The KInd Life Community Forum
Use this space to share stories, exchange ideas, ask questions, and contribute to our growing community!
I've been Vegan for 2 weeks, my husband eats meat every night
Started
by Nicole
on November 9, 2010
so I've just started the process of being a Vegan, I have a lot of reserves of if I will be able to continue to do it because my husband eats meat for lunch and dinner every day, (as did I up until a couple of weeks ago) I'm a firm believer that I should not force my beliefs on anyone. I understand that many people make the choice to be Vegan based on the cruelty of the animals, and I too feel that compassion, however my reasons for becoming Vegan is more for my health.
With all that said, we have a child together. My son does like meat, but he prefers to eat fruits and veggies. I'm the main caregiver to my son, and wonder if anyone else here has some advise for me on how to care for a family that has different eating criteria
I do believe i will do the best I can, i'm a very strong willed person, These past couple weeks have been fairly easy for me. I just wonder what others may think
you can do it- others have. my friends parents have been married for over 30 years and since they met his mom was veg and his dad, not only meat eater, but a cook!
my bigger concern would be as you age, having to take care of someone whose health is quite possibly going to be not that great because they eat meat twice a day!
hopefully he will see how your health improves and over time at least cut down and incorporate more healthful stuff into his diet -
I have the same issues and your friends parents, i do all the cooking in the house, that's in part my concern. Its just a matter of keeping my motivation in my heart and keep on going. I don't feel weakness coming, but i'm sure there will be temptations!
Hi Nicole! I am in the same situation as you- I am a vegan, my husband is not. I am the main caregiver of our two children. Our plan is this: When I cook (which is always) we eat vegan. I have repeated told my husband that I will not force my views on him, that he can eat meat or not, whatever he wants. All I ask is that he cooks it himself. That usually means he eats meat when we order out or go to someone's house. My son eats mostly vegetarian. I do not forbid him meat, however he has never really gravitated towards it and I am certainly not forcing that :) Do be sure that, for you and your son, especially when this is new, that you really plan healthy menus to ensure you're both getting what you need. My main advice, is if you are the cook, then cook vegan. If your husband wants to eat it , great. If not, he can add some meat on the side. You might be surprised over time what happens. My husband rarely complains anymore and even admitted freely that he doesn't miss it much. Good luck- and this is a great site if/when you need some support! Enjoy your journey :)
I ditto the above comment. I am vegan and my husband isnt. I was vegetarian for years and only ( in the last 6 mos) become vegan. I do 95% of the cooking. I try to cook filling vegan meals he'll like. he rarely complains. he even recently gave up asking me to buy milk for his morning coffee. he has switched to almond milk. that said. he always orders meat dishes at restaurants. Entertaining at my house has also evolved. we mostly do cook- outs. I make veggie options and he makes whatever meat he wants on the grill.
so, hang in there and take baby steps. get a few great vegan cookbooks. that helped me alot!
Anyone who makes such a commitment in the face of real obstacles is very brave. You are setting the example by quiet observance of your beliefs. You are the strong role model for your children. There is no loss in becoming Vegetarian or Vegan. There is the ultimate to gain in health. As you change and evolve, so will your family. And they will thank you in years to come. Good for you!
I am in the same position as you. I am vegan and my husband is a huge meat eater. We were like this when we met and went into all of this knowing how we eat. We're both not big believers in imposing our views on others and he is extremely supportive of how I eat. Of course I worry about him eating meat and dairy but he can make his own decisions.
I do most of the cooking for our family. Whatever I cook usually ends up being a side dish for him. He loves to cook so he cooks his own meat and also has to clean it all up, I won't do any of that. We have two children who are just kind exposed to all of it. My kids eat meat and dairy but already eat a lot more veggies than my husband does. They also happen to have a lot of vegan meals. Good luck! I know how tough it can be but it can be done, promise!
I'm right there with you! I, too, cook (I do it all, unless my husband decides to grill) vegan and let my husband do his own thing. What I've noticed is that he eats a lot less meat than he used to and has come pretty close to giving up dairy. My son occasionally wants to eat just like his dad, but to him that means a few bites. Although it's not what I would ideally wish, I feel so much better about their health than I would otherwise! Baby steps! :-) The other day, my husband admitted that he would gladly become vegan if only he had the money to eat whatever he chose. Now I just have to figure out what this means, so that I can make it happen without the huge expense that he sees! :-) I wish you tons of luck!
see nicole - there are lots of us managing just fine with our carnivore husbands . I thought when i first turned vegan last march that my carny husband would find it not so pleasant but he has been great in accepting all my delish vegan meals and hasnt complained once. My 4yrs old son and i talk alot about what is animal and what is plant food and he mostly eats vegan too. What my husband has noticed big time is how healthy i have gotten and that i am looking so gorgeous since i turned vegan. I lost 14 pounds so easily its ridiculous to me , i really struggled to lose a couple of pounds before.........
for me its important to remember to keep a positive mindset that my family will embrace this cause i firmly believe that what you think will happen WILL happen ! so visualise yourself and your family embracing & sticking to this and doing well .
ps , try renting 'Food Inc' from your dvd store in documentary section , that will open your husbands eyes to how scandelous the food industry is..........
I would basically echo what Jackie and Monique wrote. Even though I'm the only vegan in my family, they eat what I cook. Once in a great while, my hubby thaws the local, organic beef we have in the freezer and he prepares it for our kids and himself. I buy cheese for my son and husband (daughter doesn't like cheese) but I stopped buying milk. They drink alternative milks. There was a little grumbling about that one, but not too bad. I stopped making lunches with lunchmeat. They get PB & J now. No more yogurt in lunches, either.
If we try to eat out in our small town, it can cause some compromise because there are very few choices that we can all agree upon.
It's been just over a year of being vegan and it works just fine. It is worth it to know that I am reducing suffering! 
12 Comments