You/Partner is vegetarian and you/partner is not.

queenpushycat

My topic should be "You/partner are/is vegetarian and partner/you is/are not."

Okay, something is seriously wrong with my English. but I haven no idea which category of MB to put this topic. But I just need opinions to all wonderful and smart people of MFP out here.

My question is that is anyone of you here is a vegetarian and your partner is not, or the other way round? How do you cope with the meal you cook for them or they cook for you? How do you deal with that?

Thanks all!

meerkat70

We largely cook vegetarian. If he wants meat, he generally cooks it himself. I'm not such an hysterical vege that I won't stick a bit of flesh in a pan and cook it though, if needed.

A bit of flexibility and common sense goes a long way.

There's an old Australian Women's Weekly cookbook called 'Almost Vegetarian', which has great ideas for meals you can just add a bit of meat to at the end for the meat eater in your family.

meerkat70

(But all meat in my house has to be free range and ethically farmed etc)

rml_16

I'm veg, The Boyfriend isn't.

We generally will make our own food because of it, but he loves to make stuffed shells, so he makes that a lot for me. And I will cook meat for him. On those occassions, I just eat the sides that I make. It really isn't that difficult. And he'll eat some vegetarian foods.

Christmas Eve, a friend of mine who's vegan came for dinner, so I made spaghetti and sauce (with tofu for a protein in the sause), veggies and garlic bread with a vegan "butter." My friend brought vegan muffins and cookies and The Boyfriend enjoyed all of it. I did tease him about it, though. :-)

queenpushycat

(But all meat in my house has to be free range and ethically farmed etc)

Wow! O_O How do you... find those meat?

queenpushycat

I'm veg, The Boyfriend isn't.

We generally will make our own food because of it, but he loves to make stuffed shells, so he makes that a lot for me. And I will cook meat for him. On those occassions, I just eat the sides that I make. It really isn't that difficult. And he'll eat some vegetarian foods.

Christmas Eve, a friend of mine who's vegan came for dinner, so I made spaghetti and sauce (with tofu for a protein in the sause), veggies and garlic bread with a vegan "butter." My friend brought vegan muffins and cookies and The Boyfriend enjoyed all of it. I did tease him about it, though. :-)

Cool! I'm glad your bf enjoyed the food... lol! I guess I gotta let mine try some food though :P

nancyjo75

We are both meat eaters, however I have a friend that is married to a vegetarian. She happily eats meatless meals 3 to 4 times a week. On the other days, she makes meals where her meat can easily be added to the dish after separating some out for her partner. For example, she might have chicken stir fry and he might have tofu stir fry. She cooks the veggies first and the chicken separately and then just adds things together at the end. She might have a hamburger on the grill, while her partner has a veggie burger.

bobogal

My husband used to be a pescatarian and I will probably die before giving up meat. We ended up cooking fish at home most of the time. I get my meat fix when I eat out - I was/still am iron deficient and every now and then, my body craves a good steak. However, he's now come over to the dark side

Dtrmnd86

I just recently started taking baby steps to become vegetarian and my fiance is a typical steak and potatoes kind of guy. We still have chicken, but I am no longer eating red meat. He has bought one steak for himself, and I am pretty sure I'm going to make him cook it himself. Once I cut out all meat, I will probably still cook some for him and the kids, since this is my decision and not theirs, but I'm going to try to buy the healthier stuff for them.

rml_16

I'm veg, The Boyfriend isn't.

We generally will make our own food because of it, but he loves to make stuffed shells, so he makes that a lot for me. And I will cook meat for him. On those occassions, I just eat the sides that I make. It really isn't that difficult. And he'll eat some vegetarian foods.

