Vacationing with Non-Vegan Parents, Friends & Family

Hi. I'm 14, so I still live with my parents (obviously.) We are going on a trip this summer and my parents have been very adamant at how they don't want my 'veganism' to prevent them from having fun on their trip.

In addition, they flat-out told me they would go to seafood places all the time that have little, if none, of vegetarian food even, not to mention vegan food! They love stopping by those little Crab-shacks all the time that serve one thing... seafood.

I really don't want to be pushy or ruin their trip but I am quite confused on what to do. :down: In no way do I support ANY of their decisions on food, but I don't want to be preachy and get them mad.

Before we reach our destination we are stopping by a family friend's house. Their daughter is severely lactose-intolerant, so non-dairy items are easy to come by in their house, but she (along with the rest of the family) loves meat. I really don't know what to eat....

Here is my timeline: (we're going on vacation roughly 2 weeks)

Family Friends House: 1-2 days
Hotel: 1 week
Rental Home: 1 week

I'm not quite sure how I can survive a week at a hotel with a non-vegan family. Any suggestions for my trip? Keep in mind I'm only 14, so I'm stuck with my family.

* Also, my family is very supportive at home. We eat veggie meals 5 nights a week that I make. But, whenever we are out of the house or it is inconvenient to them, they get mad at me for being vegan.

- Kinsey

Hi there!
I've recently had to do this when I visited some family. I would suggest pre-prepping your meals for your trip. Try stuff like hummus and veggies, and make a big pot of soup you can bring with you. Take fruits, sunflower seeds, almonds, maybe even some peanut butter, stuff to keep you going throughout the day.
Crackers are a good last resort, and you could maybe try to make a pasta dish if soup isn't your thing.

Good luck, enjoy your trip & I hope I helped a little!

Doesn't sound like theres a great deal you can do really, just gotta grab food when and where you can and plan ahead where you can. They'll probably be sympathetic when they realise that they're leaving you hungry and ruining the trip with their selfish behaviour.

Hi Kinsey.

Maybe you can stock up before you go on portable vegan foods such as dried fruit and nuts, then just eat any salads etc that the places you can go to can provide? It sounds as if your parents accept your being vegan but are concerned about the social implications, so maybe they will be happy with this approach, and even help you do it.

I hope you sort something out and all enjoy your vacation.

Yes, I agree with Harpy, try to take along some vegan foods, and when you're at the hotel, maybe they will have more vegan options too. Then when you all go out, you can take along some stuff.

Could you phone or email the hotel and ask if they will do vegan food. Lots of hotels do now especially if you let them know in advance.

Hi Kinsey,

Though situation! But I'm sure you can manage.
Can you take dried fruit and raw nuts with you? If you get enough nuts and fruits, I think you can find salad almost everywhere you go and should be just fine. It's not easy, but definitely easier than eating bad food (for me of course!).

Good luck

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Mymblesdaughter

Could you phone or email the hotel and ask if they will do vegan food. Lots of hotels do now especially if you let them know in advance.

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This! And don't be afraid of calling ahead, trust me! At your age I would not have been confident enough to do such a thing, but people really don't mind, especially if you articulate it properly. You don't even have to say "Vegan" food... As a lot of people don't know exactly what that means. Just inquire about dairy-free, meat/seafood free. The internet is great, if you can look up where you will be staying. A lot of menus are online, so you can (in advance) figure out what your options are! If you find a place that you know has veg options, you can try and hint to your family to eat there instead of a different place.

Good for you for sticking to your veganism despite having not too much support. That's good that they are at least supportive at home, sounds like you're like me and love to cook ;) When I go camping with BF (he's not vegan) I cook a lot of yummy stuff in advance like mini 'chicken' pot pies (I have a great recipe for one if you're interested, got me through my last hotel trip with my mom!) and I just find a way to keep it refrigerated. Small coolers work wonders, keeps things fresh for a day or two.

Nuts and seeds are all fine and good, but I need a bit more sustenance, hearty meals. ;) I'd rather plan ahead and make things to take than be stuck with salads and fruit, especially when everyone around me is eating good!

Good luck! Also, don't worry about being preachy or ruining their trip. Chances are, they will make comments that are inevitably disruptive to what you believe and it will be hard not to roll your eyes. Just plan ahead and see what you can find online for menu options; make lots of food ahead of time to take, and try to have fun and not worry too much about it. :)

Hi!

I know you have probably already had your vacation and I just wanted to say how impressive it is that you have already made the decision to go vegan at 14. In a non-vegan family and a non-vegan society, it's a decision that most 14-year-olds would never make. Kudos to you! Perhaps your family will one day realize how amazing of a daughter they've raised and some of your compassion will rub off on them.