Vegetarianism / Special Diets

I've decided not to eat meat for at least a while (and I'm thinking about trying veganism for a month after we return from our holiday just to see how it goes - I've already cut back on a lot of dairy, etc.) but DH is a big meat eater (he'd die without bacon sarnies!) So far, I've been cooking sort of two dinners - like spag bol with meat for him, and then a different pan with Quorn mince, etc. - and that's been working okay, I just make the sauce in one pan, then divide it into two pans and add meat or fake meat accordingly. Are there any other ideas you could recommend for doing a vegetarian or other special diet (I would imagine being gluten free when your partner isn't would be a similar situation) when the rest of your family isn't doing the same diet?

I don't want DH to feel like he has to eat tofu just because I want to, but I still want us to eat dinner together, know what I mean? I guess at some point, if I continued to eat a vegetarian diet, I may not want to cook meat any longer even for DH, but I guess I will worry about that later if I get to that point. I don't really know if this is a permanent change for me yet, I just know that it feels right for me at the moment, if that makes sense.

My daughter is pescetarian, so I'm in a similar situation.  If I'm not cooking fish, seafood or vegetarian, she simply cooks one of the vegetarian "meats" we keep on hand and eats the rest of what I cook.  I'm in the US, so we keep things like the Morningstar Farms "ribs" on hand.  She will sometimes also marinate one of their "chicken" patties to add to her dinner.  

I have a friend and a cousin in relationships with people who are not vegetarian. One eats seafood in one of the couples, the other does not. However, both the men in those relationships (the women are the vegetarians) are very adventurous eaters and vegetable lovers. I don't know how your DH is, but I know both women have said that their partners being open to new things is the only way it works well for them. There isn't a lot of 'separate meals' going on and the guys get their meat fixes for meals out or lunches when they are at work.

I can't really help you with menu ideas, but I would caution you to take your time on the vegan thing. Even my hard core vegetarian SIL draws the line at vegan as it's just so hard to get a balanced diet.

YMMV of course! Good luck!

When you do take the leap to veganism, remember Quorn isn't vegan.

Vegetarian sources of protein that don't involve soy:
Free range eggs
Dairy
Quorn
Non-vegan vegetarian veggie burgers (usually with a mixture of cheese, beans, and veggies)

Pescatarian sources
Fish

Vegan sources:
Beans
Lentils
Mushrooms
Gluten meat/seitan (may contain soy, but you can make your own)
Quinoa


My husband is a devoted meat eater, but loves lentils and beans as long as they are made right.  He eats vegetarian about 95% of the time ATM because we're trying to save money, and refuse to buy cheap, unethical meat.  He does miss meat, but likes what I make (and saving money).

This site has a lot of vegetarian dishes that many meat eaters can (and do) happily eat.  You can always add a side of meat to his if you need to (like sausages or something easy to cook in advance).

I am pescetarian ( though in reality we rarely eat fish at home) and my husband is a meat lover. We do not make two meals.

For the most part my husband just eats what I do. If he wants to supplement with meat, he will cook a piece of meat and eat a few bites with dinner over several days. Or get some deli slices at the store, etc. Again in reality, we really don't have meat in the house. He also gets his fill when we eat out or for lunch.

 I absolutely do no cook the meat either. Makes me want to heave.

It really only works because my husband isn't really picky about it. He isn't going to die if he doesn't have meat for every meal and he appreciates that he eats healthier for it. Also he is now strangely an advocate for me. If we talk to people that are all " I can't live without meat for every meal" - well he thinks they are a bit silly.

Well, my DH does love veggies and potatoes and is pretty open to trying new things. He isn't a big fan of rice or pasta, but he does eat it sometimes because I love it so he knows he has to compromise. I'm sure I could make plenty of things that he would also eat. He says it isn't too big of a deal and he could just add some chicken dippers or something with his meal, but I don't want him to eat processed food, and he is too lazy to cook his own meat otherwise.  I'm sure he will be supportive of whatever I want to do, as I have tried several different diets while we have been together and he just ate whatever I made (usually with a side of chips... haha).

