Going Vegan

February 8, 2007

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

February 8, 2007

That's great that you're going vegan. I'm hoping to one day. I don't know what

you can do with your husband other than sit him down and talk to him very

seriously about your reasons for being vegetarian/vegan and what it means to you

to have his support. See how he likes those meat substitutes. Just the other day

I found at the store TVP chunks, which I cooked last night for my dogs (they eat

better than most people!!!). It was really good and to my knowledge it's vegan.

I'm almost positive. It has a meat-like texture and it absorbs the flavors of

whatever it's cooked in. Good stuff. Maybe you could send him away while you're

cooking and sneak in some meat alternatives. We make tacos with soy crumbles

(not sure if those are vegan or not) and nobody would ever know the difference.

Then you could announce mid-meal that ha ha, there's no meat in that.

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05 wrote: My

kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

Kadee Sedtal

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stay warm the rest of his life.

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February 8, 2007

it might take some time. my husband is not vegan like i am but over

time and years he has become supportive and is mostly vegan because

that's what we have in the house. good luck!!

, " veggiemama05 " <veggiemama05

wrote:

>

> My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and

dairy.

> So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

> it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

>

February 8, 2007

We slowly went vegan as we rarely ate eggs (I actualyy don't like them at

all) and our son is allergic to dairy. My husband was /is good about that

stuff, but if you are already not having eggs/dairy...it should be kind of

easy I would think. My husband is still a vegetarian, and I'm trying to be

more vegan with our son (it's a lot easier with the dairy allergy since many

vegetarian products still have some kind of milk/dairy derivative in them

that he can't have anyway). For us it wasn't a big jump. My husband likes a

challenge so he's really gotten on board with the vegan thing - like

learning how to bake vegan.

I don't know your situation, but do you do the primary cooking/shopping/etc?

If yes, then what can he do but step up to make hisown other meals. or just

do it if you go out (we don't go out much, but when we do my husband does

get the other stuff, not usually dairy, but cheese - unless we have oru son

with us, since we usually lethim try what we have otherwise). For me it was

easy to just stop buying eggs. I have to read labels anyway when I shop for

the allergy stuff, so it's just one extra thing(in the various forms of

course) I have to look for, but it doesn't take me any longer to read.

There was just a new book I came across Dairy Free Made Easy: Thousands of

Foods, Hundreds of Tips, and Dozens of Recipes for Non-Dairy

Living<http://www.amazon.com/Dairy-Free-Made-Easy-Thousands/dp/0979128609/sr=8-1\

/qid=1170968094/ref=sr_1_1/102-4473778-5344125?ie=UTF8 & s=books>by

Alisa Marie Fleming. It sounds quite lovely and seems to have a wealth

of

info in it - if you are looking for stuff to make.

I don't know what else, but maybe he can at least be on board with you at

home because of all the allergies. It's not like if they ate meat they'd be

fine - since I recall seeing both in meat as well - I think some are used as

meat tenderizers, and so on. I know in our case it was easier to go vegan

when already being a vegetarian. As for convincing your spouse...I'm not

sure what to tell you - maybe see if he can compromise for the kids sake at

least at home - or maybe if he " really " has to have something, could he cook

it himself (if you are already veg. at home, and the kids too, then maybe

it's not going to be so much of a change for him?)

I know for dealing with my husband, logic wins more, and allergy stuff is

hands down very important (I have yeast/mould/ferment allergies but not

nearly along the lines of my son's dairy allergy, and *I* can make decisions

on what/how much to have for myself if I want them). Try to appeal to that

side - the logical side. My husband isn't vegan, but he is at home because

that's how I cook and what I buy.

