Making the decision to eat a more plant-forward diet is an individual choice. But it doesn’t mean it has to be done alone. Having other people in your life who share your goals is key to being successful. Having a sense of community who supports these goals provides comfort, encouragement, and inspiration along your health journey.  

Going Online

Online communities bring like-minded individuals together to interact, connect, and provide guidance. If you’re new to eating more plant-forward foods, you’ll find that people in these online communities are really welcoming to newcomers and will have a great deal of ideas for you. Some may be more aligned with your taste than others, but the thing you’ll see is that with an online community, people come from far and wide to share and discover tips, suggestions, and food finds, and to give and get support. Healthy options in the plant-forward realm are abundant, and instead of having to sort through and research everything yourself, you can easily find answers from members in your community. While they may just appear as a name and photo, these communities are made up of real people with real experiences and opinions that are willing to share openly with others.

Finding the Right Community

So how do you find a community that’s right for you? It could take some online research - whether through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or maybe a blogger. The good news is whether you want to follow an individual or join an online group, there are so many out there that there’s definitely something that will work best for you. Some tips:

• Ask a friend who is also on the same health journey for suggestions
• Find a Facebook group with a dynamic community of like-minded people
• Search for bloggers/recipe sites with recipes you find appetizing  
• Follow a chef, recipe creator, or group on Instagram with the food inspiration you’re looking for
• Follow a hashtag on Instagram that has the type of recipes that appeal to you
  

Sharing Your Food

Just because you aren’t sharing a table with someone, doesn’t mean you can’t share a meal with them. Whether it’s a new vegan cheese recipe, a hole-in-the-wall vegetarian restaurant, or a plant-based meal delivery service (*wink wink), sharing food is so easy though these online communities. We’d love to have you join our online communities on Facebook and Instagram and share the #thistlelove.