Vegetarian vs. not?

daniandron

Ok, so FI doesn't eat meat. I do. I eat pork just because. Bacon is awesome in everything. We don't live together and are long distance, therefore I don't have prior knowledge of what to do. Of course, I don't think my marriage will fail because of this, but I do wonder what other people have done regarding conflicting food preferences? He does eat seafood, but I just won't eat most shellfish. Anyone with a similar issue? I know how to make 2 different meals (and could do it every night if need be) but does anyone actually do that? It seems tiresome.

achiduck

My friend is vegetarian and her boyfriend is not. They live together and he eats mostly vegetarian food just because he's often too lazy to do the cooking or works later into the evening and isn't there to cook.

If he wants to eat meat, he will cook up a chicken breast, pork chop, etc and add it to whatever she's made. One or two nights a week they have a "fit it yourself" dinner where they both make whatever they want. Seems to work ok for them.

lizcoffeyart

I think when you first move in together you could have a day or two scheduled where you cook things together. Pick out something that sounds good to one of you, and you will learn each other's food preferences and find out what meals you will/won't agree on. You can always add a side of meat/seafood to your dish, and there are plenty of delicious vegetarian meals.  One night a week you could each cook something the other one wouldn't like- you can have bacon and he can have mushrooms and tofu. And don't forget leftovers!

Basically, I think cooking together is fun! Turn on some tunes and dance around in your fancy kitchen together. Also, since you'll have just moved in together, you'll get to know what and where everything is quickly without constantly having to ask.

daniandron

I like all of your suggestions. I could always just add it as a side. I guess I should add, I maintain a very high protein diet for medical reasons, and for the last few years pretty much eat chicken or fish as a main dish and couldn't care less what else I have. I think I just need to find high-protein veggies.

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_vegetarian-vs-not?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:ed5ddcaf-f0db-4bc7-a687-7771b69668c6Post:97af7729-026c-47e4-8131-919d6d174efa">Re: Vegetarian vs. not?</a>:
[QUOTE]I like all of your suggestions. I could always just add it as a side. I guess I should add, I maintain a very high protein diet for medical reasons, and for the last few years pretty much eat chicken or fish as a main dish and couldn't care less what else I have. I think I just need to find high-protein veggies.
Posted by daniandron[/QUOTE]

There are tons of high protein vegetarian options.  But you don't have to give up meat just because he doesn't eat it.  Ask him to help you find vegetarian meals that you both can enjoy, and that you can add meat to your portion (cooked separately of course) if you want.  There's no reason to cook two completely different meals. 

lyndausvi

  My DH and I are pretty much every man for themselves eaters.   We both eat meat, fish and veggies, we just like different things.    It's also rare we are home together for meals, that when we are we still just cook our own.

Yep we are weird.

calixtine

I'm a vegetarian and my fiance is not...since he contends that he can't cook, I do most of the cooking so most of what we eat is vegetarian.  I will eat fish so I try to make something with some sort of seafood in it about once a week.  The rest of the time though, the food is either meat free or I have found some good recipies with meat subsittues in them.  If the FI craves meat, he will cook it himself on the nights that I don't cook.  On the weekends, we'll go out to eat and that is usually when he gets his carnivore on.

My sister is also a vegetarian and her husband is not.  They pretty much both cook for themselves so she cooks vegetarian and he will make his own dinner (usually bbq or a sandwich).  So I think it comes down to whether you would be willing to cook for both of you (keeping his dietary preference in mind) or not.  Either way can work.

RamonaFlowers

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_vegetarian-vs-not?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:ed5ddcaf-f0db-4bc7-a687-7771b69668c6Post:c70cec20-2831-4cdd-9716-dfeb697a4198">Re: Vegetarian vs. not?</a>:
[QUOTE]  My DH and I are pretty much every man for themselves eaters.   We both eat meat, fish and veggies, we just like different things.    It's also rare we are home together for meals, that when we are we still just cook our own. Yep we are weird.
Posted by lyndausvi[/QUOTE]

This is us for the most part. He likes seafood, I can't stand it. I love pasta dishes, if it's not lasagna, he's not interested. He gets home much later than me, and most nights I will try to wait for him to eat dinner ... but even then, we each make our own dinners. It works for us.

rlavach

I'm vegan and my FI is not. We don't currently live together, but will after we marry. Don't try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Cooking 2 separate meals is a waste of energy (unless it's something you're really into doing). I live with my parents now, who are not vegan either. 

We cook everything pretty much normal. A meat, rice/pasta, veggies. Everything, except the 1 meat dish, is vegan. So, there is no milk butter on the veggies or cheese on the pasta, you know. You can add that to your personal plate if you want. That way I can eat all of the sides. To get my protein, I have beans or meat substitutes. 

Ideally, you want to cook ONE meal where you can then substitute the one meat dish for a vegan protein source. Alternatively, we may cook a totally vegan meal that is hearty enough to satisfy the meat eaters. 

