Let me tell you, I’ve had over 10 holidays seasons as a vegetarian. This is my second one as a vegan ?. I’ve gotten pretty good at navigating the spreads and piling my plate high. I have an eye for presentation so my plant-based plate still looks amazing.
That first year was mid-2000s and I’d rather not remember that time but I do have some solid bits of advice for surviving the holidays when you’re surrounded by meat-eaters.
Develop a 30-second elevator pitch on why you’ve changed your lifestyle is going to come in handy. You’ll get asked at least 7 times before you sit down “why?” Or my personal favorite, “is this just a phase? I wonder how long it’ll last.” Come prepared to pitch your new lifestyle and you’ll get along just fine.
Know your protein sources. This question will come up seconds after “the why.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked how I get my protein I could have finished college debt-free. Know your top sources, beans, legumes, soy, nuts and seeds.
Don’t expect to be catered to. This one is really important. This goes for anywhere in life, honestly. But especially here. It took a couple seasons to really adjust the menu to accommodate my diet, mostly due to my sweet gram who calls me and asks what I want. If you’re not the one cooking, I’d suggest making your way to the kitchen to get involved. It shows how important it is to you, and you could teach them a thing or two while you’re in there!
Bring your own food/ pre-eat. This is truly a last resort, but if I’m going somewhere new, like a friends house, I don’t ask them to do anything special for me. I bring my own food, or I before I go. This prevents me looking pitiful in the corner because I’m hungry. It also keeps me from making anyone feel bad.
I hope these tips are helpful, if you have anything to add comment down below!
Happy Holidays,
Christyna