When their children came to them and expressed a desire to stop eating animals, these moms rose to the challenge — and joined them! In honor of Mother’s Day, we share the heart-warming stories of two moms who were inspired to try Veganuary by their amazing kids.
a new bond
“Since my son became a vegan at age 8, 6 years ago, I would typically adhere to a vegan diet for a month or two out of each year to support him. I’ve always been so impressed and inspired by his resolve. This year, when I saw the promotion for Veganuary, it seemed like the perfect time to do it, and instead of stopping in January, I kept going! We’ve had a blast cooking together and checking out vegan bakeries and restaurants in our city; I love sharing this new bond with him.”
-Ilira, Veganuary 2020 Participant
never looking back
“My son inspired me to try a vegan lifestyle. When he was 11 years old, he watched some videos about factory farming and decided to be vegan. As a family of five it was an adjustment at first to make dinners that pleased everyone. I would separate the meat and the vegan protein from everything and it made dinners seem more laborious, plus we had extra dishes to wash. After a while, our family was eating more vegan dinners because it was just easier. I learned a lot of new meals to make that all of us enjoy. I also learned to read all the labels while grocery shopping because you never know, sometimes those buttermilk biscuits might be vegan. My son made it through his entire 6th grade year as a vegan, even though he often heard remarks during lunch period from his friends about it. When he hit his one-year anniversary, I decided I would try being a strict vegetarian. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard since we were eating more and more meatless meals as a family. I was mostly successful and six months later, I started reading about Veganuary on social media and decided to make the switch to vegan. My son and I learned a lot more reasons to be vegan during this event and tried to encourage others to join us by sharing what we learned. He even wrote a school paper on the topic. That was at the beginning of 2021 and I’m still going strong. I don’t think I’ll ever switch back to a non vegan lifestyle and I have my son to thank for it. I am beyond proud to be his mother.”
-Elisabeth, Veganuary 2021 Participant
P.S. Looking for ways to treat Mom this Mother’s Day? Check out these sweet brunch recipes!