ETA: And don't look at it like a huge insurmountable task. Even the title of this post (vegetarian VS not) illudes to the idea that this seems like a huge task. When you look at it like, 'oh, it's just switching out the meat part,' then it's not so daunting. If you've been respectful of each other's food choice up until now, I'm thinking you'll be fine after

thejucheidea

My boyfriend and I cook two completely different meals. He doesn't eat any vegetables unless you count mushrooms and olives, sigh. I am gluten free and pollopescetarian, but he's all about gluten and red meat. For example, tonight, I made oyakodon for me and he had a bowl of chocolate Lucky Charms. This is... this is pretty typical.

kellycatalo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_vegetarian-vs-not?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:ed5ddcaf-f0db-4bc7-a687-7771b69668c6Post:0b8e5d00-6da2-4d07-9cfb-7a32e3dc5b59">Re: Vegetarian vs. not?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm vegan and my FI is not. We don't currently live together, but will after we marry. Don't try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Cooking 2 separate meals is a waste of energy (unless it's something you're really into doing). I live with my parents now, who are not vegan either.  We cook everything pretty much normal. A meat, rice/pasta, veggies. Everything, except the 1 meat dish, is vegan. So, there is no milk butter on the veggies or cheese on the pasta, you know. You can add that to your personal plate if you want. That way I can eat all of the sides. To get my protein, I have beans or meat substitutes.  Ideally, you want to cook ONE meal where you can then substitute the one meat dish for a vegan protein source. Alternatively, we may cook a totally vegan meal that is hearty enough to satisfy the meat eaters.  ETA: And don't look at it like a huge insurmountable task. Even the title of this post (vegetarian VS not) illudes to the idea that this seems like a huge task. When you look at it like, 'oh, it's just switching out the meat part,' then it's not so daunting. If you've been respectful of each other's food choice up until now, I'm thinking you'll be fine after :)
Posted by rlavach[/QUOTE]

exactly this. I am a vegan and my fiance is not. everything i make is vegan besides whatever meat i cook for him, so i can eat whatever else and then substitute some vegan version of protein. and then certain meals the vegan protein is good enough that my fiance can't tell the difference, so we both eat the same "meat". (ie. tacos, lasagna, chili). it's really not that hard when you think you are just cooking 1 extra thing.

we do keep milk and cheese and eggs in the house, but the only time i use them are to make him scrambled eggs for breakfast on the weekends. he'll put cheese on his tacos, and sometimes we will make personal pizzas, but it's really not that big of a deal.

some of my staple vegan meat substitutions:
boca burgers
boca chicken patties
boca crumbles
gardein chicken scallopini
gimme lean sausage
there's so much more out there too.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_vegetarian-vs-not?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:ed5ddcaf-f0db-4bc7-a687-7771b69668c6Post:4d5e4533-db37-43b4-8ea5-93f1b453a7c5">Re: Vegetarian vs. not?</a>:
[QUOTE]We have our moments though, mostly when we want to go out to eat. It's hard to find something for a vegitaian that's complete nutritionally, and he's a nut about that. Salads don't cut it & I don't blame him. In those instances, he picks, because its easier for me to adapt than him.
Posted by mtishawt[/QUOTE]

We have this same issue because I have celiac disease, so we have to go to restaurants that are safe for me. I get to pick where we eat like 98% of the time, haha.

Also, I'm pollopescetarian and he's fond of red meat (especially bacon). He hates all vegetables with a passion whereas I love vegetables. Most of the time, we just have two different meals as it's easier. For example, for dinner last night, I had some oyakodon that I made with a bunch of kale in it. He had chocolate Lucky Charms. He kinda eats like a college student even though he isn't in college anymore, haha.

rlavach

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_vegetarian-vs-not?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:ed5ddcaf-f0db-4bc7-a687-7771b69668c6Post:4d5e4533-db37-43b4-8ea5-93f1b453a7c5">Re: Vegetarian vs. not?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not a vegitarian and FI is. I don't cook, he does. All he asks is that I clean up the mess! We have our moments though, mostly when we want to go out to eat.<strong> It's hard to find something for a vegitaian that's complete nutritionally</strong>, and he's a nut about that. Salads don't cut it & I don't blame him. In those instances, he picks, because its easier for me to adapt than him.
Posted by mtishawt[/QUOTE]
This is very true. I am almost always able to find or request something to eat, but it won't always be nutritionally complete. A big leafy salad or a bowl of pasta doesn't give you everything you need. Protein seems to be the hardest to get at restaurants, unless it's a bean dish. <div>
</div><div>Unfortunately, I'm allergic to soy. So, that cuts out a lot of meat substitute products. It it almost easier to find something to eat at a non-vegan restaurant than at a vegan one since a lot of their products contain soy. Some of my vegan meat substitutes do pass his taste test too. He says he can't tell the difference on some. My sweetie RARELY ate any veggies, but he's starting to eat a few more now.</div><div>
</div><div>Fruit, on the other hand, is a whole different story. I can't get him to eat any. NONE! I'd like to substitute fruit for cakes/cookies as dessert. Oh well, one step at a time!</div>

Grits8812

Vegetarian food really isn't as bad as it sounds.  Veggie lasagnia is amazing, and you can still make things like Hamburger Helper (sorry if nobody else likes this) but with fake beef crumbles.  All you really need to do is make your favorite foods, and either leave the meat out, or substitute it with fake meat.

bandjwedding2012

It's not hard to do at all. You'll both learn very quickly which foods each of you likes and can't stand. If your the one cooking it's easy to take things out and put things in. It usually doesn't require making two meals. Sometimes it might though, but thats okay. It's really not a big deal. I do most the cooking for him and I, so what I want for dinner usually goes. He's just happy to eat, I swear he eats like we're homeless or he's never going to see food again.