I do realise being vegan is tough and requires a lot of planning and balancing meals, etc, so realistically, this probably wouldn't be a long term change, but I would like to try it for a few weeks and just see what it's like. I think it would open up some doors as far as new ways of cooking that I wouldn't try otherwise, if you know what I mean.

Maybe for his 'meat fixes' you could have some quality sausages on hand, some pork or lamb chops, etc that can easily be done under the grill?

If you do try vegan, please please please make sure you get enough calcium and Vit D. You know how I am about Vit D!!

Well, my DH does love veggies and potatoes and is pretty open to trying new things. He isn't a big fan of rice or pasta, but he does eat it sometimes because I love it so he knows he has to compromise. I'm sure I could make plenty of things that he would also eat. He says it isn't too big of a deal and he could just add some chicken dippers or something with his meal, but I don't want him to eat processed food, and he is too lazy to cook his own meat otherwise.  I'm sure he will be supportive of whatever I want to do, as I have tried several different diets while we have been together and he just ate whatever I made (usually with a side of chips... haha).

I do realise being vegan is tough and requires a lot of planning and balancing meals, etc, so realistically, this probably wouldn't be a long term change, but I would like to try it for a few weeks and just see what it's like. I think it would open up some doors as far as new ways of cooking that I wouldn't try otherwise, if you know what I mean.

Veganism really is so healthy and I wish I had the willpower to do it. I like cheese and baked goods too much (well, I actually really like a lot of vegan baked goods and am pretty good at making them myself but most people don't make them vegan, obviously). In any case, the best source of calcium is in leafy greens so if you eat lots of those, you're good (it's where the cows get theirs!) Green smoothies are a great way to get tons in your diet.

I've been a vegetarian for 15 years and definitely relied heavily on fake meat (and cheese) in the beginning. In the last several years, though, I've turned more towards beans, homemade seitan, tofu, etc and cut back my dairy consumption by a lot. If you want a good vegan cookbook, I'd recommend Veganomicon or anything else by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Basically everything I've tried from her cookbooks is really great. The Veganomicon black bean burgers are a million times better than any fake meat store bought burger and better for you, too. Good luck!

This site has a lot of vegetarian dishes that many meat eaters can (and do) happily eat.  You can always add a side of meat to his if you need to (like sausages or something easy to cook in advance).

MMmm, some of these dishes look delish!! Definitely going to try some of them out

Hey Jewlz!  As you know I'm veggie--no eggs, but dairy OK.  Hubby isn't.

You've gotten some really good suggestions so far.  What does make it easier for me and some of the others who have already posted, is that my hubby is adventurous and loves to eat healthily.  He'll eat anything I make.  When he needs a meat or fish fix (which is actually more often these days as  his trainer wants him to eat more meat and fish), he'll do something for himself, or just incorporate it into whatever I'm making.

For example, If it's stir fry, he'll add cut up chicken breast pieces to his portion.  Or if it's pasta, he'll cook up a bit of chorizo separately and add that to his portion.  But 7 times out of 10 he will eat whatever I'm making.

Just a note--Quorn isn't vegan (has egg) and neither are Cauldron brand veggie sausages (contains egg).

Also--make sure you get enough iron--loads and loads of dark leafy green veggies or take iron as a supplement (or better yet--both)!  You don't want your hair falling out like mine did!

I'm not vegetarian, but I only eat fish and chicken. No four-legged animals. I often prefer total vegetarian meals, but not every night. DH, on the other hand, is a total carnivore. Luckily, he also likes fish and chicken. However, when he does get bored of it, he cooks himself something meaty and eats that along with whatever else we're having.

I really don't like Quorn or any of those meat substitutes because taste & texture are the reasons I choose not to eat meaty meats - not for health or diet reasons. Once something is TRYING to be a bit like meat, it totally turns me off. We tend to eat a lot of grilled fish/chicken with fresh potatoes and veg. So it's easy for DH to have meat instead of fish with his. Do you think you could convince yours to cook meat when he wants it?

