Brawls in the (WFPB) Family

How to be WFPB in a family of meat-loving oil eaters.

The WFPB plate of things to come.

This past Mother's Day, my husband and three kids took my mom who lives with us and I to our favorite family friendly spot: a Korean DIY-BBQ restaurant.

I ordered nothing. I ate nothing. And I still had a great time.

Until recently, we were a family of six happy-go-lucky meat-eating, diary-loving, processed food junkies. But that all changed when I changed.

And after a tried-and-failed attempt to convert my already super-fit husband to give up animal protein, I realized pretty quickly the best way to get my family to change was, well, not to.

I learned to coexist with all the processed foods I still found delicious and deeply satisfying — but how? A deep dive into what my cravings really meant. If I wanted a bag of chips, did I actually want the chips or just want something salty? Maybe even crunchy? Once I figured it out, I made sure to have access to the WFPB food that fit this box.

And, of course, there were many, many boxes.

I also spent a lot of time searching online for whole food, plant-based versions of my former favorites — bread, pizza, burgers, chocolate, ice cream, pasta, fries, cookies — and quickly realized there were tons and tons of options out there. After a few months of trying things out in my own test kitchen, I had a list of go-to favorites.

When I made my family spaghetti with marinara and meatballs, I subbed in my own WFPB-friendly marinara. Then I made my own whole-wheat spaghetti, gave them the option to try it (still don't like it), and we ate side by side.

When my kids ordered pizza, I made my own version. Same for when they ate burgers and even ice cream. But after a while, my need to match their meals faded. Now I eat whatever I have a taste for whenever I have a taste for it. Which means, for me, Taco Tuesdays can be Eggplant Lasagna Day or Stew Day or even Peanut Butter on Toast Tuesday.

Meal the difference.

Before picking a restaurant, I do my research. And if there's nothing on the menu I might be able to get the chef to transform into something WFPB, I eat a full meal at home. And I bring my own food when we travel. Now I think of restaurants the way, as a non-drinker and non-smoker, I used to think about bars and clubs: I don't need to be doing what everybody else is doing to have fun.

My husband loves the food I make and often adds his meat to his portions. And my kids still eat cereal, pancakes, eggs, and toast lathered with Nutella for breakfast. But now they have the option of eating my whole-wheat pancakes, too. My oil-free peanut butter is right next to their Skippy, and I don't think they can tell the difference. We still have chips and candy in the house, but there's also a lot more fruits and vegetables around to help them make better, healthier choices.

And you know what? Sometimes they do.

Sonya