You’ve read that life-changing article. You’ve watched a powerful documentary. You’ve seen a diabetic family member do a 180° with their health without meds. You know what dietary changes you want to make, you are ready to get started right now, but your family just rolls their eyes at the mention of quinoa.
Stick. In. The. Spokes.
Now what?
Well, success starts with your mindset. And having the tools to easily (yes, easily) turn skeptics into believers.
Pat yourself on the back smart one, because YU have just landed in the right place. It’s my mission to develop recipes that everyone from vegan veterans to your rib-lovin’ Uncle Billy will rave about. YumUniverse recipes are clean, plant-based nutrition bombs that don’t compromise on taste. Ever.
I have created a FREE interactive eBook with fan favorite recipes to get YU started.
*It includes tips so you can easily adapt one nutritious meal for everyone (for those cases where you have a particularly stubborn family member or three)
If the food is great (it is, oh it is) and if you lead by example (YU totally got this), no matter if you call yourself “plant-based,” “vegan,” “nutritarian,” “vegetarian,” “flexitarian,” “fruitarian” or a “Skinny Bitch
It’s really simpler than you may think.
Focus on adding more good stuff in one recipe at a time—nutrient-rich ingredients and great flavor—and eventually, no one will want the processed, unhealthful foods (or at least they will want less of it). This could take weeks, it could take years. Don’t set a deadline. Every body is different. Every family is different. Just keep walking forward. If you derail, dust yourself off and get back on track without beating yourself up.
If your family wrinkles their noses at the thought of going plant-based (or mostly plant-based), can you really blame them? There are endless stereotypes about gluten-free and vegan recipes being bland and unattractive and sadly, it is usually true. It’s one of the main reasons I started YumUniverse—I needed delicious options! Cardboard anyone? Never. Clean nutrition and colorful flavor should not be mutually exclusive. Well, your fam may not know yet, but the stereotypes stop right here.
It’s important to understand that transitioning takes time. It takes practice, planning and prioritization. Our culture glorifies busy. It applauds faster, cheaper, easier. Just take a look around you—look where it has taken us all. We pay more for healthcare than any other nation, yet we don’t have better health to show for it. Instead of treating the cause of ailments, we pop a pill to mask the symptoms. If your check engine light came on in your car, would you put a bandaid over it and keep driving? You must be accountable for your own health. If it is important to YU, you’ll find the time, if not, you’ll find an excuse. It’s that plain.
Taking on a plant-based diet is like learning a whole new language. Treat each recipe, or new ingredient, like a new word. Savor the success of learning it, be excited about your simple accomplishment. Before you know it, the next one will come, and the next one, and you won’t have to think so hard about it. You’ll be confidently speaking the language of veggies soon enough (singing and dancing a bit, too, maybe).
If your family is not on-board yet, lead by example. Don’t pressure them or they will resist. Let them see you radiant, happy, strong and glowing. Their curiosity will take them to where they need to be, and the decision to eat more veggies will become thiers not yours. That’s how it sticks.
Here are some more free resources that inspire and support.
Tips for Transitioning Success: How to start a plant-based diet.
The Big Crash Course: it’s exactly that. Loads of articles, books, documentaries, videos websites and more.
Food Addiction is Real: I know what I need to do, but why is it so hard to give up certain foods?
Are you more of an audio/visual learner? Check out the vids on YUTV.
Have a movie night with the fam: make a batch of Popped Amaranth Crunch or some Almond Crunch Kale Chips and watch one of these important documentaries.
I can’t say it enough. A plant-powerful diet is not about going without. It’s about having fun , exploring the infinite possibilities and adding more good stuff in. One step at a time, folks.
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