Good luck! It sound very frustrating to have a partner who isn't on board or

willing to try. I'm not sure what other advice to give, do you have

specifics, like recipes or what not you are looking for? I actually didn't

say I was not buying eggs anymore, I just stopped (though I'd not been

eating/using them when I made stuff in a while) and he never noticed, well,

I'm sure he did, but he didn't ask. I think a week after or so I decided to

'publicize' that I was going to go vegan. We have been for several months

now, and he's not complained at all (not sure what was left to complain

about though in our case, and he's easy going, so that helps). Do you think

he'll come around? Maybe see why he is resistant to it? Don't lecture just

ask and see why he's so against it (were you vegetarian when you met, or did

you switch later? Maybe he equates food with love or something and if you

restrict your diet maybe he's feeling um, you don't love him as much or

something) I really don't know. Is there something more specific that you

are looking for advice on? Sorry if this rambles, I just wasn't sure what

kinds of things you were looking for help with.

Missie

On 2/8/07, veggiemama05 <veggiemama05 wrote:

>

> My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

> So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

> it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

>

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February 8, 2007

i guess i am confused about what the problem is...? you want to go vegan,

your baby basically has to, and your son is down, which is somewhat of a

miracle in and of itself. if your husband doesn't want to do it, then don't

try to force him. but if you do the cooking, then he's going to eat it! if

you are already veg, does he insist on having meat, etc. in the house? i

would advise gathering as much medical information as you can about the

health benefits for children first, then adults secondarily - avoid the

cruelty argument for now, since it can really turn someone off if they're

not ready to learn about it - and let your husband know that it's really

important to you to provide the best possible health for your kids right

from the beginning. if you object to him having animal products in the

house, let him know that you want to provide consistency for your kids and

not send them conflicting messages, and since you want them to be vegan for

health reasons and presumably he doesn't want to be vegan/vegetarian just

because he likes meat, then your preference, IMO, should really trump his.

chandelle'

On 2/8/07, veggiemama05 <veggiemama05 wrote:

>

> My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

> So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

> it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

>

> For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

> http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

> http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

> provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

> qualified health professional.

>

> edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

> professional.

>

February 8, 2007

I've been there, done did that!

The most important thing is to BE PATIENT! Set a good example for your husband

and fix tasty vegan meals for him to sample. Share info with him about the

benefits of being vegan, but don't hammer him in the head with the information

or belittle him for not following what's best. If your 5-year old is anything

like my oldest son, he will also " encourage " Daddy to eat right without your

prompting if you educate him.

I was a vegetarian for 12 years before becoming a vegan 14 years ago, a year

after I got married. Four years ago, before the birth of my second child, my

husband finally saw (or accepted!) the light and decided to go vegan thanks to

God! Things are so much easier now!

-

veggiemama05

Thursday, February 08, 2007 2:26 PM

Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

February 9, 2007

Let your spouse do his own shopping and cooking, if he can't live without his

animal products.

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05 wrote: My kids and I are

vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

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February 9, 2007

When I recently made the leap to veganism, my husband was not happy at all. He

complained constantly, kicking and screaming every step of the way. (just about

his response when I went vegetarian...) I tried to appeal to his higher

sensibilities...that it would be healthier for all of us, etc (the usual

arguments in favor...handed him a copy of the China Study, etc) Our son has

never eaten meat or grooved on dairy. Anyway, he is getting better and for a

couple of reasons. First of all, he can eat whatever he wants when he is not at

home. I have compromised only sparingly by making sure he has a quart of milk

around and maybe a stick or two of butter. But I think primarily he has grown

more comfortable becouse he is eating very well. (I made and Indonesian Curried

Tempeh the other night that was just THE BOMB!!!!) So he isn;t feeling

deprived. For years I bought groceries according to his likes and dislikes. I

started developing some health concerns and given our sons deference to a vegan

diet, I figured two of us outnumbered the one and just took a stand. It was a

bumpy ride at first, but he is actually drinking the soy milk over the dairy

milk now...and he doesn;t know this, but I caught him using the vegan mayo the

other day...he'll be alright...and so will me and my son. Patience and

perseverence...

That curried tempeh was so delicious and works so well in a pita or a wrap as

leftovers, I am going to share it...Enjoy!!!

