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Soup night: white bean minestrone made with vegetable stock, creamed broccoli soup, and hearty lentil stew alongside fresh, crusty bread (a great Sunday dinner — makes great leftovers for days!)

Sushi night: white and brown rice, slivers of carrots, avocado slices, and baked and marinated tofu or tempeh for a make-your-own sushi bar, which you can serve alongside dishes of pickled ginger and wasabi paste

Supporting the family vegan nutritionally and emotionally

No one is perfect, even an ethical vegan striving for food nirvana. In fact, some of us vegans are still called by the siren song of the cheese counter or dairy cooler. If you’re having a difficult time quitting eggs, turkey, or cheese, you’ll be relying on your willpower a lot, even if your logical brain constantly reminds you of all the reasons why you should be vegan. Do your best, do what you can, and resolve to feel good about what you are doing. And most important, seek out support from the family and friends you’re living with.

When one family member is vegan, and the rest aren’t, work together to ensure that the “odd man out” gets proper nutrition and emotional support. Even though parents or kids may decide to continue eating dairy or meat, they can still take care of the vegan’s needs.

Here are some ways to support the vegan nutritionally:

Let your newly vegan teenager have some say over what foods he will eat. He may even want to prepare his own meals when the rest of the family is dining on eggs, meat, or fish.

If you feel that the vegan’s food choices aren’t nutritionally sound, speak up and offer alternative ingredients to help bolster the quality of the meal.

Ensure that the kitchen is always stocked with healthy vegan snacks, such as a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter, dishes of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in the pantry, and chopped veggies in the refrigerator.

Stock up on quality vegan dinner options like vegan burger patties, frozen edamame, whole-grain pasta, and vegan canned soups. This way the vegan always has a standby option for a wholesome supper.

As you support your vegan loved one nutritionally, be sure to support him emotionally as well. Vegans don’t make the choice to change their diets and lifestyles lightly. They have often researched a lot of information, and they’re usually inspired by their knowledge to make positive changes in their lives. Supporting a new vegan in their efforts is important for nonvegans who love them. And to the vegan that support means the difference between success and struggle or even failure.

Rather than taunting, teasing, or even sabotaging your vegan family member, ask what you can do to help him. Perhaps visiting a health food store once a week for special ingredients would be useful. You also may be able to help by looking up new vegan recipes and offering to help cook with him. If you see that your loved one is having a difficult time eliminating meat or dairy, be a cheerleader and tell him that you respect his decision to go vegan even if he can’t do it 100 percent at first. These words and deeds will give your loved one the strength he needs to be healthy and happy.

Getting Your Kids Involved in Making Healthy Meals (Vegan or Otherwise)

Just because both parents are committed to providing a vegan diet at home doesn’t mean the kids will be on board for changing the family feasts. Because there are several stubborn stages of childhood, kids of any age may refuse to board the broccoli bandwagon. If your child or teen goes against the family grain and doesn’t want to go vegan with everyone else, offering him healthy vegan side dishes alongside an agreed upon nonvegan portion can help integrate the teen into meal times.

It’s always a good idea to use a transition period (rather than going cold Tofurky) when the whole family isn’t 100 percent behind the idea of changing the household diet. If every person has a say and an opportunity to take ownership of the process,