Greetings, Transitioning, and Living With a Meat and Potatoes Man

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone, thanks for allowing me in! My name is Wendy and I'm 25,

live with my fiance, work full time + additional part time while

attending grad school full time. Life has always been hectic for me,

and I fell into the habit of convenience foods and little exercise.

I'm 100 lbs. overweight and ALWAYS tired, no matter how much (or how

little!) I sleep.

 

Lately my best friend has been sending me links to goveg.com...I was

horrified by the farm practices in this nation! So while I like dariy

and eggs very much and meat occasionally, I cannot condone how it

makes it to the shelves of my grocery store. I also want to eat

healtheir and live a healthier lifestyle in general. So I've decided

to transition to vegetarianism. I joined this group to get recipes

and advice, so thanks again for having me!

 

I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home cooked

meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the freezer). Now

I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two meals every

evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also know that

he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I don't want

to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every evening!

 

Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here and

there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices! Any

advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

So nice to meet you all! Happy Friday!

Wendy

[Guest guest]

Welcome Wendy! You will be surprised at how it can work. Many of

ushave non-vegetarians at home, etc. Don't push him just offer

tastes of what you are eating. The transition and adjustment is slow

at forst but you can work around it. Don't let it discourage you.

 

Isis

 

 

, " Wendolyn " <edanathered

wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone, thanks for allowing me in! My name is Wendy and I'm

25,

> live with my fiance, work full time + additional part time while

> attending grad school full time. Life has always been hectic for

me,

> and I fell into the habit of convenience foods and little exercise.

> I'm 100 lbs. overweight and ALWAYS tired, no matter how much (or

how

> little!) I sleep.

>

> Lately my best friend has been sending me links to goveg.com...I

was

> horrified by the farm practices in this nation! So while I like

dariy

> and eggs very much and meat occasionally, I cannot condone how it

> makes it to the shelves of my grocery store. I also want to eat

> healtheir and live a healthier lifestyle in general. So I've

decided

> to transition to vegetarianism. I joined this group to get recipes

> and advice, so thanks again for having me!

>

> I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

> and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home

cooked

> meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the freezer).

Now

> I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two meals every

> evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also know that

> he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I don't

want

> to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every evening!

>

> Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

> environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here and

> there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices! Any

> advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

>

> So nice to meet you all! Happy Friday!

> Wendy

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Isis! Your words of encouragement are timely...I told him

last night what my intentions were, and he immediately questioned my

motives as some " extreme quick-fix diet tactic. " I didn't even bother

to tell him how I keep seeing the egg-laying hens shown in the " meet

your meat " video when I look at the eggs in the grocery store.

 

So I'll tell him with my actions instead, by not eating meat or

dairy. He'll have to accept my choice, because it's *my* body. I'll

just have to work on finding organic meat and dairy in my area to

serve to him...but I'm pretty sure I can get away with the

veggie " ground beef " in the hamburger helper wihtout him noticing! =P

 

Thanks again so much!

Wendy

 

P.S. AWESOME recipes posted here! you guys are so inspiring!

 

, " isisdarkshade "

<isisdarkshade wrote:

>

> Welcome Wendy! You will be surprised at how it can work. Many of

> ushave non-vegetarians at home, etc. Don't push him just offer

> tastes of what you are eating. The transition and adjustment is

slow

> at forst but you can work around it. Don't let it discourage you.

>

> Isis

>

>

> , " Wendolyn " <edanathered@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Hi Everyone, thanks for allowing me in! My name is Wendy and I'm

> 25,

> > live with my fiance, work full time + additional part time while

> > attending grad school full time. Life has always been hectic for

> me,

> > and I fell into the habit of convenience foods and little

exercise.

> > I'm 100 lbs. overweight and ALWAYS tired, no matter how much (or

> how

> > little!) I sleep.

> >

> > Lately my best friend has been sending me links to goveg.com...I

> was

> > horrified by the farm practices in this nation! So while I like

> dariy

> > and eggs very much and meat occasionally, I cannot condone how it

> > makes it to the shelves of my grocery store. I also want to eat

> > healtheir and live a healthier lifestyle in general. So I've

> decided

> > to transition to vegetarianism. I joined this group to get

recipes

> > and advice, so thanks again for having me!