Indonesian Curried Tempeh

2 tbs. vegetable oil

1 pkg tempeh cubed & marinated(recipe below)

1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced

1 green pepper seeded and sliced

1 large sweet potato, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 can of coconut milk

1 tbs curry powder

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

2 tbs tamari or shoyu (I used Braggs liquid Aminos)

Directions:

-heat oil in frying pan and fry tempeh until lightly browned.

-Saute onion, garlic, peppers and sweet potatos for ten

minutes

-Combine vegetables and tempeh in the frying pan and add

curry powder, coconut milk basil and tamari and cook

over medium heat for about ten minutes.

-serve over rice. (I used jasmine rice.)

Tempeh Marinade

1/2 c. of soy sauce (I used Braggs)

2 c. water

1 tsp grated ginger root

1 tsp crushed or pureed garlic

1 tbsn toasted sesame oil

allow tempeh to marinate no less than 30 minutes, but you can let it go longer.

(I let it marinate a couple of hours.)

Darla

February 10, 2007

I am mostly vegan with my children, but my husband still eats meat. I try to be

repectful to him, how can I force him to change his mind. He is slowly becoming

more open to my way of thinking. I do try to make things he will like, he even

ate soy meatballs the other day and said he liked them better than the meat

frozen kind. I was not vegan when we got together so I appreciate the fact that

he has been open enough to go along with me and our children eating this way. He

could be trying to encourage them to eat the bad stuff. His biggest problem is

keeping them away from candy.

robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: Let your spouse do his own

shopping and cooking, if he can't live without his animal products.

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05 wrote: My kids and I are vegetarian. My

baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/vegan. HELP!!

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February 12, 2007

My kids and I are vegetarian but my partner eats meat (I was vegetarian when we

met so it's something that he has always had to " deal " with. Of course, I knew

he ate meat so I deal with it!). Coming from a long line of (primarily)

vegetarians (3 or 4th generation) I have no idea really how to cook meat (nor do

I want to learn). So, hubby must buy his own meat and cook it himself. It's

always worked. I was hoping that he would be a really bad cook (so he would just

eat what I make) but unfortuantely he isn't. He eats meat on the weekends

mostly. Bleh!

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05

Thursday, February 8, 2007 2:26:40 PM

Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/ vegan. HELP!!

February 12, 2007

My house is the exactly same way. Only, I'm the first generation vegetarian. My

fiance is an avid meat-eater and cooks his own food. I was veg. when we met and

had been for awhile so, exactly has you put it, he's had to " deal " with it. lol.

Jessica, Robert, and Baby Jesse

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins (1915 - 1990)

PAULA JOHNSON TEW <johnsontew

Monday, February 12, 2007 10:34:43 AM

Re: Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian but my partner eats meat (I was vegetarian when we

met so it's something that he has always had to " deal " with. Of course, I knew

he ate meat so I deal with it!). Coming from a long line of (primarily)

vegetarians (3 or 4th generation) I have no idea really how to cook meat (nor do

I want to learn). So, hubby must buy his own meat and cook it himself. It's

always worked. I was hoping that he would be a really bad cook (so he would just

eat what I make) but unfortuantely he isn't. He eats meat on the weekends

mostly. Bleh!

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05@ >

@gro ups.com

Thursday, February 8, 2007 2:26:40 PM

Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/ vegan. HELP!!

February 13, 2007

It's funny how it just becomes normal. I remember telling dh about a couple I

knew where one wanted her steak blue (I can't even imagine) and he wanted his

well done. I said " isn't that strange that they have such divergent tastes? " DH

said " yah, about as strange as a vegetarian and a meat lover. " It never occured

to me! It's amazing how the differences just become part of your life.

If you have any tips on decreasing meat consumption let me know. I'm trying but

not pushing - that totally wouldn't work with dh. Thing is, he knows I'm " right "

but it's just so ingrained. His parents still don't get it (we've been together

over 15 years). Every visit FIL asks if I will have a little chicken or pork or

whatever. It's mind boggling really! He seems genuinely surprised that I say no.

On the plus side they have never given the boys meat (to my knowlege!!) or even

encouraged it.

