Feeding My Family on a Vegan Diet

These days, when my children ask me what’s for dinner, they know that meat and eggs are rarely on the menu. That is because I transitioned my house to emphasize a vegan diet.

Many people ask me if it is hard to find vegan food in Israel, or if kids complain about missing out on meat and dairy (we are less strict when we eat out though). However, the benefits of going vegan is so great for my family that you don’t miss your old diet at all.

There are several positive changes that I’ve noticed in my life since transitioning to vegan, including the health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle, without sacrificing flavorful meals.

Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Lifestyle

It’s a national stereotype that Israelis love our meat, but our food tastes may be killing us—heart disease is the second cause of death nationwide. Eating high amounts of red meat has been linked to many health problems prevalent among Israelis, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Switching to a vegetarian lifestyle for my family has lowered our risk of these serious diseases.

Even for growing children, the health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle are impressive. Going vegetarian improves bone health, reduces risks of obesity, and reduces asthma symptoms. It is the best thing that I’ve done to set my family up for future success.

When preparing food for my family, I am conscious about what I put on the table in front of them. A lot of meat, eggs, and dairy sold in supermarkets comes from contaminated factory farms. Just look at the salmonella outbreaks we’ve had over the past few years!

Saving My Financial Health as Well

Feeding our family a vegan diet has not only improved our physical health but has also improved our financial health. Veganism is a much more affordable diet than staying carnivorous, even though the perception is that going vegan requires plenty of specialty food that is quite expensive.

We all know that the price of meat and poultry in Israel is very high. Our country is small and there is not much space for intensive ranching needed to mass-produce meat at the level that Israelis consume it. Most of our meat is either imported or of poor quality from factory farms.

However, we have plenty of options for affordable vegetables and plant-based foods, both from the supermarket and from farmer’s markets. Thanks to staple foods such as grains, chickpeas, and vegetables, I am able to make delicious, filling meals for my family for less money than I paid when we regularly ate meat.

Not Limited by Veganism, but Spoiled for Choice

When I tell people that my family now follows a vegan diet, their first concern is usually about our taste buds. They ask if we miss our favorite foods from before we went vegan and if we get tired of eating plants all day.

The truth is that nobody in my family misses meat, eggs, or dairy because we have so many vegan options, particularly in Israel. We have a strong tradition of vegetable-growing and plant-based foods here, thanks to the strength of kibbutzim and the cultural tradition of the Mediterranean diet. Different kosher designations, such as parve, make it easy to find vegan-friendly options no matter where you are. It’s not for nothing that Israel was named one of the top countries for vegans in 2020.

When I want to feed my family a delicious vegan meal, I can make some of our traditional meze or rice-based dishes that are naturally vegan. When we want a snack, many companies sell vegan alternatives in their Israeli outposts, including popular chains such as Domino’s. Even when we are out for a meal, we don’t struggle to find vegan meals thanks to delicious vegan street food from all over the world and high-end restaurants where we can go for date night.

Going Vegan with the Family

Feeding my family a vegan diet has been one of the best decisions I have made for our family. It has improved our overall health and well-being and helped me save money on our weekly food shopping. Going vegan has also helped me connect to our beautiful food traditions, most of which are plant-based in a more meaningful way.