Mealtime Magic: Trying Vegan Cooking

 Brooke Brimm is the founder of Vegan Soul Food, a community of almost 500,000 Facebook users, cookbook author and mother of three children with varying food tastes and habits. When she and her husband adopted a vegan lifestyle, she quickly learned that getting her children on board - without compromising her choices - was going to require some fancy footwork. Not only do her children love their vegetables but they have personalized vegan dishes with their own healthy eating plans.

Brimm’s mission was to take the one-time whispered v-word (vegan) and turn it into something proudly and confidently stated as cuisine as she counsels people to savor the natural flavors of vegetables without compromising the tastes of the south.

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

What are your tips for introducing kids to new foods, especially if they aren't used to typically vegan dishes?
Decide to tackle one thing at a time. If vegan is what you are going for, don’t worry about it being prepared in an overly healthy way. Make it fun! Fry it up. Sauce it up. Season it up. Sweeten it up. Make it yummy.

If I want my kids to have more raw fruits and veggies. I make a smoothie. When making my own juices & smoothies, I usually adhere to a 3 - 1 veggie to fruit ratio. But I don’t do that with my kids. I keep my focus on getting the fruits and veggies into their bodies, so  I may give them more fruits than veggies, and I may add a bit of agave nectar too.

If you try to tackle everything at once prepare for balking. Ease up on being idealist. Be realistic. For example, skip giving the kids steamed green beans. Instead, Bread & fry up those green beans, and serve them with a vegan dipping sauce.

How can people who are curious about vegan meals get started?
Two things. Number one add more fruits and veggies into your diet. Start getting to know produce. Prepare it in ways you never did when you ate meat. Number two, step down & step away from meats. Try eliminating one or two, before saying goodbye to all of it. Celebrate you wins, don’t beat yourself if you go back to meat here and there.

Why can food presentation be important, even at home?
We eat with our eyes, as well as our mouths. Try to make it look as yummy as possible.