Paula

Jess <veg4animals2006

Monday, February 12, 2007 12:37:15 PM

Re: Going Vegan

My house is the exactly same way. Only, I'm the first generation vegetarian. My

fiance is an avid meat-eater and cooks his own food. I was veg. when we met and

had been for awhile so, exactly has you put it, he's had to " deal " with it. lol.

Jessica, Robert, and Baby Jesse

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins (1915 - 1990)

PAULA JOHNSON TEW <johnsontew (AT) rogers (DOT) com>

@gro ups.com

Monday, February 12, 2007 10:34:43 AM

Re: Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian but my partner eats meat (I was vegetarian when we

met so it's something that he has always had to " deal " with. Of course, I knew

he ate meat so I deal with it!). Coming from a long line of (primarily)

vegetarians (3 or 4th generation) I have no idea really how to cook meat (nor do

I want to learn). So, hubby must buy his own meat and cook it himself. It's

always worked. I was hoping that he would be a really bad cook (so he would just

eat what I make) but unfortuantely he isn't. He eats meat on the weekends

mostly. Bleh!

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05@ >

@gro ups.com

Thursday, February 8, 2007 2:26:40 PM

Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/ vegan. HELP!!

February 13, 2007

That's how we do it, too. I have only been doing the vegetarian thing for a few

months (trying to go vegan, but finding it almost impossible due to other life

fa, and I told my husband I was doing it, but I was in NO way trying to pressure

him into making the same choices. He could eat whatever he wanted without

judgment, but he would have to buy it and cook it. I never judged him, or made

little comments, or anything. If he asked me a question, I would answer it the

best I knew how without preaching at him. It took him 1 month and now he is

vegetarian too, when before, he was TOTALLY save a cow, eat a vegetarian, then

turn around and eat the cow anyways. His family had meat 3x a day when he was

growing up. Blech.

Laura

Jess <veg4animals2006 wrote:

My house is the exactly same way. Only, I'm the first generation

vegetarian. My fiance is an avid meat-eater and cooks his own food. I was veg.

when we met and had been for awhile so, exactly has you put it, he's had to

" deal " with it. lol.

Jessica, Robert, and Baby Jesse

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins (1915 - 1990)

PAULA JOHNSON TEW <johnsontew

Monday, February 12, 2007 10:34:43 AM

Re: Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian but my partner eats meat (I was vegetarian when we

met so it's something that he has always had to " deal " with. Of course, I knew

he ate meat so I deal with it!). Coming from a long line of (primarily)

vegetarians (3 or 4th generation) I have no idea really how to cook meat (nor do

I want to learn). So, hubby must buy his own meat and cook it himself. It's

always worked. I was hoping that he would be a really bad cook (so he would just

eat what I make) but unfortuantely he isn't. He eats meat on the weekends

mostly. Bleh!

veggiemama05 <veggiemama05@ >

@gro ups.com

Thursday, February 8, 2007 2:26:40 PM

Going Vegan

My kids and I are vegetarian. My baby is allergic to eggs and dairy.

So I want to go vegan along with my boys. My 5 year old is all for

it. But I am married to an anti-vegetarian/ vegan. HELP!!

February 13, 2007

My fiance loves to cook! So I use this to my advantage (plus with school, house,

and baby very little time is left for me to cook.. lol). He is usually the one

to cook us dinner, and he's very good at it. BUT, I am the grocery shopper.

Plus, we are on food stamps at the moment.... we're a young couple, with a baby,

and I'm in college... so we buy as much as we can with what we have. He knows

meat is expensive and so we don't usually buy it. Sometimes, he'll buy a bag of

frozen chicken, but very rarely.

Recently I had him look at some vegetarian and vegan recipes that include a

picture of the finished product. He was actually intersted in trying out many of

them. I told him to tell me which ones and I would write down the ingredients to

buy when we go shopping. That way.. we can cook a good dinner, without meat!

I am very excited about trying the recipes out.

Jessica, Robert, and Baby Jesse

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins (1915 - 1990)

PAULA JOHNSON TEW <johnsontew

Monday, February 12, 2007 8:20:08 PM