Christmas Eve, a friend of mine who's vegan came for dinner, so I made spaghetti and sauce (with tofu for a protein in the sause), veggies and garlic bread with a vegan "butter." My friend brought vegan muffins and cookies and The Boyfriend enjoyed all of it. I did tease him about it, though. :-)

Cool! I'm glad your bf enjoyed the food... lol! I guess I gotta let mine try some food though :P

The funny thing is, he ends up eating a lot of veg stuff just simply because he's too lazy to make his own. I make big batches of things like vegetarian chilis and soups to eat throughout the week, so it's easy for him to just grab it rather than make his own food.

And he ALWAYS likes it, but it's tough getting him to admit it because he doesn't think it's "manly" not to eat meat.

soymilkcoffee

When I was vegetarian the first two years my boyfriend and I were dating, we were very accommodating towards each other. I didn't lecture him on his sources of meat and he didn't lecture me about my nutrition. I usually do the cooking, so I would usually start by making a vegetarian dish, like a salad or a veggie stir fry, and cook meat on a separate pan for him.

It shouldn't be a hassle at all, if you both respect each others' views on food.

soymilkcoffee

The funny thing is, he ends up eating a lot of veg stuff just simply because he's too lazy to make his own. I make big batches of things like vegetarian chilis and soups to eat throughout the week, so it's easy for him to just grab it rather than make his own food.

And he ALWAYS likes it, but it's tough getting him to admit it because he doesn't think it's "manly" not to eat meat.

If he likes a meaty texture, I found that my man likes extra-firm tofu. Drain the tofu out of the package, and let it pat it down completely with paper towels. That'll give it a meaty texture that most non-vegetarians like. You can stir fry it on a pan, or bake it until crispy.

meerkat70

(But all meat in my house has to be free range and ethically farmed etc)

Wow! O_O How do you... find those meat?

Well, I'm lucky in that I live in a village where there's an organic, free range farm and a good butcher - so we buy our meat there. But the supermarkets stock free range, ethically produced meat. It;s a bit more expensive, but if you're only buying a little, it's well worth it?

kyoules

I am a vegetarian and my husband is not. Thankfully, he eats almost anything. I am usually the one who cooks in our house (99% of the time), so most of the time he eats vegetarian with me. When we go out he eats meat, and he usually buys some sort of chicken or beef easy frozen entree type things at Trader Joe's that he makes for himself. I keep vegetarian food interesting for him by always trying out new recipes and getting his feedback. He always says it's "pretty good" but the real test is when I ask him, "Should I make this again?" LOL Right now he is trying to cut back on pastas, breads, and processed grains, so it can be a challenge to cook for both of us. Interestingly enough, at his most recent Dr. appointment he was deficient in one of the B vitamins and vitamin D, but my levels are fine. I am actually the opposite of anemic (I have more than enough iron) but not so much that it is hurting me.

SaundraM2009

My husband decided to be a pescitarian at the beginning of the year, so I just make all of our shared meals such that he can eat them. I happily continue to eat lean meat.

MaximalLife

I'd divorce her and marry somebody fun.

The way I see it, if God did not want us eating animals, why did He, in His infinite wisdom, make them out of meat?

Sweet_Potato

My girlfriend eats fish and seafood but no meat. Fortunately I'm not much of a meat-eater myself, and I love vegetarian cooking. Our meals at home are vegetarian, with occasional fish. Once every month or two I might eat chicken when we go out, but that's it. I've never been into red meat and found I've stopped eating it entirely since I've been dating her. Even though I'm an omnivore I find it easier to date a vegetarian than another omnivore.

queenpushycat

Haha, you guys are awesome I have to actually deal with my partner in the future when we live together. I'm sure gonna be sneaky like "oops, we ran out of meat." Because I know he is very lazy when it comes to getting food. :P Hahaha..

futuresize8

I'm pescatarian (sometimes fish eater , otherwise vegetarian) and my husband is not.

My solution was to become a better cook, and make meat for him when he requests it.

This means that the majority of the meals I cook are vegetarian, unless we're grilling fish. I maybe eat fish 3 - 5 times a month.

