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Veg in a non veg world! Help!

Veg in a non veg world! Help!

Started by Jennifer Ham on September 14, 2011

8 Comments

Jennifer Ham said #1 Sep 14, 2011 at 2:41pm

My husband is very unsupportive of e trying to be veg(itarian or an) and makes a point of cooking or having cooked extra meat whenever I make anything non meaty. He's gone so far as to say there are too many veggies on his plate because it had more than one. *shakes head* My kids are omnivores. It just leaves me trying to make do. On the few occassions I managed to eat a veg meal but was struggling with wanting cheese (or other stuff but cheese is the main one) he teases me with it until i give in and eat it. I don't know what to cook that won't be an issue and cooking totally separate meals every day is not an option...

Any advice or similar experiences?

Anneka Schneider said #2 Sep 14, 2011 at 3:39pm

Jennifer, here is a recipe for Crispy Tempeh Tacos that are sure to change his mind.

Buy a block of tempeh and crumble it up in a bowl with 1/2 ts each salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cumin. Throw it in a skillet with smoking hot oil and let sit until sides are crisp. Flip with a spatula and let sit some more. When its all golden brown and crispy, its done.

Now its time to make the cashew ranch. In a magic bullet or other high speed blender, put in 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb water, 2 Tbs lemon juice (fresh), 1/2 ts each salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley.

Assemble tacos in this order: Tortilla, spoon full of crispy tempeh, slice of avocado, lettuce and tomatoes, ranch dressing.

Let me know if you need anything else. My hubby wasn't thrilled about my new life in the beginning either, but as I learned how to make awesome food, he started to love it. He now eats all vegan at home and even looks for vegetarian options when we go out to eat. The only true way to a mans heart is his stomach. That means learning as much as you can about cooking and doing it with passion and love. He'll come around. Just stay positive.

Meghan Parsons said #3 Sep 23, 2011 at 9:01am

I'm sorry you are going through this! My boyfriend is omni so I know it is really difficult to do separate meals and go out to eat, etc. What has (so far) worked for me is making meals that can be omni OR veg. For example:

Tacos -- prepare the meat for his tacos and black beans for yours (separately of course). Make a spread of toppings and have everyone build their own tacos. You can serve seasoned rice and corn for side dishes.

Spaghetti -- prepare a meat sauce and a sauce with just veggies -- my favorite is tomato sauce with chopped zuchinni and garlic. I also love loads of spinach, garlic and olive oil. Simple and tasty! Serve with your favorite type of pasta, bread and salad as sides.

Red beans & rice (I'm from New Orleans so this is a staple) -- just serve the beans and rice and have the meat (usually spicy sausage and sometimes ham) on the side for those that want to add it to their plate.

I hope these suggestions help. I know it is very frustrating to deal with this. If you are not comfortable with cooking meat he needs to step up and do the work! I usually make my boyfriend cook his meat because I hate doing it! I try not to persuade people to go veg, because I think everyone needs to make that decision on their own. So my way is to provide options to people!

I hope this helps!

catconsrv said #4 Sep 23, 2011 at 9:14am

Jennifer, your story makes me sad. I know there are a lot of spouses out there that don't go vegan, but he shouldn't make fun of your choice or try to get you to cheat. Maybe he doesn't understand that it is important to you, whether it is health or animal welfare related. Maybe you need to sit down and talk to him about it so that he knows you are serious and why you want or need to make a change. If it is health related he should be happy that you are trying to feel better. Also, make sure that he knows that you are not trying to change him, as this might be causing some of the problems too if he feels pressured.

Debs said #5 Sep 27, 2011 at 12:05pm

There's a new cookbook which came out recently for households w/ both veg*n and omnis: "Everyday Flexitarian" by Nettie Cronish and Pat Crocker. I haven't tried anything from it, so I can't say if it's good, but it might be worth taking a look?

Crystal Thompson said #6 Sep 27, 2011 at 12:54pm

Jennifer I feel so sad for you. I understand what you are going through as its the same in my house except my family doesn't tease or taunt me. I have 2 teenage boys and a husband who will never in a million years go Vegan. But they know its important for me and I need to get healthy. So what I do is make their "meat and potatoes" and I make my vegan meal and we all sit down for supper. The other night my 14 year old had some of the little cakes in the frying pan. he thought they were hashbrowns and he gobbled up 3 of them. After he ate them I asked what he thought of them and he said "oh great hashbrowns Mom thanks" then I proceeded to tell him they were chickpea cakes. After that they all try a little taste of what I make. So have faith and hopefully they will come around and support you on this journey.

Jennifer Ham said #7 Oct 3, 2011 at 12:24pm

First and foremost Thanks everyone for suggestions and support.

Secondly, an update... :

For the longest time I had not established why D is so opposed to anyone being veg(etari)an. And he would do nothing but tease or torment or mock anyone who was or was trying to be... (me, his sister, etc...) and after last night I finally got it out of him after he and I argued if it was healthy or not. I was healthier as a vegetarian in high school than I have been since. He said no one is, I said I was, he said I was not and I said I was blah blah blah until I finally got frustrated and said 'how would you even know you didn't even know me in high school!' and he eventually begrudgingly admitted he couldn't know and that every past relationship he has been in with a veg*an they have tried to "convert" him and he hated it and they tried to force him.

Jennifer Ham said #8 Oct 3, 2011 at 12:24pm

Soooooooooooooo, I will be amending my dinner list to provide a non veg meal all month and letting him see how good it looks and try veg food as he goes but only if he chooses to. I will give the kids choice and see how it goes. I am also conceding that tastes are different. I for example last night ate wheat tortillas with avocado slices, quinoa and sprouted beans (lentils, mung and adzuki beans). I thought it was delicious. he thought it "looks like i puked in a tortilla" and when I had him try it he looked nauseous. *rolls eyes* he is seriously worse than the kids sometimes. He adores the raw oatmeal craisin cookies I made though... said they taste like granola bars. lol
Luckily with the bulk supplies of things like maple sugar, flour, various nuts, etc etc... the things that keep well that I am getting this month most of what will need up keep from month to month is the fresh produce so my meals won't cost too much in addition to our regular food budget after this month.
Though I am amused that he likes smart bacon in BEC sandwiches and and likes the spicy grain sausage in mac n cheese and quesadillas... didn't even know I slipped him those months ago. lol Doesn't know I've been adding powdered raw kale to his smoothies either! :D
I am so not telling! Neither is his mother who finds it equally amusing and amazing.
Now his biggest issue is that if we go out to dinner he doesn't know how it'll work since he doesn't know of any vegetarian restaurants in Anchorage. I'll figure it out...

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