Pursuing the Plant-Based Lifestyle Right Before the Holidays?
Thanksgiving and Christmas: Here’s how to gracefully navigate the difficult interactions and the common criticisms
Vegans and vegetarians: Unreasonably and frequently at the receiving end of distasteful jokes, critiques, and interrogations. But the worst case is outright ostracism.
With the big holidays coming up — American Thanksgiving and Christmas — prepare yourself to potentially be in the hot seat for some heated Q&A.
Whether the debate yet stems from a genuine place of curiosity or elsewhere, remember to not take your fresh transition too seriously — at least, try to.
Because if you do take too much criticism to heart, frustration or anger will more than likely ensue. And it will only trigger an “us versus them” environment, which can get rather salty and unsavoury.
Having an open and healthy sense of humour around your new relationship with food is, instead, beneficial to both parties.
However, to take slaughterhouses, animal mistreatment, and environmental destruction lightly — worse, to even make jokes around them—is a whole other concern.
And it’s crossing the line. Because it produces and perpetuates unhealthy directives, myths, and stereotypes, which tamper with the true merits and virtues of the vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based lifestyle.
Fortunately, the tides are steadily changing for the better with more sensible and informed perspectives. And you’re key to the overall dialogue — don’t sell yourself short.
With greater awareness and urgency, people are opting to decrease or eliminate the extent of animal products that they consume.
Labels aside, however, misconceptions and criticism will always be a part of the overall conversation — as is the case with any movement, diet, or lifestyle.
But remember: The best way to deal with criticism is to keep open a two-way street, paving the way for constructive discourse. No road closures.
No one likes to be lectured or patronized.
Here are some ways to go about the situation during holiday gatherings to make things less uncomfortable than they need to be.
The Other Side: It’s Disrespectful
Sometimes, people can be rude, plain and simple — ignorant, too. It could, perhaps, be the narrow-minded uncle of yours who just loves to steal the spotlight with his know-it-all stance on everything political, social, and so on.
Sigh, it’s Kevin and Karen at it again.
However, you need to immediately be aware of this type of person for they cannot be helped, in the worst-case scenario.
History would even point towards their arousal of putting the other in their place, playing the educator, and enjoying the saviour complex — a little too much.
You can just about hear their voices: “Do you even get enough protein? What about iron and calcium?” and “our bodies were designed to consume meat — it’s how we’ve evolved as humans,” among other nudges.
Understand, critically, that they’re not going to budge, reluctant to accept your boundaries for communication. They’ll just waltz right in, especially after learning about your latest lifestyle change. They’ll come at you, even.
Stepping into your personal space, he or she may also feel emboldened to solicit personal information about your life choices, so as to gain a foothold — in an effort to get a response or a reaction from you.
Either way, chances are that they’ll expect one from you — right away, within the hour, or the next day.
And it’s a behaviour that would make anyone feel uncomfortable. Their toxic, taunting tactics are not to play a part in the conversation, however. So don’t be tempted by their words. Ever.
Just follow your gut and your heart. And your good instincts will tell you that it’s not even necessary for you to consult literature or to entertain statistics in support of your new way with food.
It’s your choice at the end of the day — and that’s always to be respected.
Maintaining Tact and Diplomacy
You’re already at odds with their interests and opinions. And you’ve assessed the situation as an unhealthy one for everyone. Yet don’t beat yourself up for essentially closing the door on them, albeit politely.
Not every relationship or conversation is meant to be.
To further talk about, let alone defend, such heavy topics as animal welfare and anthropological matters, can be quite taxing and emotional. And you’re more than likely to feel vulnerable or fragile following your recent transition.
Keep your head up. Remain calm. Breathe.
Because it sure is easy to become agitated when at the mercy of misinformation, disinformation, and conversion. It’s exhausting.
While there may be some quick conversion therapy involved, raising your voice against them won’t resolve the issue at hand. You need to walk away. But try to do so with the interaction left on a positive note.
It’s a “them issue” and you’re just fine.
A Rather Good Conversation
Poor communication is often at the crux of misinformation. And with the ubiquitous presence of social media platforms, conflicting narratives, information overload, and hidden agendas can easily lead to biases.
At the Thanksgiving or Christmas party — whether hosted by friends, family, or colleagues — there will, nevertheless, be an opportunity to share what you know as well as what you like to eat and cook.
Someone will lend their kind and interested ears.
To which, perennial misconceptions can be aired in a friendly and constructive manner, balanced alongside tidbits of information on plant-based recipes, restaurants, and products that you enjoy.
For starters, it’s guaranteed to be the talk about how the vegan route is undermined and discredited by the general misunderstanding around protein — that is, that there’s a lack thereof — yet you know that this is simply false.
There is an abundance of plant-based foods that offer sufficient protein. From lentils to tofu, the topic of protein has more to do with how it's holistically incorporated within a balanced diet — not so much the quantity of it, alone.
Got milk, though? Yes, indeed. There’s quite a substantial selection of plant-based milk alternatives at the grocery store, fortified with calcium and other nutrients. Almonds, tofu, and collard greens offer a nice dose of calcium, too.
And what about a history of hunting and industrial agriculture? Aren’t you simply turning your back on all of that?
Truth is, we have all had to innovate, adjust, and thrive with the given circumstances and environments, whether we liked it or not.
There have been plenty of times throughout history when people restricted their consumption of meat, largely for practical and altruistic reasons.
Lest we forget: Our freedoms that we cherish today — you know, all of that meat and dairy — was at the sacrifice of the front lines, as much as the rations back home.
It’s Thanksgiving and there’s a lot to be thankful for, including your selflessness and mindfulness of welfare, environment, and health.
Related: Flavourful Plant-Based Beginnings: The 3 Essential Seasonings To Always Have on Hand
