Going Vegan|Living With Family

A friend of mine recently shared with me that they'd love to go vegan but because they live with family, who are meat-eaters - this would prove to be a difficult adjustment and lifestyle change. South Africa is a culturally disparate country and that is evident in the languages that we speak, our religious and ancestral beliefs, the food that we eat - but also our family and living dynamics. It is quite normal for a 30 year old woman in America to be owning a home, living with hubby, 2 1/2 kids and seeing her parents once a year at a Thanks Giving dinner (this is an educated assumption based on years of consuming American media - blame DSTV). In South Africa however, many 30 year olds live at home with their parents, grandparents or both. There are many contributing factors to this reality - economic factors being one of the major reasons as housing and renting can prove to be quite costly.

This is why choosing a completely different diet from that of your family members could be a difficult challenge. There are cost implications involved - you will need to buy vegan substitutes for every dairy or animal product your family consumes. Who will do the groceries? Who do you trust in your family to read every label and ingredients at the back of each product? Is this even a fair request? Will your family be supportive and willing to prepare/cook separate meals for you when you're unable to? There's a lot to consider when you live with extended family but its not completely impossible, especially if you have a great support system. Now if I didn't know that this would raise eyebrows and potentially considered to be the ultimate disrespect - I would suggest you buy your own fridge for you room, buy your own groceries and lock it when you go to work:) Yes, I know - I'm tripping! The eye rolls you would get for even suggesting this to your feisty grandmother and loud-mouthed mother would send you straight into a coma. I would totally do it though:)

If you focus on making one change at a time the progression to veganism will feel quite natural. It’s important to go at your own pace and to decide on a method that works best for you. So here's a guideline of how you can slowly transition into a vegan lifestyle whilst living with family:

EDUCATE YOURSELF

• This is literally the 1st step. Familiarise yourself with veganism before you even begin to change your lifestyle.

• Find your own personal reasons for wanting to become a vegan. We are not all animal activists and that's OK.

• Learn how to optimally nourish your body on a plant-based diet.

• When out grocery shopping, read the ingredients – this will help you distinguish between vegan friendly ingredients and those that are not.

• Research vegan friendly restaurants and grocery stores in your area.

• Read, watch, learn. Seek out vegan documentaries, books, magazines, websites, blogs, forums, and people. They can offer valuable insights, support, and will help you to feel more confident in your transition.

ADD TO YOUR DIET BEFORE YOU SUBTRACT FROM IT

• Start introducing whole grain products, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds into your current diet. Learn how to prepare and store these food options

• Prepare your favourite meat dishes without using meat (chicken lasagna, without the chicken)

• Find a few different quick and easy vegan meals that you enjoy and get comfortable preparing them.

• One of the easiest things to try first is to also switch out dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese) for non-dairy alternative such as almond or soya milk, coconut cheese and soya based yoghurts.

• Meals preps are your friend! I chop, peel vegetables and fruits on Sundays, then freeze them in containers for the week. I also cook grains and legumes (brown rice, pearl barley, lentils, quinoa) and freeze in different containers for the week. Master this skill, it will help you prepare food and smoothies faster. I will do a blog post on this...soon.

Slowly introduce these guidelines before going cold turkey. Let me know what you think in the comment section or engage with me via my socials.