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Writer's pictureThe Young Vegan

Telling Everyone That You're Vegan?

Updated: Apr 1


The majority of vegans were not raised vegan. They grow up eating meat and consuming dairy then at some point there is a change. There are many different reasons for people making the change to veganism, the three main reasons are for health, for animals and for the environment, but, basically, it is a personal choice.


Telling Your Friends That You're Vegan

When you make the decision to go vegan, you're choosing to do something you believe is right and important. That's truly commendable and courageous, especially when you think that your friends and family may not agree with or understand your decision. When you share this with your friends, they might brush it off, make jokes, or they might ask why you've made such a big change in your dietary and clothing choices. Regardless of their reaction, be prepared for any response. If they question you, have your answers ready. Share the facts about the poor treatment of animals in factory farms, the detrimental effects of meat and dairy on health, and the environmental impact of farming.


If their response is negative, let it strengthen your resolve to do what you believe is right. As they witness your strength and vitality from consuming fruits, vegetables, tofu, and beans, they may reconsider, especially when they see you outperforming them in sports."



teenagers talking, looking at a laptop
Telling your friends that you are going vegan can be scary


Telling Your Family That You're Vegan Okay, this can get a bit tricky. The main challenge of letting your family know you're vegan while you're still young is that you're not the one buying your food. So, what's the solution?


Firstly, you need to explain to your family why you've made this choice, just as you did with your friends, using factual information. But it's also important to clarify to them what you can't eat and, importantly, what you can eat. Highlight how easy it is for you to maintain a vegan diet while they may not be, such as having tofu instead of chicken (and mention that tofu is really easy to cook), or beans instead of beef. Additionally, there are meat alternatives like sausages, hotdogs, burgers, and more, which everyone can enjoy. While these substitutes may be slightly pricier than meat, they're generally healthier with less fat, cook faster, and it's very difficult to get food poisoning from vegan options. Moreover, there's a wide array of 'accidentally vegan' food products, like Oreos and certain Pringles flavours, which contain no animal products whatsoever.


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