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Getting Your Spouse on Board
Started
by Melissa
on November 4, 2009
Getting Your Spouse on Board
Hello,
Is anyone having issues getting their spouse on board with this new eating lifestyle? My husband likes the new recipes I'm making, but says they are side dishes and still wants me to make a meat to go along with them. Does anyone have any advice? I don't want to be making two separate meals each night.
Have you tried introducing Veggie Burgers? Or Pasta with veggie meat substitute? There are some nice recipes in the book like Seitan piccata (which I haven't tried yet) but look incredibly meaty. There is also mock turkey loaf, meatless meatballs and so on that you could try to win him over with. A lot of these thigns are processed, but if you first get him on board with the processed stuff, then maybe you can start cooking the recipes from the book and giving him a piece of veggie meatloaf or something to accompany his plate (make ahead and freeze portions for him).
This is your lifestyle change, and its great that hes willing to try the dishes. Maybe he will see the benefits of the plant based diet in his own time, and eventually never miss that meaty feeling. :o)
Good luck with it. I know I'm still trying to convince my boyfriend to let go of cheese. We live in a smaller area with not a lot of choice for alternative food, so we keep regular cheese in the house just for him, and he's beginning to like things like soy parmasan.
Melissa,
I agree with Jennifer Veggie burgers are a great way to start. My husband said the same thing about them being a side item --- but I cooked veggie burgers, sweet pototes cut up like french fries with a little olive oil, and some steamed green beans with garlic and he was very surprised at how filling and he didn't feel deprived at all. We are starting out with the flirting stage I guess ..... and sometimes I might put a little cheese on his salad ..... also I tell him that he can have whatever he wants but when I am cooking we are going to have what I fix ..... he can cook something different or eat out himself when he isn't home. That way I am not bringing bad things into the house, because I know he isn't going to cook, or even go to the grocery store!
Vegan Dad is a good blog to look through for recipes:
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/
Personally, we changed how we looked at meals. A lot of stuff we eat includes a grain, topped with a saucy bean/lentil recipe with a side of veggies. It is kind of similar to eating Indian food which was something we used to do a lot. You could also look at casserole type recipes as well. Peruse your library for vegan/vegetarian cookbooks for ideas as well.
Unfortunately it's pretty much going to be up to him. If you're pushy then he'll just think that you're nagging him. One thing that may help is to point out that people rarely eat a steak by itself. They generally have a veg or two with it. You might try increasing the veg and using a smaller portion of meat. Weening himself off of it slowly. I like making a pasta with a cheese sauce made from nutritional yeast and using tvp to make the meatballs. Mixing in some herbs with it. It's really filling.
Thanks for all your advice everyone. These are all great suggestions. I really want to bring him on board as he has recently been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and I'd really like to reverse that. We have been eating veggie burgers for about a year now and he has always liked those. I think I need to focus on having more than one thing (which I've been doing the last couple weeks) so he still sees a variety on his plate. I will definitely check the library for cookbooks.
My husband and I have gone through the same discussion over and over since being married. Actually, food has been our makor headache more than anything else! I finally decided that if I wanted the change I was going to have to do it. There is no way around it, but I will have to add meat to SOME dishes. I pray that he will come to terms that beans ARE a protein! :)
Ha ha! Why are beans not considered protein to so many... my dad and brother feel the same way Noelle!
Well I think because to those people they really do not care about nutritional facts and care only for the taste of things. "Their too grainy" "Does not taste like beef", etc.
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