I  am not vegetarian, but what about cooking a vegetarian supper that you can both eat (I'm assuming that he doesn't have his own dietary restrictions that would clash), and leaving him to buy/cook his own breakfasts and lunches, in which he can have as much meat as he likes.

We've been doing the total vegan thing in our house (husband and 2 kids all on board with me on this!) for almost two weeks. I thought it would be a lot easier, to be honest. I don't miss meat whatsoever, but it's a challenge not using cheese and eggs. It's easy to be a crisp (ready salted only) and junk food vegan/vegetarian but a lot more challenging to get in the necessary protein and other nutrients. (especially as I have the kids to think about) We've been doing a lot of tofu and nuts and I recently found a replacement for mince in the form of a dry soy protein mince that you soak in water.

I have a to die for tofu peanut noodle dish recipe. We also made a nut loaf that was surprisingly good! (which we'll continue to make whether or not we're vegans)

This vegan thing only started out as a month-long experiment. But I'm seriously considering going vegetarian at the end of the trial period and mixing it up with some veganism. The husband and kids have no interest in giving up meat/dairy/cheese/eggs on a permanent basis though. So I'm not sure how we'd cope with a special diet for one person in the family. (although they're totally on board with having a few meat-free days during the week)

Hey Jewlz!  As you know I'm veggie--no eggs, but dairy OK.  Hubby isn't.

You've gotten some really good suggestions so far.  What does make it easier for me and some of the others who have already posted, is that my hubby is adventurous and loves to eat healthily.  He'll eat anything I make.  When he needs a meat or fish fix (which is actually more often these days as  his trainer wants him to eat more meat and fish), he'll do something for himself, or just incorporate it into whatever I'm making.

For example, If it's stir fry, he'll add cut up chicken breast pieces to his portion.  Or if it's pasta, he'll cook up a bit of chorizo separately and add that to his portion.  But 7 times out of 10 he will eat whatever I'm making.

Just a note--Quorn isn't vegan (has egg) and neither are Cauldron brand veggie sausages (contains egg).

Also--make sure you get enough iron--loads and loads of dark leafy green veggies or take iron as a supplement (or better yet--both)!  You don't want your hair falling out like mine did!

I've been reading quite a few blogs and other sites about vegan diets, so I was aware of the Quorn thing and some other things that might seem vegan but aren't. I tried the Linda McCartney sausages today and they were really nice! Also, I forgot how much I love vanilla soy milk with my cereal (yes, I know it's packed full of sugar, but it's so darn tasty!) [smiley=blush.gif]To be honest, I doubt I could keep up a vegan lifestyle forever, as it is very limiting and even though I try not to eat processed food, I doubt I could avoid packaged biscuits forever! Plus I will certainly need to eat a Caprese salad when we go to the Isle of Capri soon.

I probably put about a month's worth of thought and consideration and research into vegetarian and vegan diets and slowly started changing some of my eating habits (beans and rice for lunch instead of ham sandwiches, etc). Some things I read about meat and eggs made me want to hurl (and I had no idea what was in most of the E numbers... so disgusting!) One of my closest friends has been a vegetarian (ovo-lacto, but she avoids gelatin and other by-products) since we were 12 years old and I have always loved and admired that about her, and I've tried a vegetarian diet several times before and usually would give in to meat cravings about 9 months later. Maybe this time I can stick with it, but only time will tell!

I think Oatly milk is the best non-dairy milk available in the UK (but I avoid eating a lot of soy), but the chocolate isn't vegan and as of a couple of months ago, the "H" line isn't either.  They are supposed to be changing the b and D vitamin source.  Right now it comes from lanolin, so technically not vegan.

TBH, after a month and a half of pretty clean vegan eating a few months ago, the best I could do is "megatarianism" as this blogger describes herself.  I am happy with what I am at the moment, and actually see us turning back to ethically sourced meats at some point in the future.

As I said upthread, my husband has been fine with most vegetarian and vegan foods provided they are tasty and not obviously fake meat, especially if I remind him how much money we're saving.