How to Tell People You Are a Vegan

Interacting at mealtime with non-vegans can be awkward at times, but there is a way to go about explaining your choice to go vegan that puts everybody at ease. How to Go About Telling People You Are a Vegan By Olivia Ryan How hard is it to be a vegan in a non-vegan environment?  I mean, it’s easy when we have our online tribe, right? We give each other tips and hints, and constant support that makes us confident that we made the right choice. In non-vegan surroundings, however, it’s hard being the different one. For me, for instance, no one in my family is a vegan. When we get together for lunch, they can’t stop telling me I have to start eating something. My aunts are the worst. The most common comment that I get is this one: “It’s no wonder why you’re dizzy all the time.” The truth is, my blood work was just fine for five years now. These people are convinced that others are not healthy just because they are not eating the way they want them to eat. When we get together for lunch with my colleagues from Aussie Writings, the same situation occurs. These are some of the most common questions I get: “So you’ll have just a salad?” “How can you drink that green thing?” “Why won’t you have a piece of my birthday cake?” Saying that I’m a vegan is not a problem for me. However, I often found myself saying: “Sorry, I’m vegan.” Wait, what am I sorry for? I’m not sorry for being vegan. Why should I even apologize for it? This brings us to a major point: we should stop apologizing for being vegan! Be proud of that choice, and there’s nothing wrong with that. First of All, Understand Where Their Comments…

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