Dilemma

theconservativehippie

So I'm trying to go vegetarian or at least all organic but DH will never be vegetarian (or at least thats his stance now). He doesnt care if I choose to cook 2 meals but i think that will become quite tedious....is anyone else in this dilemma or do you gals have any suggestions? TIA!

*pistol*packin*mama*

my DH is a CARNIVORE ... meat is his life .. so when it came to dinner, i usually made the sides the same (say, mashed potatoes and some veggies) and while he got carne asada, i would cook up some kind of fish or fake meat product or another veggie side for myself. but there were always days when he ate exactly what i did ... he took it cuz that was what was there lol. i say some days make what you like, some days give him some slack...

HappyHearts

A few years ago, I was in the opposite boat. DH wanted to be a vegetarian and I did not. I'll tell you why it didn't work so hopefully you can avoid the same mistakes and make it work for you. Our solution was just for him to eat meat again b/c he really is a picky eater.

I found that making two meals took longer and was a mental PITA. Planning vegetarian meals is just harder IMO. But then planning one that would be ready at the same time as my meal was really hard. Or trying to coordinate the two ended with one getting burned, or missing something, etc. IDK maybe I'm not great at cooking but it just wasn't easy. I found that I resented doing all the extra work. He wouldn't come up with meal ideas so I had to do a lot of that too. We ended up eating meals at separate times b/c one would be ready before the other. I didn't feel it was good for us to not eat our meals together and add to the resentment of his diet change that he wanted out of nowhere for no reason. I also didn't personally agree with all the information he was spewing out but he has a tendency to read one website and call it gospel - so that may be more of OUR problem. LOL

Last, he was constantly trying to convince me to be a vegetarian with him despite knowing how I felt. I didn't appreciate all the extra pressure and comments with all the extra work I was doing and not a lot of facts provided as his basis for his decisions. 

Anyway - I hope I don't seem like I'm being a downer on your decision. I hope you find a way to make it work for you!

jennterrell

we've been doing it for 11 years now without major issue. I do most of the cooking, I am veg and DH eats poultry and fish only. Usually I make sides for both of us, and then throw a few turkey sausages, patties, or chicken parts in a pan or in the oven for him. The meat usually takes longer, so I just plan accordingly. Some nights I eat a fake meat pattie or whatever. When we have tacos, chili, or spaghetti, i throw a bunch of TVP in the sauce. Some nights he is OK with that, but he works doing manual labor, so he feels he needs meat most week nights. I don't like handling raw meat more than I have to, so he bags his raw chicken up into single serving (usa 2 pc) baggies before we freeze it, so I just have to thaw on the counter and throw it in a pan.

HikerBride07

Neither of us are vegetarian and we don't eat meat every night.  I also don't cook every night.  Are you set in having to make a meal every night?  Maybe you could cook 3 or 4 nights a week and make something that doesn't have meat that both of you will enjoy.  The rest of the week you could cook for yourselves or eat out?

*pistol*packin*mama*

jennterrell:

. Usually I make sides for both of us, and then throw a few turkey sausages, patties, or chicken parts in a pan or in the oven for him. The meat usually takes longer, so I just plan accordingly. Some nights I eat a fake meat pattie or whatever. When we have tacos, chili, or spaghetti, i throw a bunch of TVP in the sauce. Some nights he is OK with that, but he works doing manual labor, so he feels he needs meat most week nights. I don't like handling raw meat more than I have to, so he bags his raw chicken up into single serving (usa 2 pc) baggies before we freeze it, so I just have to thaw on the counter and throw it in a pan.

exactly what we do

suzymarie

This would be us!  Typical meals:

-Tacos with a pan of ebans for me and meat for him

-Fajitas with a pan of chicken for him and fake fajita meat for me

-Grill veggies, meat, and a potrobella mushroom

Etc.  I also make up big batches of both vegetarian and meat soups, and if we are having an all-meat meal or an all-veggie meal, the other person can go grab soem soup from the freezer and eat that.

theconservativehippie

you guys are seriously the best! Thank you for all the ideas and stories! I loved having both sides

Thanks so much!!!