Going vegetarian while married?

[UbiCaritas]

About 1/3 of my meals would be off of the menu.

No
Stews
Soups
Casseroles
Burgers (served with one of the following: salad, corn on the cob or french fries)
Hot dogs (generally chili cheese dogs)
and any meat that I serve with one side, for example, I make a copycat recipe for Alice Springs chicken and serve it with broccoli. I would imagine that my husband would be pretty hungry after eating steamed broccoli with a slice of cheese.

There’s also the fact that it’s a bit of a slap in the face to the cook: “You spent hours cooking X, but I refuse to eat it and will eat something else instead.”

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I am not a wolf, and can use my God given reason to acquire the same protein via legumes.

You cannot get the same protein via legumes; that is a common myth often repeated by vegans/vegetarians. Plant proteins such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are incomplete proteins–they do not provide sufficient amounts of amino acids.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

Cramming animals into a tight space breeds disease and naturally results in massive quantities of fecal matter needing to be dealt with; often it finds it’s way into the local rivers from retention ponds and gives off hazardous fumes in the air.

Given the steady antibiotics and unnatural diet of the animals their waste makes terrible fertilizer so it can’t even really be used as manure for crops.

It’s just a mess.

Why not try making sure that you buy meat from local small farmers? Traditional farmers allow their cattle to graze outdoors all day and treat them humanely. If we don’t support the small farms, the commercial farms are only going to take over all the faster.

 

[lax16]

For some time the horrors of the industrial meat system in the US has weighed on my conscience, and for months I have considered easing myself into a vegetarian (not vegan-cage free eggs are fine by my reasoning) diet.

The health benefits would be a nice perk too.

Religiously speaking, CCC 2415 through 2418 are most relevant here.

I was hoping someone who has been in this situation before can advise me. For you see…

My wife has no interest in this, and she does 80% of the cooking.

I wish to avoid conflict and preserve domestic harmony, how do I broach this subject? Surely someone else has tread this path before?

I have been told by multiple health care professionals, including naturopaths and some that were previous vegetarians/vegans that it is absolutely the most unhealthy diet you can be on.

I know it seems hard to believe. It was hard for me at first until they explained it.

Many former vegans/vegetarians are now paleo. I would suggest reading what they have to say about why they made the switch. There are numerous paleo blogs and books on the subject.

They also advocate eating organic and grass fed meats and this can help address the issue you have regarding the horrors of the meat industry. I am familiar with those as well and it has made me a very educated consumer and cook for my family.

 

[heidi_storage]

Why is everyone trying to talk this guy out of vegetarianism? It’s really not such a weird, crazy choice; he just has to implement it in a healthy manner (which can be done–rice and beans TOGETHER make complete amino acids, likewise for other combinations; and if he continues to eat eggs, he shouldn’t have any problems with protein at all), and he has to do so in a manner that is considerate to his wife. This latter point is the one upon which he is seeking advice.

Maryjk is quite right that it would make some meals difficult, but not impossible; he and his wife could adjust when to add the meat to a stew, or substitute boca burgers for him on days when they’re having burgers, or whatever. I am our family’s cook. If my husband told me he wanted to go vegetarian, it wouldn’t be that difficult to add an extra component to the meal; it would just require a bit of planning. If the man is willing to take on more cookery duties, then that seems quite a reasonable compromise.

Ultimately, of course, this should be worked out between husband and wife, because something that seems reasonable to me may not to her, and she may have other solutions. Provided communication between the couple is good in general, I don’t see why this would have to be a big deal, though I’m sure there will be a period of adjustment.

 

[lax16]

Why is everyone trying to talk this guy out of vegetarianism? It’s really not such a weird, crazy choice; he just has to implement it in a healthy manner (which can be done–rice and beans TOGETHER make complete amino acids, likewise for other combinations; and if he continues to eat eggs, he shouldn’t have any problems with protein at all), and he has to do so in a manner that is considerate to his wife. This latter point is the one upon which he is seeking advice.

Maryjk is quite right that it would make some meals difficult, but not impossible; he and his wife could adjust when to add the meat to a stew, or substitute boca burgers for him on days when they’re having burgers, or whatever. I am our family’s cook. If my husband told me he wanted to go vegetarian, it wouldn’t be that difficult to add an extra component to the meal; it would just require a bit of planning. If the man is willing to take on more cookery duties, then that seems quite a reasonable compromise.

Ultimately, of course, this should be worked out between husband and wife, because something that seems reasonable to me may not to her, and she may have other solutions. Provided communication between the couple is good in general, I don’t see why this would have to be a big deal, though I’m sure there will be a period of adjustment.

