So, Your Loved One Is Going Vegan—How Can You Help Support Them?

Maybe your child watched a documentary and suddenly realized how cool cows are. Maybe your partner read about the environmental impacts of animal agriculture and want to do what they can to stop the climate catastrophe. Or perhaps your best friend just signed up for a vegan challenge and won’t stop talking about oat milk. Whatever the situation, if someone you care about is going vegan, you may have questions. What exactly does vegan mean? What foods do vegans eat? How do vegans get protein? And how can you best support a loved one who’s going vegan?

The good news is that being vegan is easier than ever. With countless delicious foods and a warm, welcoming community, making compassionate choices has never been more accessible. Here’s what you should know about supporting a loved one who’s vegan—and why you may end up wanting to join them.

Why Do People Go Vegan?

At its core, being vegan is an ethical stance against animal exploitation. Many people first become interested in going vegan after learning that animals are all unique individuals who feel happiness, fear, grief, pain, love, and hope. Soon enough, they have that lightbulb moment: there’s no ethical way to eat our fellow animals.

Did you know …

• Cows mourn the deaths of loved ones, sometimes shedding tears over their loss. In the dairy industry, farmers forcibly separate mother cows from their newborn babies so their milk can be sold to humans.

• Chickens in the egg industry come from industrial hatcheries where male chicks are ground up shortly after hatching because they are “useless” to the egg and meat industries.
• Outgoing, sensitive pigs in the meat industry spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy warehouses under the constant stress of intense confinement.
• More fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined.

Vegans reject the idea that animals are ours to use and recognize that every animal is someone—not something.

While compassion and respect for animals are the primary reasons many people go vegan, there are additional benefits of being vegan, too. Research consistently shows that vegan foods support overall well-being and reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Vegan foods also generally require fewer natural resources than animal-derived foods, conserving water and reducing environmental impacts.

When someone you love goes vegan, chances are they’re trying to align their actions with their values—and make the world a kinder place.

How to Shop for Your Vegan Loved One

One of the easiest ways to support a loved one who’s going vegan is to learn what products are vegan.

Foods that are naturally vegan include:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Seeds

Many other familiar foods are vegan, too, including many pastas, tortillas, oatmeal, peanut butter, and countless snacks. Grocery stores also carry vegan burgers, chicken, milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and more.

When shopping for a vegan friend or family member, check ingredient labels for common animal-derived ingredients such as:

• Meat (e.g., “beef,” “chicken,” “fish”)
• Dairy (milk)
• Eggs
• Gelatin
• Honey

How to Plan Healthy, Balanced Vegan Meals

A balanced array of vegan foods easily provides all of the nutrients needed for a healthy life. Nutritionally dense vegan foods often include:

• Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas
• Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-wheat pasta
• Fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Fortified plant milks

Protein is also easily found throughout the plant kingdom. Foods such as tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, seitan, edamame, nuts, and seeds can all contribute to daily protein needs. A simple vegan meal might be a burrito bowl with rice, black beans, vegetables, salsa, and avocado—or a tofu stir-fry served over rice.

Supporting your vegan loved one can be as simple as making a satisfying animal-free option that everyone can enjoy.

Need affordable meal ideas? Check out PETA’s guide to eating vegan on a budget.

The Best Way to Support Your Vegan Loved One? Try It Yourself

When it comes to supporting a loved one who’s vegan, a little curiosity and compassion go a long way. The easiest way to understand why someone goes vegan is to experience it firsthand.

By going vegan, you’ll spare the lives of nearly 200 animals each year.

Want to see how simple being vegan can be? Sign up for PETA’s free 3-Week Vegan Challenge and receive recipes, nutrition tips, and guidance delivered straight to your inbox. With our help, you’ll discover how delicious, satisfying, affordable, and easy to prepare vegan meals are.

And once you relate to who’s on your plate, your kind decision will extend to the products you use and what you wear, too.

When you recognize that every animal is someone, choosing kindness becomes the easiest decision of all.

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