How do you feed a household with diverse eating habits and beliefs?

[Guest guest]

im a vegan, and my boyfriend was an omni until a month ago when he went vegetarian. Since I do the cooking, I cook vegan meals. If he wants to add anything extra (like cheese, soy bacon bits, etc) he does so after its on his plate.Its a waste to buy food for two different diets, especially if he were to buy milk, or meat, which would go bad fast. Besides, vegan food is amazing and delicious! Thu, Jun 28, 2007 10:27 am odaly tampa I find it easy and nutritious especially if you follow guidelines and stay in touch with the community, either locally, or on internet websites for veganism such as veganadam.com or tryveganism.com Wed, Jun 27, 2007 8:21 pm ajkochanowicz Omaha, NE I'm an omnivore married for 25 years to a vegetarian. Our children are evenly split between the two food choices as well. In our home, the only "flesh" cooked is whatever can be grilled outside on the barbecue. Otherwise, it's strict vegetarianism indoors. :-)There is only one meal prepared. Momma isn't running a restaurant. Wed, Jun 27, 2007 12:10 pm Momma Mercer Island If one

person in the family is vegetarian, why not just feed everyone a vegetarian meal? There is no reason to make multiple meals at one sitting. Vegetarianism (and more so veganism) is better for your health and the environment. Veg*n meals can be delicious and provide plenty of all the nutrients than someone needs, and is cheaper to prepare than meat-based foods. Omnivores can always order meat when eating out, or they can have meat-based snacks they make themselves in between meals. There's no need to make things more complex than they need to be and cook 4 different dinners for 4 family members. Wed, Jun 27, 2007 10:59 am Emily Seattle This is ludicrous, you eat what's put on the table or you go hungry. Wed, Jun 27, 2007 10:40 am Ridiculous Everett I am a vegetarian and my husband is an omnivore. He is

pretty open to eating vegetarian at home and he orders meat when we go to restaurants. When he does want to eat meat at home, I will usually cook the meat on it's own so he can add it to the meal later. For example, I will make marinara pasta sauce and cook ground beef in another pan. Then he can mix the ground beef in with his sauce while mine remains vegetarian. We have figured out how to do that for most of the recipes we enjoy. Once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy! Wed, Jun 27, 2007 10:12 am N Bellevue Pre marriage and children, I was a vegetarian for decades. In my 40's, my daughter and I were vegan for 8 years. At the time, my son was a vegetarian. My husband was pretty much carnivorous (rarely ate a vegetable and his idea of fruit were lemonheads and ketchup). I survived by trying to prepare foods that were "flexible." For instance, I'd bake potatoes. My daughter and I would have soy cheese on it, my son would have cow cheese on his and my husband would have cow cheese and bacon bits or canned chili on his potatoes. Tortillas with beans were also versatile; being able to use soy or cow cheese, sour cream and all of the regular veggies.I prepared vegan chili and my son and husband would have cow cheese and sour cream on their chili...we'd have tofutti sour cream. Spaghetti was easy too...we'd have soy parm, they'd have cow parm. When we'd

have company, I'd make a vegan lasagne and a veggie lasagne (or manicotti). EVERYONE who tried the vegan one, loved it! Then there were the convenience foods: soydogs, boca burgers, etc. Daughter, son and I ate those, while hubbie ate a meat version. I will admit that it was a royal pain in the you-know-what. Shopping for 3 diets while in my 40's with a teenage son and an infant daughter was difficult! Today (12 years later) we're no longer vegan. My grown son is an omnivore and will be marrying his omnivore wife in August, my daughter eats ANYTHING and has a propensity for sugar (gasp), my husband eats REAL fruit, less meat, more chicken and an occassional vegetable. Me? I still stick mainly with veggies and salads, but I now eat cow cheese, fish and on occassion, chicken!I'm gearing toward going back to veganism now that there are only three of us to contend with and I"m feeling in need of a healthier diet. I'm looking forward to reading this new book.

Smart idea! Multiple diets in one household are particularly challenging to the person who has to do the shopping, cooking and cleaning up of the meals.My advice? Partner up with someone who has the same diet! Wed, Jun 27, 2007 8:27 am jadelee SnohomishPeter H

 

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