My Family Mocked Me for Being Vegan, but They Went Too Far

We recently shared James’ story about his struggles with his stepchildren. Here is another vegan story from Anne, whose family also mocked her in the beginning, but now they have changed their behaviour and try to be more open to her diet.

Anne’s story: Becoming vegan

I’ve been vegan for two years. It started when I watched a documentary at 2 a.m. on a random Tuesday. It was about how animals that end up on our plates live their lives until it’s just over. After watching it, I couldn’t eat meat anymore. First, I became a vegetarian, then turned into a vegan. I never forced my lifestyle on anyone. I just wanted to live in a way that aligned with my values.

But my family didn’t think in the same way. My husband, Dave, believed every meal should include something that once mooed, oinked, or clucked. My two kids, Liam (12) and Sophie (9), were the same and could eat bacon with anything.

So in the beginning, every time I put tofu on my plate, they made the same jokes:

“Oh no, Mom’s eating squishy white sponge again.”

“Don’t let that tofu touch my steak!”

At first, I laughed it off. I didn’t want to be that person, the preachy one who ruins dinner with stats about methane emissions. But over time, the teasing started to sting. I was the odd one out in my own home.

The joke

One night, I came home late from work, tired and hungry. The kitchen smelled like bacon-wrapped everything. There was laughter coming from the dining room. When I peeked in, I saw they’d all made dinner, without me.

My plate sat on the counter with a single cucumber slice on it and a Post-it that said, “For the vegan queen.”

It was meant as a joke. But I went to the bedroom and cried.

The next morning, I didn’t say much. I just made my smoothie and went about my day. But Sophie noticed. Later that week, I found a note under my pillow. It was from her. In crayon, it read:

“I’m sorry we were mean. I want to try your food. Love, Sophie.”

The change

I made vegan pancakes a few days later, and my daughter loved them. Even my son tasted them and said they were not bad. It was a huge praise from him, as he loves to criticize everything.

But not only did my kids surprise me, but also my husband. One night, I found him watching a documentary about plant-based athletes. And he also bought some vegan recipe books.

So little by little, things started to change. We introduced “Meatless Monday”, a day when no one eats meat, at least at home. The kids learned to make black bean tacos. While Dave started using oat milk in his coffee.

Now, a year later, I am still the only vegan in the family. But everyone eats a lot more plants, and they are generally more open to tasting vegetarian and vegan dishes. So if you’re in a similar situation, don’t give up, just be patient. Also, tell your family how their “funny” remarks can hurt and make you feel isolated. So hopefully, they will change their attitude like mine did.

If you’re into cooking, it can be very useful to read our 12+ Cooking Mistakes That Can Change the Quality of Your Food article, where you can learn a lot of great tips.