How to support your friends on their veggie journey

There’s nothing like hanging out with your bestie—especially when you’re sharing a meal.

But what if she’s made a commitment to eating more vegetables and you’re, well, more excited about going to that new seafood restaurant you just discovered on Yelp.

Here’s how both of you can continue to enjoy great meals together and vibe over some plant-powered goodness at the same time.

Share your own veggie tales!

We’ve all said that we want to feel better about what’s on our plate.

If you recently cooked or tasted a meal that you were proud of, say the carrots were perfectly roasted,  your butternut squash soup tasted divine;  whatever successes and even failures you have, share them.

The point is that whenever you’re talking about vegetables, you’re sending your brain a message that it needs to follow through, and find a way to eat more of them.

Get together and plan a veggie-centric meal

When you’re around a bunch of hard-core meat-eaters, sometimes eating a veggie-focused meal by yourself can be a lonely affair, but planning a get-together and making vegetables the star can change that.

Trying something new, no matter how it turns out, will give you and your friends some bonding time and a new food adventure that everyone will remember.

Start by preparing the vegetables and letting everyone choose what she wants to cook, or you can host a plant-themed dinner party and ask everyone to bring their own dishes.

Don’t be surprised if your friends start planning the next veggie get together without any prodding.

Acknowledge her successes

Give her a fist-bump for the little things.

Eating an apple during an afternoon snack or making a smoothie on a Saturday morning deserves to be celebrated just as much as any other wellness goal.

Often our biggest obstacle to eating well is our belief that we don’t have enough time to do it.

When a friend takes a few minutes out of her day to show her body some love, let her know that you’re proud of her.  Also, ask her how she did it.  I bet she’ll be happy to dish on the changes she’s made in her life.

Let her know it doesn’t have to be all or nothing

There a lot of pressure in the plant-based world to do vegetables 24/7.

But studies show that making small changes in the way you eat can be more successful than suddenly eliminating an entire food category.

I’ve had friends make New Year’s resolutions on January 1 and by January 15 they were eating less healthy than when they started.

Support your friend whenever she eats meals that are lovingly produced by her own hands, or if she orders food that isn’t overly processed.

What are some of the ways you’re supporting your friends as they jump-start their veggie habits? Let me know in the comments.