Officials at the Humane Society of the United States (Hsus) are sending actor Peter Sarsgaard a child-friendly cookbook in a bid to help convince his kids to follow in dad's footsteps and go vegan.

The An Education star has been eating a diet free of all animal products for some time, but he recently admitted maintaining his vegan lifestyle at home has proved to be a struggle - because his daughters with wife Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ramona, seven, and Gloria Ray, two, love to eat meat.

He told Men's Journal magazine, "I cook steaks for my kids all the time because that's what they like. I guess you could call my wife a pescatarian but my kids eat meat a couple times a week. They love it."

His comments caught the attention of animal rights activists at Hsus and now they are hoping to help him out in the kitchen by providing him with author Jennifer MCCann's 2008 book, which is full of vegan recipes designed with children in mind.

Michelle Cho, Vice President of the Hsus, tells Wenn, "The Hsus is sending Peter a copy of Vegan Lunch Box - a wildly popular book chock full of kid-friendly and animal-friendly recipes for his kids to enjoy. We hope his compassionate diet extends to the entire family!"