I could go on and on as to why I don’t recommend being a vegetarian, with as much information I have been given from doctors, but I have kept it brief in my previous post.

 

[maryjk]

Maryjk is quite right that it would make some meals difficult, but not impossible; he and his wife could adjust when to add the meat to a stew, or substitute boca burgers for him on days when they’re having burgers, or whatever. I am our family’s cook. If my husband told me he wanted to go vegetarian, it wouldn’t be that difficult to add an extra component to the meal; it would just require a bit of planning. If the man is willing to take on more cookery duties, then that seems quite a reasonable compromise.

Here is the problem with what you are suggesting.

I am making a pot of stew for dinner tonight. The beef has been cooking for over an hour. Then I add the veggies. You can’t add raw meat to a soup or stew that is already started.

Maybe it is because I am already gluten free due to Celiac. (Boca burgers are out, due to the gluten.) I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to change how I cook, again.

Now if it were due to a medical reason, that would be different. But to one day decide that you aren’t eating meat? My husband would be taking over the cooking duties, or at least enough of them to not cause me a lot of extra work.

 

[Xantippe]

Why is everyone trying to talk this guy out of vegetarianism? It’s really not such a weird, crazy choice; he just has to implement it in a healthy manner (which can be done–rice and beans TOGETHER make complete amino acids, likewise for other combinations; and if he continues to eat eggs, he shouldn’t have any problems with protein at all), and he has to do so in a manner that is considerate to his wife. This latter point is the one upon which he is seeking advice.

Maryjk is quite right that it would make some meals difficult, but not impossible; he and his wife could adjust when to add the meat to a stew, or substitute boca burgers for him on days when they’re having burgers, or whatever. I am our family’s cook. If my husband told me he wanted to go vegetarian, it wouldn’t be that difficult to add an extra component to the meal; it would just require a bit of planning. If the man is willing to take on more cookery duties, then that seems quite a reasonable compromise.

Ultimately, of course, this should be worked out between husband and wife, because something that seems reasonable to me may not to her, and she may have other solutions. Provided communication between the couple is good in general, I don’t see why this would have to be a big deal, though I’m sure there will be a period of adjustment.

Well, he wants to go vegetarian because of concerns about factory farming, and people are mainly pointing out that there are viable non-factory farmed options.

 

[heidi_storage]

Well, he wants to go vegetarian because of concerns about factory farming, and people are mainly pointing out that there are viable non-factory farmed options.

Yes, but I would guess he’s thought of these alternatives; not that there’s anything wrong with recommending them, but the whole thread seems to be harping on the theme that oh-your-reasons-for-vegetarianism-are-bad.

Maryjk, I am sure that negotiating two sets of restrictions would be hard. If your husband wanted to go vegetarian, he’d have to work out with you what was going to happen during mealtimes. Similarly, this man is going to have to work out what he and his wife are going to do, given their time constraints, dietary preferences, etc. (By the way, I didn’t mean everybody had to eat the boca burger or garden burger or whatever; he could keep a pack in the freezer and heat one up as needed. I think the stew could be rearranged, too, though I agree it adds extra fuss.)

Lax and English Teacher, there isn’t really any point in arguing that one diet is The Master Diet, because humans can thrive on a variety on cuisines. If the OP is able to eat a varied diet with proper complementary amino acids or animal proteins (maybe from eggs or fish, I don’t know if he was planning to avoid fish), and if he stays away from sugary and processed foods, I just don’t see why he couldn’t have a very healthy diet. Anyway, it’s his decision.

(Full disclosure: I am not a vegetarian, and I love meat far too much to give it up unless ordered to do so by my doctor.)

 

[Trident_H]

Yes, but I would guess he’s thought of these alternatives; not that there’s anything wrong with recommending them, but the whole thread seems to be harping on the theme that oh-your-reasons-for-vegetarianism-are-bad.

lol I think it’s because he asked our advice and we just can’t help ourselves!

That and the reason he gave for switching got shot down like Xiantippe pointed out. So then we wanted to know if there was another reason. Especially since we all sort of see the complexity he’s setting up for his family.

And I mean we also want to know if he’s off eating carrots right now. Or if he’s negotiating with a local farmer at this point and getting a new deep freeze.

Besides what else are we supposed to do? He’s thinking of not eating meat and we’ve got to either convince him that he’s wrong or else think to ourselves about why we shouldn’t be joining him too. Or at least that’s my interest. Maybe I should just speak for myself hey?

There! I’ve done it. I’ve finally used all 4 main happy’s in one post.

Peace heidi. And I mean I’ve always wanted to know how many heidis you had that you actually needed to work out how to store them.

