How do I tell my family I'm Vegan on Thanksgiving?!
My husband and I both recently became Vegans!. We have to attend two family Thanksgivings!. We both just want to dish up on Vegan friendly foods and not even mention it!. But we KNOW that both sides of the families have NOT ONE Vegan nor Vegetarian and they are always so "proud" of their Turkey they cooked!. They will be offended if we do not eat it!. So I know it will come up!. What is the best way to tell them!. I'm wondering from Vegan's points of views!. People who have been in this same situation!.!.!.!.!.!.!.I'm prepared to tell them of what we've learned of animal cruelty, hormones/steroids they give animals, and that we know how to get all our proper protein and calcium from beans and veggies, etc!.!.!.!.!.!.!.But I DO NOT want a debate and I don't want them to feel like we are more superior or whatever and get defensive and such!. You know!?!?!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
You can simply tell them we decided to go vegan!. There is no way to stop there opinion!. But you can just hope they respect it, they might talk about it for a few min, but it will die down!. If not just try to slide around it!. When i celebrate thanksgiving with my family i just bring my own everything!. (my dad likes to put butter in everything, like i really mean it, as soon as its done he puts butter in it, or even when its cooking, no matter what it is)!. Just say with much thought and consideration me and (husbands name) Decided to go vegan for our health, and thoughts on animal cruelty, we learned how to stay healthy, and we know how to get enough protein!. I hope you respect my decision!. Thanks!. And look happy while eating!. Because my dad always assumes i am unhappy as a vegan, but i am actually happier, and i feel healthier!. LOL, hope i helped!. Good luck!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
How about you just stay home and safe yourself the grief of having to explain your lifestyle to people (on a percentage basis) who either dont care, dont want to hear about, dont want to debate animal rights (especially at Thanksgiving) or gonna be downright rude and make you feel bad!. If you do go and youre asked simply say you are vegan and leave at that!. No need to rant about how their genetically hormoned sterioded turkey is bad for them!. Its Thankgiving give everybody a break!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I would not make a big deal out of it!. Would they be mad at you if they were serving peanut brittle for desert and you were allergic!? Probably not!. Just say that you are trying something new and you want to stick with it!. You might not want to talk to them about the reasons you decided to become vegan (animal cruelty and such) just because then they might really get offended then!. If you don't want them to judge you on being vegan don't judge them on not being vegan!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
I would try to let them know before you go and take at least one dish that you know you can eat!. Other than that, good luck!. When we told my husbands family that we weren't eating fowl or meat anymore, then went to Thanksgiving dinner at his brother's house, there was meat in EVERYTHING, including the bacon bits in the salad and in the deviled eggs!. We ate bread and olives!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
It might be a wise idea to tell them now!. At least if they are the type of people who HAVE to debate about it (my family is the same way) they can get it all out now, rather than debating about it over the holidays!.
Maybe you could bring a couple of your own dishes for them to try!. :)
Who knows, they might all decide to be Vegan!
Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Maybe you could bring a couple of your own dishes for them to try!. :)
Who knows, they might all decide to be Vegan!
Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com
i hope this doesnt offend you but im a meat loverr i love eating meat, i think you should call you family early and talk to you mom if there going to be anal about it then dont go up, its not like your commiting a crime just simply tell them so they can make lots of different types of foodWww@FoodAQ@Com
Just dish what is good!. and if they ask say I don't feel like meat right know or plain out tell them!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I am not a vegan but I don't eat turkey for more than one reason!. My family gave me a bad time about my reasons for not eating that silly bird!. So, as a young mother I took a stand and did not show up for the ritual family dinner (I ate at jack in the box, true story)!. The next year my family started teasing me about not eating turkey so I did not show up to dinner the following year and went with my best-friend who was alone that year and went to Denny's (that had a bar) we and our children had such a great time because we did not have to pretend we like this holiday!. The third and final year my family and I joined our relatives for Thanksgiving I brought the meal I knew my family would eat the kids wanted meatloaf and my husband wanted Bake Salmon; my kids hate pumpkin anything so I made jello, I made enough food to share so that we could spend time with the family at dinner but just like clock work someone had to say it was inappropriate to bring nontraditional food to Thanksgiving!. Of course I had to laugh, but that following year I started my own family tradition, I invite my family and friends to my Thanksgiving Dinner the Saturday before Thanksgiving!. I set up a buffet style meal less the turkey (if a family member wants to bring the turkey they can but they have to take it when they leave) and on Thanksgiving weekend I took my family to the mountains for a snow weekend!. Thanksgiving has become a long weekend tradition and we have taken trips around the country, the kids are older now and like Vegas so we have gone there for several years!.
I know I have carried on but tradition are what you make out of them, you can tell your family ahead of time that your family is now vegan, and you can prepare what your family likes and merge the food!. If you are going to spend time with family than does it really matter what the food is, I don't believe when the first Thanksgiving took place they had all the foods that are now called traditional!.
Four days of fun for us!.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I know I have carried on but tradition are what you make out of them, you can tell your family ahead of time that your family is now vegan, and you can prepare what your family likes and merge the food!. If you are going to spend time with family than does it really matter what the food is, I don't believe when the first Thanksgiving took place they had all the foods that are now called traditional!.
Four days of fun for us!.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Honestly, even if you don't keep in regular contact with them, if someone is cooking for you it's only polite to let them know what restrictions you might have beforehand!. If you absolutely won't call the hosts up and let them know (who knows, they might even rise to the occasion,) you'd better come armed with plenty of vegan food to share, including something that passes as a main dish!. Stuffed squash is a nice idea because (a) it's likely not something that's already being made, (b) it can serve as a main dish for you and your husband, and (c) it's a nice complement to the rest of a traditional Thanksgiving meal!. Personally, I wouldn't tell anyone about animal cruelty and or health concerns regarding meat over *any* meal, let alone a special occasion meal!. I'm happy to discuss veganism with anyone curious enough to ask about it, but if it comes up while people are eating, I just tell them I prefer not to discuss it over a meal!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
i know that there really proud of their turkey and whatever, but if you wanna be vegan then you shouldnt be stressing that much about telling them!. is it their life that their living!? no! its yours! so, my opinion is before they start eating tell everyone that you have an announcement to tell them and just say it!. just be like look i respect everything that you guys do, blah blah blah and i hope that you can respect when i tell you that i am a vegan and i wish that no one would give me a lecture or whatever!. :) and then they should understand i guess!. and i hope they wont get offended because its not like you see them everyday and stuff!. its only occasional!.
hope i helped!
:DWww@FoodAQ@Com
hope i helped!
:DWww@FoodAQ@Com
Rediculous!. If you are vegan, don't wait until Thanksgiving to tell everyone!. Just tell them that you are trying a new diet, that you appreciate all their cooking efforts, and that the food smells delicious enough to cheat on your diet =] They should be adults about it and respect your choice!. If they want to be childish about it, that's their problem!. They will get over it soon enough!.
Try not to get into a debate about it in the first place, by not mentioning the "why's" uless they ask!. Just say it's for health reasons and from information you have read about it!. As long as you remain grateful and don't act like they are horrible people for not being vegans, they shouldn't be offended!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Try not to get into a debate about it in the first place, by not mentioning the "why's" uless they ask!. Just say it's for health reasons and from information you have read about it!. As long as you remain grateful and don't act like they are horrible people for not being vegans, they shouldn't be offended!.Www@FoodAQ@Com