Spouse/partner responses to veggie diet

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Spouse/partner responses to veggie diet
12
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 7:28am

Was going to make this the QOTW, but since it doesn't include everyone, just making it a post :D


If you didn't start out a romantic relationship with a person as a vegetarian, who did he/she react when you made the change? What are his/her feelings about your new lifestyle?


I know for my dh, it's been kind of hard. He'd only met "obnoxious" vegetarians, as he thinks of them, who tried to *force* their diet on everyone.


The response that's been oddest to me is that he semi-happily eats vegan along with me when money is really tight, but the first moment we have an extra $10 or so, he'll buy himself a special cut of beef (thankfully he usually cooks these himself) and enjoy. It saddens me that he joins me in eat "only when we're most poor."

Love and Light, Joelle
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Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to a 11yr old hydrogen molecule.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2004
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 8:51am
I was veg when I got married. He wasn't keen on it at all back then but after 8 years I've almost converted him. Well at least he doesn't complain as much. I did eventually learn how to cook meat for him but for reasons like yours I just got tired of having to buy meat. It's so expensive!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 11:14am
I've tried explaining about usability, but that didn't really get him. You know, like how one pound of hamburger makes way less eatable food than one pound of TVP (which I use about one cup of dry for where I'd have put one pound of hamburger). I think sometimes, just less complaining is a good request/expectation
Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to an almost 8yr old hydrogen molecule.

Do you homeschool??? Please join me in chat!
Sunday night from 9-11p in the PP Sunroom

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Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to a 11yr old hydrogen molecule.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2004
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 12:22pm
MY DH was a real "meat and potatoes man" when I met him. I gave him this article when we were engaged about blind chickens (really gross article) and he happily joined me in veggie world. If my mom cooks organic beef or something he'll cheat though. He probably does that once a year!

Hugs,


Virginia
mom to......


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 Lilypie
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 4:46pm

wow, what a change!


I would never try that tact with my dh. I know it would soundly backfire on me. He can't stand PETA or any other animal rights group that "operates like them," to use his phrase

Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to an almost 8yr old hydrogen molecule.

Do you homeschool??? Please join me in chat!
Sunday night from 9-11p in the PP Sunroom

Follow me to these boards:
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Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to a 11yr old hydrogen molecule.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Fri, 11-03-2006 - 3:56pm

Hi there! I'm Kate, and have been vegetarian since I was 14 or 15...20 now. My boyfriend eats meat several times a day (we live together) and it doesn't bother me. I don't think I'll ever learn to cook it though. I still eat dairy and eggs that are baked in stuff. If I was vegan he couldn't stand that, but otherwise my picky eatting doesn't interfere with stuff too much. There are a few restuarants I'd rather not go to since I don't like any of the things on the menu that are veggie. (I'm also a really picky eater--I don't like bell peppers or onions, or anything curry, and actually a lot of vegetables I hate too)

We just each buy our own food and make whatever. The cool thing is that if I cook a veggie dinner for both of us, he'll never complain. I can't cook--just pasta usually, lol. I probably spend the same on food that he does because I like specialty stuff, organic if I can afford it. He'll be fine eatting really cheap food except for his meat.

My group of friends thought it was weird that I don't eat meat, and still joke with me all the time about it. (get offered steak, etc) But, I don't think I'll ever switch back because I've never liked the taste.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Fri, 11-03-2006 - 7:17pm

wow! do I have a story for you!
My first DH(when i was 21) he wanted to eat vegetarian foods but didn;t like anything except pizza, pasta and cheese...LOL!...anyway that lasted about 5 years in the mid to late '80's. There just wasn't a whole lot of choices for vegetarians back then to eat out and get alternative foods at the supermarket so I had to be very creative.

We divorced in 1990....
I went back to eating mostly fish and chicken and occasioan red meat.

DH #2 was a total redneck, meat and potatoes, hunting deer and moose kinda guy. The good thing was that he was willing to try ANYTHING! so that made it easy...I would just make something..ask him to try it and if he liked it which was most of the time he would say yes! make this again.
He easily made the switch to meatless pizza and pasta sauces, big beautiful salads etc...

We divorced in 1997

Musician BF and I were together for 6 years...he was a great cook and had owned a restaurant and did catering and stuff. Although we did eat meat, I learned a lot from him including how to cook a lot of tasty, meatless dishes. He was after all, a musician, so he was indeed poor and had to learn to live in a frugal, healthy way!LOL!

Present day BF is vegetarian and has been for about 6 years. He was vegan for a while but likes cream in his coffee and likes to have the occasional egg. For the most part the both of us do eat as ovo-lacto vegetarians and I try to eat an 75 to 80% raw diet.

We have been together for 3 1/2 years and I really like being veg. I switched over once we moved in together but because I wanted to! He says if I ever want meat he would never be mad or upset and would even cook it to perfection for me.

he is just so sweet and thoughtful.

Nathalie

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Sat, 11-04-2006 - 6:42am
Your current bf sounds like a total sweety. That is some story lol. At least none of them sound like they have been actively hostile towards the idea of
Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to a 11yr old hydrogen molecule.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Sat, 11-04-2006 - 6:47am

Hi Kate :) Thanks for posting. That's good you can tolerate your bf's meat eating. I know some people are just so grossed out by anyone eating meat around them. In my family, my circle of friends, I've usually been the only vegetarian so I've adjusted to that myself.


I totally understand about picky eating. I need food somewhat bland.

Love and Light, Joelle
Homeschooling mom to a 11yr old hydrogen molecule.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 7:59pm

I understand the living on peppers thing! My boyfriend can make a stir-fry that is half onions and peppers--double eeewwww.

I think pepper is too spicy sometimes, but salsa is always good.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-06-2006
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 3:02pm
When I switched to a vegetarian diet, I let my bf know. He said he tried that kind of diet for a while, but it wasn't for him. The call of cheeseburgers was too strong. lol My bf's really respectful and considerate of my choice. When we go out to eat (which is a lot!), he always asks me if I can eat the food at a particular restaurant. In turn, I try to be respectful and considerate of him. He's a picky eater, as well.

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