A Friendly Conversation: Exploring Omnivorous vs. Vegetarian Diet

[Monica]

What is your experience, as a vegetarian (or vegan), in being in a relationship with an omnivore? If tensions were created by the differing diets, how was it handled?

My husband was a meat-eater when we met but liked the idea of going veg. He also thought it was really cool that I was veg, but didn't want to make a commitment to it himself. He readily agreed to eat vegetarian at home, so there would never be the smell of meat cooking in our house, and I wouldn't have to deal with meat in the frig, etc. He went thru a phase where he made himself tuna sandwiches, but that didn't last long. That's the only time he ever brought meat into the house, and it wasn't a big deal since it was out of a can. So no issues there.

He only ate meat at restaurants or social gatherings. I didn't want to kiss him when he had meat on his lips, and he understood that too, though he forgot a couple of times. Ha, that was about the worst thing that ever happened to us regarding being a 'mixed marriage'! I felt very blessed.

He finally did go totally veg, so we're cool. I guess it's really a compatibility issue. I never made being veg a requirement, but I'm really not sure how I would have handled living with a meat-eater, to be honest. I've eternally appreciative of my hubby's respect of my lifestyle. I mean, he avoided meat at home for 27 years!!! It was just never that big a deal to him. I really appreciate that our relationship was more important to him than eating meat. He never made it an issue. He always agreed with my views on it even though he wasn't at the same place as I was. I think that was the key for us.

All the greater catalysts in my current incarnation seems to relate to diet in one form or another.

Interesting. I had a lot of diet catalysts too (though I wouldn't say they were the strongest ones). I had a very unusual eating disorder as a child. I've always wondered what the significance of that was.

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In my case, we both like cooking and it would be more an issue in the area of us not being able to share the same meal and the likes.

Well, the meat-eater has the advantage because a meat-eater can eat a vegetarian meal! Whereas a vegetarian can't eat a meat meal! so it seems pragmatic for the meat-eater to be willing to explore some veg meals with his/her beloved. Why not? It could even be more fun to explore new recipes!

Do you share all your meals? If you only share some of them, then maybe she would be willing to make the shared meals veg, and eat meat at the 'non' shared meals.