The Reluctant Parent to the Vegan Child

May’s Cookbook reminded me of why I’m Plant-Based Living!

I’ve been on my plant-based journey for three decades now.

I talk a lot about my starting point. When my father died at 54 of a massive heart attack, it changed my world.

But a handful of years later, my daughter declared herself vegetarian at the age of 3.

She meant it.

She stuck firmly to her convictions. My little girl would ask things like, “Does it hurt the chicken when you stab it with a fork?” It makes the chicken breast on your plate very unappealing.*

So, I went looking for vegetarian resources. I talk about it more in this week’s video.

Oh, how I wish I’d had the resources available today. I think about how much faster I could have switched to healthier plant-based eating.

It’s a journey. Whether you commit to plant-based eating for you, your child, the environment, or whatever your reasons, you’ll need resources to help you understand your new path AND give you incredible opportunities to cook good food.

That’s just one of the reasons I started my Cookbook Club back in 2023, and why I continue building my own cookbook shelf in my home with every one of the cookbook resources I share with you.

Cookbooks are more than a selection of recipes. They are truly resources that can help you better understand the importance of good food. They’re storybooks to help you get really good at the skill of cooking.

And I truly believe plant-based cookbooks do all that exceptionally well.

This month’s cookbook sure does.

I Can Cook Vegan
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz

From the moment I pulled it off the shelves, I’ve been cooking up a storm. And learning! I love its presentation - easy to read and easy to use. And the food - yum! Everything I’ve cooked is something I know I’ll try again.

This author came as a recommendation. A scan at my local library had me picking up this book, and her Vegan with a Vengeance, both of which are good. (In case you’re new around here, I love picking up cookbooks at the library. It gives me a chance to try them in action before I commit. I cook two or three recipes. If I enjoy them, I buy the cookbook for my shelf.)

As I glanced through the I Can Cook Vegan, her note to reluctant parents of the vegan child caught my eye. I talk more about it in-depth in the video above.

When you aren’t vegan, your natural reaction is to assume it’s a phase your child is going through. (I was there.) It takes a while to realize it’s not a phase. And at some point, you choose to honor your child’s convictions about what he or she eats.

Yes, it’s difficult. It took me several years to come to terms with this. I was already going through a lot of education after losing my dad. So my daughter’s journey became a part of my education. And, oh, did I learn about the benefits of eating better!

Resources are mandatory to help you along. And I love the I Can Cook Vegan approach. The education is short and to the point. It’s just enough to make trying any recipe in her book a little less intimidating. If you’re still learning some of the most popular vegan ingredients, this book will help.

And yet, the most critical part of any recipe is flavor. You have to enjoy what you cook to build your desire to cook.

When I first grabbed it, her Beer-Braised Tofu Tacos with Spinach became my first-to-try meal. My daughter picked it up and went to work making the Tempeh Beet Reuben. I’ve been through several recipes, and look forward to diving deeper into this book throughout the coming months.

Is this cookbook for you? I encourage you to bookmark your favorites. Or you can start with one of the recipes I mentioned - they were fantastic. Then start cooking! I think you’ll quickly discover a lot of favorites.

For now, this cookbook is on my kitchen counter, in use several times a week. Then it’ll move to my cookbook shelf, ready for me to use repeatedly.

*Oh, and just in case you’re curious, I figured out how to keep my daughter well-fed on a plant-based diet. She's now a happy, healthy 30-year-old with a double major, who went back to school for a pastry chef certificate - plant-based, of course.

Have any questions about raising a vegan child? I’d love to hear them.

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