On the weekends, he loves bacon and eggs for brunch. I make that for him and something else (veggie sandwich, soup, etc.) for myself. I love to cook, so I don't mind preparing two little meals at once.

I'd never try to convert him - practicing a food discipline is as personal as religion.

He supports my efforts and I've been at it 20 years now and was never a big fan of meat anyway, so it's never been tough for me.

I've learned to use spices and create complex flavors by reading recipes (don't usually follow them, though), using high-quality ingredients, and not trying to "replace" meat...rather I try to make the food taste amazing without it.

I strictly avoid "processed soy" that tries to taste meat-like, so all that stuff is out. Once you've had a marinated portabella charred to perfection on the grill, veggie burgers pale in comparison!

rwozzie

I am vegan and my husband is an omnivore. We usually just make our own meals during the week because of our different work schedules. On the weekends I will make vegan meals and he will either eat it as is or make a bit of meat/dairy/eggs to add to it. I told him when we first started dating that I wouldn't cook meat for him, and he is totally fine with that. I think every couple figures out a way to make it work for them. Good luck!

danielle1983cov

I am veggie, my partner is definitely a meat eater! I will cook the meat and just tend to make the dinner in two different pots: one for meat, one for Quorn. That way, we are eating roughly the same foods to make it a little easier. Obviously it's a little different when he has steak etc, but then I will just have a meat replacement instead. I am going to try and coax him with meat substitutes though now that we are eating more healthily - I think I can probably get away with the Quorn mince without him noticing too much!

meggonkgonk

I don't have this issue, but boyfriend and I have quite different palates- he likes far more meat in his meals that I do, I love all kinds of veggies he hates, so it's similar. And frankly we do a lot of separate cooking. I'll plan what I want, and he what he wants. A lot of times earlier in the day I'll say "I was thinking of having X" and he'll tell me what he's planning and we'll just divvy up the kitchen space and/or share the sharables (eg- if we both make something pasta based- we'll boil the pasta).

Your partner's dietary restrictions shouldnt have to limit what you want to eat (nor vice versa!).


Also just need to say MaximalLife, while not a vegetarian myself, I see your logic as flawed. Based on your precept, people are made out of meat, yet we do not eat them. Eating vegetarian works for some people and does not preclude any levels of fun.

jackieb1977

hi i have been a vegi for over 18 yrs now. my partner of 5 years was a very big meat eater when we got together, he does still eat meat but not as much,this is due to me doing all the shopping and all the cooking, he refuses to eat any of the susbstiitute meat protien i use , if i making spag bol for instance i will use two pans one for his and one for mine and the kids,(they are not vegi's either but mostly have what ever im eating).
i have never found it a problem, only extra washing up lol.

vanessaclarkgbr

I'd divorce her and marry somebody fun.

The way I see it, if God did not want us eating animals, why did He, in His infinite wisdom, make them out of meat?

Did you mean to be that offensive, or was it just a happy coincidence for you? I have several good friends who are vegetarians, and my daughter is veg + fish. I'm a meat eater but I honestly don't remember swinging from a chandelier by painted toenails any more than them just because I ate a bacon sandwich.

Natty0506

Neither of us are vegetarian, but if one of us were, I would cook meat for the person that eats it, and load up the other persons plate with more veggies. But I'm a very accommodating person.

luwalmsley1983

We are both meat eaters, however I have a friend that is married to a vegetarian. She happily eats meatless meals 3 to 4 times a week. On the other days, she makes meals where her meat can easily be added to the dish after separating some out for her partner. For example, she might have chicken stir fry and he might have tofu stir fry. She cooks the veggies first and the chicken separately and then just adds things together at the end. She might have a hamburger on the grill, while her partner has a veggie burger.

I'm the veggie, he isn't, generally it's fairly easy as poster suggests above, I tend to make the sauce - then separate it up - so as an example did a lovely neoplolitan sauce the other day, he had meat balls added in at the end and I had chunky veg.