> >

> > I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is

a " meat

> > and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home

> cooked

> > meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the freezer).

> Now

> > I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two meals every

> > evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also know

that

> > he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I don't

> want

> > to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every evening!

> >

> > Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

> > environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here

and

> > there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices!

Any

> > advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

> >

> > So nice to meet you all! Happy Friday!

> > Wendy

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome! I try to make dishes using just veggies. I do use meat subs

though that my vegephobe husband likes better than the " real " thing.

I love Boca chicken patties, Boca American grill burgers, Boca ground

beef substitute, Gardenburger has INCREDIBLE Mama Mia Meatballs that

we use for meatball sub sandwiches, Gardenburger riblets, super YUM,

I serve them with a side of black beans and corn. For the corn dog

craving, Morningstar farms is GREAT. The best part about using veg

subs even for the carnivores is that you will NEVER bite into that

disgusting " gristle " , the one bite that can ruin an entire meal.

Thats the main reason my hubby will eat the veg over the " real "

stuff. We are lucky we live in a time that there are so many YUMMY

products out there. I would " try " to limit the sub usage though just

because you would be replacing one bad with a not so good (meat

replaced with processed food). Always try to eat as close to home and

as close to nature as possible...THAT, grasshopper , is the secret

to good health...

Good luck and welcome to the incredible world of VEGGIES!!!

Stephanie

 

 

, " Wendolyn " <edanathered

wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone, thanks for allowing me in! My name is Wendy and I'm

25,

> live with my fiance, work full time + additional part time while

> attending grad school full time. Life has always been hectic for

me,

> and I fell into the habit of convenience foods and little exercise.

> I'm 100 lbs. overweight and ALWAYS tired, no matter how much (or

how

> little!) I sleep.

>

> Lately my best friend has been sending me links to goveg.com...I

was

> horrified by the farm practices in this nation! So while I like

dariy

> and eggs very much and meat occasionally, I cannot condone how it

> makes it to the shelves of my grocery store. I also want to eat

> healtheir and live a healthier lifestyle in general. So I've

decided

> to transition to vegetarianism. I joined this group to get recipes

> and advice, so thanks again for having me!

>

> I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

> and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home

cooked

> meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the freezer).

Now

> I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two meals every

> evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also know that

> he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I don't

want

> to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every evening!

>

> Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

> environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here and

> there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices! Any

> advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

>

> So nice to meet you all! Happy Friday!

> Wendy

>

[Guest guest]

My husband is an omnivore, I had been a vegetarian since 1976 When we

got married 14 years ago. Before we got married, we had an agreement:

I would cook meat for him occasionally and I would retain my maiden name.

 

I do a combination of things to accommodate our mutual preferences. I

fix meat and potatoes for my husband once or twice a week [meat and

potatoes are a lot easier to fix than vegetarian food]. I fix some

kind of a bean and vegetable stew [known as " glop " in our house :-)]

for myself each week to be reheated in the microwave during the week.

When I fix his dead critter meals, I have " glop " . I often give him

glop for his vegetables allowance--he is type II diabetic and glop

appreciably decreases his blood sugar levels. He is pretty good about

eating vegetarian foods--it is better than his paying to take me out

to dinner or cooking his own food.

 

I do some " fast food " --I pay premium prices for our local Coop

delicatessen foods about two days per week. They have chicken, fish

cakes, meat loaf, etc for meat eaters. And, they have a huge

vegetarian selection for us veggies. I do not get food from chain

fast food restaurants for either of us, nor will I set foot in them

for many reasons [health, political, cultural, etc].

 

We eat out at least once per week--usually Mexican or Asian foods. I

can my " beans and rice " from both.

 

Best wishes in dealing with this somewhat delicate " food " issue,

 

Kathleen

Eureka CA

 

 

I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

> and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home

cooked meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the

freezer). Now I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two

meals every evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also

know that he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I

don't want to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every

evening!

Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

> environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here and

> there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices! Any

> advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest guest]

Hi Wendolyn,

 

I'm new to the group too. I've been vegetarian since 1995. I have to

say that I have the most wonderful partner. He's not a vegetarian, but

he likes my cooking. So I cook and he eats what I cook. A few months

ago, he had close to 40 pounds to lose. I put us both on the " You: On

a Diet " diet which focuses on whole foods made quickly and they give

vegetarian options! It fit in perfectly with our lifestyle. He lost

his close-to-40-pounds and I lost 12 pounds (I didn't have much to

lose to start with).

 

Anyway, there is hope! There is a happy compromise. BTW, if you're

appalled by industrial farming, you should be equally appalled by

packaged and refined foods... even those in the vegetarian specialty

foods. The amount of sugar, high-fructose corn-syrup, white flour,

etc., that do absolutely nothing for you but increase your waist line

is dumb-founding!

 

We're pretty careful about what we eat around here now. We have 3 kids

all together and we both work full-time. My partner is also a soccer

coach and we have soccer 3 nights a week in this house... along with a

60 mile commute (round trip), and various other activities. So when I

say that the meals are quick and easy... I mean quick and easy. And

they taste pretty good too

 

I'm sure that you will settle into your new lifestyle with your

fiancé. Just keep looking for that happy compromise - the one where

you both win

 

Cheers!

Denise

 

, " Wendolyn " <edanathered

wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone, thanks for allowing me in! My name is Wendy and I'm 25,

> live with my fiance, work full time + additional part time while

> attending grad school full time. Life has always been hectic for me,

> and I fell into the habit of convenience foods and little exercise.

> I'm 100 lbs. overweight and ALWAYS tired, no matter how much (or how

> little!) I sleep.

>

> Lately my best friend has been sending me links to goveg.com...I was

> horrified by the farm practices in this nation! So while I like dariy

> and eggs very much and meat occasionally, I cannot condone how it

> makes it to the shelves of my grocery store. I also want to eat

> healtheir and live a healthier lifestyle in general. So I've decided

> to transition to vegetarianism. I joined this group to get recipes

> and advice, so thanks again for having me!

>

> I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

> and potatoes " kind of guy. He really likes it when I make home cooked

> meals (i.e. " from scratch " and not out of a can or the freezer). Now

> I KNOW I'm not going to be able to juggle cooking two meals every

> evening -- meat for him and meatless for me -- and I also know that

> he wouldn't necessarily go vegetarian along with me, and I don't want

> to have to relegate myself to a simple green salad every evening!

>

> Does anyone here have any experience dealing with a hybrid home

> environment? I figure I can slip him tofu and veggie meat here and

> there, even a meatless dish or two, and see if he even notices! Any

> advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

>

> So nice to meet you all! Happy Friday!

> Wendy

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Just an FYI on rice and beans, you need to be very careful because

although common sense would indicate that rice and beans are

vegetarian friendly, they are usually not. In Mexican restaurants,

rice is very often cooked in chicken broth and the beans are usually

cooked with lard. In Asian foods, the rice is often cooked in chicken

stock and even their vegetarian foods are made using a chicken stock

or fish paste.

Hope I didn't bum anyone out, just wanted to let people know they need

to be aware. If the servers don't speak english as their first

language, they will not understand that chicken or fish is not a

vegetarian friendly food.

Tracy

 

 

>

> We eat out at least once per week--usually Mexican or Asian foods. I

> can my " beans and rice " from both.

>

> Best wishes in dealing with this somewhat delicate " food " issue,

>

> Kathleen

> Eureka CA

>

>

[Guest guest]

, " Wendolyn " <edanathered

wrote:

> I fear that I will face an obstacle at home -- my fiance is a " meat

> and potatoes " kind of guy.

 

Hi Wendy! When I first went veg, my family were huge carnivores- I

mean, my dad's been a butcher for 30 years! My mom was positive I was

going to come down with kwashiorkor, and my dh was eating take-out

burgers every day. I just kept fixing different veg dishes for myself

and offering them bites. Eventually, their curiosity got the best of

them, and now they've come around- my dh even remarked the other day

on how much better he feels on " veggie days " than on carnivorous ones!

 

NIF