Helping Meat Eaters Go Vegan

Deb recently asked for some suggestions on getting the family to eat vegan. Since we went "cold Tofurky," ahem, here, I hope I can be of some help!

My first suggestion would be to go slowly. Our diet has evolved over the years. Clayton and I were meat eaters at home when we got married. As soon as our first child began eating table food, I started cooking exclusively vegetarian at home. Then I started phasing out more and more processed food and foods that contain excess sugar and partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat). When it finally came to making the vegan switch, while it was hard, it wasn't earth shattering. After a few weeks, the kids stopped asking about their quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches. But not only were we going vegan, but I was juicing and prepping a lot more fresh foods to help battle Clayton's lymphoma--that was the hardest part to get used to.

Introduce a couple of nights a week a vegan menu that look familiar to their normal diet: tacos, spaghetti, veggie burgers, etc. A lot of meals can easily be made vegan with just a few condiment substitutions or omissions. Gradually introduce meat substitutes like soy crumbles and sausage, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Have a grain & legume night, which is always filling: beans and rice, lentils and couscous (a pasta), garbanzos and quinoa, blackeyed peas and polenta, etc.

Please look through the archives for menu ideas. I try to document when a particular meal has been a success--especially with my meat-loving husband. If you have specific questions about a recipe or lack thereof--please let me know!

I am planning a series of posts on healthy eating soon...just need to get myself motivated and a little more time would be nice!

Good luck! And, remember, baby steps!