Going home and visiting family can be hard to navigate as a vegan. You don’t want to offend anyone by not eating their food, but you don’t want to avoid family get-togethers either.
Here are some tips on how to eat vegan during family events:
Tell Them Ahead of Time
Let your family or whoever’s house you are visiting know that you are vegan and won’t be able to eat anything with animal products in it. This way you can avoid any awkward situations when you arrive.
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Eat Before You Go
If you are unsure about the amount of vegan options you will have, eat something before you go. This way you won’t be starving if all they have is a salad for you.
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Offer Alternatives
Maybe ask for them to put some mash potatoes, veggies aside for you that doesn’t have butter or any dairy product on it. This way you can still eat their food, but you can also keep it vegan.
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Bring Your Own Food
If you are going to go with this option, maybe tell them that you are going to do this beforehand just so you don’t openly offend them when you arrive. But, bringing your own food is a great option for you to make sure you are eating vegan and eating what you want to it.
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Bring an Appetizer/Dish To Share
Bringing your own vegan appetizer/side to share with everyone can open people’s eyes up to eating vegan. It can also make you feel more comfortable, especially when you are the only vegan in the room.
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Those are my tips for navigating family get-togethers as a vegan! I know it can be difficult going home when you know you are the only vegan there but these tips really helped me when I first started.