The family kitchen is often the heart of the home, where meals are cooked, laughter is shared, and memories are made.
But when a teenager goes vegan in a meat-eating family, it can turn the kitchen into a battleground.
Such is the case for a social media user who is a father living in the rural Midwest whose daughter has decided to give up meat and animal products in favor of a plant-based diet.
As soon as the original poster’s (OP) daughter declared she was going vegan, OP jumped on board enthusiastically, trying out new recipes and even adjusting the family’s budget to accommodate her dietary preferences.
However, things took a turn when his daughter started to feel angry and frustrated over OP cooking and eating meat products in the house.
OP’s daughter asked for her own pan and requested that the family stop eating meat at home due to her feeling uncomfortable around it.
OP’s wife tried to convince OP to go completely vegan in the house so that their daughter would feel no discomfort in the house. The wife even suggested that they eat meat products at their parent’s home who happen to live nearby.
However, OP struggles to see eye to eye with his wife and daughter on this issue and thinks that though he loves his daughter, he cannot stop eating bacon in his house.
To Vegan or Not to Vegan
The social media community had a lot to say about the issue, with some users suggesting compromises and others arguing for the daughter to learn to adapt to living alongside meat eaters.
One commenter, DoffyTrash, suggested getting the daughter a special sponge to wash her dishes with, so she wouldn’t have to use the “tainted” dishwasher.
Similarly, another user, Ashe_the_cat, recommended the daughter get her own cutlery set.
“See how serious she is about it when she’s getting her own set of plates, dish soap, and sponge to keep her food free of meat residue.”
Music_withRocks_In weighed in with concerns about the daughter becoming “one of ‘those’ vegans that give vegans a bad name” and advised the father to teach her never to impose her diet, religion, or politics on others.
BusyPineapple shared his personal experience of being vegan while living with meat-eaters and recommended having a separate set of pots and pans and a separate sponge for washing them.
“That’s what I used to do when I was vegan and living with meat eaters… I had my own set of pots and pans and a separate sponge to wash them with. It worked out well for me.”
One user, topania, shared their own experience of becoming a vegetarian at a young age and still having to cook meat for their family without complaint.
“I became a vegetarian at your daughter’s age OP, and I was still cooking dinner with meat for the rest of my family, while making do without vegetarian substitutes. You’ve been way more obliging than my family ever was. Considering what you’ve already done to accommodate her, she needs to learn the all-important lesson all teenagers have to learn—compromise.”
Avenoira brought up a valid point, asking what the daughter would do at school where meat products are everywhere.
“What is she going to do at school? There’s bacon fingers everywhere, lol!”
This raises the question of how far parents should go to accommodate their children’s dietary choices.
Should they bend over backward to please them, or should they teach them to adapt to the world around them?
The Verdict
In conclusion, the vegan pan wars are a microcosm of the larger cultural divide between meat-eaters and vegans.
It’s clear that the father in this situation is torn between his love for his daughter and his love for bacon. He’s willing to make some adjustments to his diet and cooking habits, but he draws the line at giving up meat entirely.
His daughter, on the other hand, feels strongly about the ethical and environmental reasons behind veganism and wants her family to share her convictions.
While it’s important to respect people’s dietary choices, it’s also important not to demonize or vilify those who have different views.
In the end, we’re all just trying to make our way in the world and find meaning in our lives. Whether we do that through bacon or broccoli is up to us.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: IgorVetushko /Depositphotos.com.
This article originally appeared on Ash & Pri.