Other times I do everything the same, just his meat separate and I'll have tofu etc - last night was wegdes with a cheesy sauce and I had loads of veggies, I did him chicken wrapped in bacon.

lillylightstar

When my other half and I met, we were both vegetarian/pescatarian but recently he has started eating meat. I do most of the cooking and I will not touch meat (I also won't let him cook it in my favourite pan - yes, I'm *that* kid!) but he's happy to eat vegetarian and if he wants meat, he'll just cook it himself and add it to whatever I have made. When we go out, he eats meat. It works. I feel like if main cook (whoever it is in the relationship if there is one, some people are more evenly split - i love cooking and get annoyed when people try and interfere!) has dietary requirements, that's what they focus on and the person not cooking deals with any extras they need.

tam120

I eat mostly plant-based. Sometimes it's no big deal, other times it's a real pain in the @$$. He would prefer to have meat in every meal, I do all the cooking and sometimes I'm making 2 meals which can take a lot of time and cookware.

I'm new to plant-based so until I get better at it I'm not being strict about animal products, it just depends on what's on the menu that day.

He will eat what I cook but as someone already said I'm not going to push my dietary choices on him so I try to accomodate him as much as possible. Sometimes I'll make a meal like chicken, veggie and starch and I'll eat everything but the chicken and maybe add some beans to the starch. I can get away with pasta and sauce using lots of mushrooms so he doesn't really miss the meat that much. Sometimes we'll have a big salad and I'll cook chicken for him to add to his and I'll add beans to mine.

rml_16

I'd divorce her and marry somebody fun.

The way I see it, if God did not want us eating animals, why did He, in His infinite wisdom, make them out of meat?

Did you mean to be that offensive, or was it just a happy coincidence for you? I have several good friends who are vegetarians, and my daughter is veg + fish. I'm a meat eater but I honestly don't remember swinging from a chandelier by painted toenails any more than them just because I ate a bacon sandwich.

I chose to assume that was a joke and ignore it.

charcharbec

When my partner and I met, both of us had horrible diets.... and I specifically ate a LOT of meat where-as she really only did ground turkey and steak. Currently I eat mostly vegan, though I am not super crazy about it, and I will happily cook her meat. I like to cook in general, even if it is not for me. I have found however, that when I make tasty veg dishes she will often eat it if it smells/tastes good. WIN!

mrs07312012

Hello,

I am a vegaterain on my way to vegan ( I don't use any dairy, meat products at all, I once and while eat fish or shrimp but very very rarely and I am trying to cut this out of my diet as well). My fiance is not a cook at all (mac and cheese and oddle of noodles is his specialty) We eat very very different (plus he is trying to gain as I am trying to loose). Sometimes it can be really difficult but we make it work. Since I do the majority of cooking he has learned to like more vegies and is now more open minded to try new things ( he came from a household of a very ummm I hate to say "perfect" but a mother who catered to her families every needs, she would make 3 different meals a evening to cater to each of her family members, when my fiance and I bought a house together he did not eat ANYTHING it was so though now it's getting easier, I even got him to try asphargus!!) I will cook chicken for him on occasion, it's a whifley duty type thing and I do the same that if I am making say brocolli and rice as a side dish I will make him chicken and make something like a Morning Star veggie burger or tofu for myself. Some things I just let him try and see what he thinks , last night I made chili and instead of using ground beef I used morning star veggie crumbles , he kept telling me it was so good and my best chili either, I had come home from a late dinner meeting for work so he didn't think anything of it because I was not eating it, he figured it was ground beef. On occasion when we go to his mothers on Sundays or go out to dinner , I tease him and tell him he better get his meat in. But a big part of it is making the same side dishes for the both of us and cooking up something he likes at the main dish and something else I can eat. It is tireing sometimes but relationships are all about compormise and considering he is now eating more veggies and organic products than he was when we first started dating 6 years ago , I can push him too far.

P.S. The chicken and meat that I do cook him is non hormone free range from a local farm in our area