as a kid.

The easiest way to get your kids to drink more water (maybe you need more motivation, too lol) is by infusing it with frozen or fresh fruit!

In the short Instagram video below, I share a quick tutorial using about 3 cups of frozen berries, mango and pineapple and about 8 cups of water.

Click the play button below to watch....

A video posted by Monique (@brownvegan) on Jun 1, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT

I got the glass water dispenser from Bed Bath & Beyond last summer and it's a perfect additional to any kitchen counter.

Depending on how long the water sits (which usually isn't too long for us), I use the fruit in a smoothie later.

Another one of our favorite water combinations is cucumber slices, strawberries and mint -- so refreshing!

You can also just add fruit to your kids' water bottle for school and in your own cup before heading to work.

 

What your favorite infused water combination?