If you’ve started eating more plant-based food or perhaps identify as being fully plant-based, you might have pondered how to share what you’ve discovered with friends. It’s one thing changing what you eat yourself; sharing that with others is something else entirely. We all love to share what we believe are life’s good discoveries, but many plant-based folk are anxious about coming across as preachy and annoying.
The modest and subtle approach is generally the one that works best. After all, you can’t force anyone to try new things – much better to win them over gently! Here are a few tips to try.
Cook for them
This is probably the easiest way to share plant-based food without needing to talk about it. If you’re making dinner, cook something you already like – perhaps a mushroom risotto, lentil soup, or a curry. There’s no need for disclaimers or explanations. Just make something good and serve it. If it tastes good, nobody is going to complain about the lack of meat, and you’re more likely to get compliments and positive questions about unfamiliar ingredients or twists on traditional dishes.
Learn new recipes
Visit our recipes page to discover plant-based dishes that are practical, seasonal, and suited to everyday cooking. You’ll find a wide range of recipes from different cuisines, adapted to fit diverse routines, tastes, and preferences.
Make something together
If someone’s already curious, or just wants to hang out, cooking can be a good way to introduce a new kind of food without making it the focus. Pick a dish you’re happy to make and do it side by side.
My 20-something daughter loves to make vegan sushi with friends. The joy is in cooking together; the reward in discovering how good plant-based sushi can be. Flavor-packed Thai curries and Mexican dishes are also easy crowd pleasers. Deliciousness and lots of laughter leave people remembering plant-based food as a genuine positive.
Mention what you’ve enjoyed
You don’t need to offer reasons for eating plant-based. Often, it’s more useful just to talk about food that tastes good.
Maybe you’ve got into baked vegetables, such as spicy marinated aubergines, or you’ve tried something new with toasted cashews. Maybe you’ve found a recipe that’s so good you keep repeating it. These kinds of things are easy to talk about and don’t put pressure on anyone.
Just really loving crispy tofu in a chili oil can win people’s interest: what’s so special about it, how do I make it?
Tips for cooking with tofu
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the different ways of preparing and cooking tofu, along with some bonus tips on marinating. Plus, we have some recipes designed to make any tofu skeptic reconsider!
Book a plant-based night out
If it’s your turn to arrange a meal out with friends, book somewhere plant-based, or even somewhere vegetarian to give the skeptics an escape route. However, the likelihood is that once there, your guests will dive in and try what you recommend. Nobody will resent one evening without meat or fish, and they’ll thank you for the experience.
I recently organized a holiday dinner for about 20 friends, and chose an amazing plant-based Indian restaurant. There was one grumble at the start about the lack of lamb rogan josh on the menu, but the plant-based rogan josh was spectacularly good. Soon everyone was trading bites from their plates and the conversation centered for an hour around how delicious plant-based can be.
Be helpful if needed
You don’t need to talk about your food choices, but if someone seems interested, being prepared can be useful. Maybe there’s a favorite cookbook or recipes you can recommend; or perhaps a cafe or restaurant in their area with a decent plant-based menu. Give just a bit of your knowledge and experience if it’s wanted, and suddenly you’re the plant-based influencer!
That’s probably it
No one needs convincing. People tend to come round to things in their own time, if they’re going to. If you’ve found something that works for you, sharing it quietly is often enough.
Simon Middleton
Senior Writer