Sorry. I couldn’t help it.

-Trident

 

[heidi_storage]

Peace heidi. And I mean I’ve always wanted to know how many heidis you had that you actually needed to work out how to store them.

Sorry. I couldn’t help it.

-Trident

Oh, several, in case of the zombie apocalypse.

 

[Trident_H]

Oh, several, in case of the zombie apocalypse.

Now that’s being prepared!

 

[bitterhope]

You cannot get the same protein via legumes; that is a common myth often repeated by vegans/vegetarians. Plant proteins such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are incomplete proteins–they do not provide sufficient amounts of amino acids.

This is true. B-12 deficiency is just the beginning of the problems many vegans face. And all the supplements use animal sources because it is the only way the human body can absorb it correctly. But my understanding is vegetarians that eat eggs, milk, cheese and dairy aren’t as prone to most of the problems seen in vegans. There are true vegetarian societies around the world but not true vegan societies. Even newborn infants are fed an animal product (breast milk).

 

[CatholicSheila]

Ok. I have a question here and I mean maybe you’ve got an answer and maybe you don’t. But what I want to know is “why not eat animals?”

I mean I don’t really get the pause here. Because of 3 things.

1. If you don’t eat them someone or something else will.
2. If no one eats animals then they just won’t be bred so they won’t be alive anyway.
3. Everything dies. Why not eat it right after?

Maybe I’m missing something?

I’m not the Op but I am a vegetarian and the diet I do follow is very close to vegan so let me answer that. It’s really a multiple answer.

Factory Farming:
Simply put, this disgusts me. The way animals are treated is atrotious and unacceptable. They may have lower intelligience than humans but treating any living feeling being this way is something we should be ashamed of. I want no part of it and I will vote with my wallet. This cuts out the majority of meat as well as dairy.

Processed food (eg. pizzas, meat pies, cakes etc) that include animal products will use products from factory farmed animals. Which means all processed food which includes animal products is out.

Further to this there is a lot of land been cleared, predominantly forests, which is been used to grow crops solely to feed these animals. Land that I would prefer to be kept in it’s natural state. If everyone ate a predominantly plant based diet the amount of land we would need for farming, and hence that would be cleared, would be significantly lower.

Animal products for clothing are out for two main reasons. 1. how the animals are kept (no better in many cases than dairy and animals kept for meat). 2. The fact that it is unnecessary most of the time. The only animal products in my clothing is leather footwear and where possible I buy non-leather alternatives. Unfortunately due to my foot size this can be difficult so sometimes I have no choice.

Grass fed:
It’s unsustainable. If everyone in the US moved to grass fed beef, there wouldn’t be enough land available in the US to actually produce it. Which means this isn’t a viable alternative. Especially as the developed world starts to consume more meat products.

Fish:
The majority of fisheries are over fished and are not at sustainable levels. There is also the concern that with commercial fishing nets there are a lot of unwanted species caught and killed that are simply wasted.

Eggs:
I won’t buy anything that is processed with eggs in them. Most of them will be caged eggs and even when they state they use free range I suspect they are not from free range farms I consider acceptable.

Truly free range eggs where the chickens have access to the outdoors, individual nesting boxes and no beak cutting are okay in my book.

I have no problem with meat that is hunted from sustainable populations. Ditto for fish personally caught in sustainable populations. I am not in a position to ever hunt myself, and fishing only happens occasionally. I however suck at the latter so I don’t eat much fish either.

A vegetarian/vegan diet is like any other diet. It can be healthy or it can be unhealthy. It’s a personal decision to make sure you are getting the right nutrients in the right quantities. There are also a lot of unhealthy meat eaters, so to suggest that the because some vegans eat an unhealthy diet means it is automatically unhealthy is ridiculous.

 

[Xantippe]

Grass fed:
It’s unsustainable. If everyone in the US moved to grass fed beef, there wouldn’t be enough land available in the US to actually produce it. Which means this isn’t a viable alternative. Especially as the developed world starts to consume more meat products.

Pretty much all US beef cattle start out grass fed (just drive around out in the country–you’ll see what I mean–cow after cow after cow just hanging out grazing), so I don’t see why it would be unsustainable (at least for US consumption) to just eat the cattle before they reach the stage before they get fed non-grass stuff. That’s how it was in the good old days–my family ranches on a small scale and in the old days, they would deliver cattle directly to the local grocery store.

Perhaps it would be more expensive and perhaps Americans would wind up eating less meat, but at least in theory, the US could go 100% to grass fed beef.

Even grain-feeding can be done humanely and on a small scale. When I was a kid, my 80-something-year-old great-grandma had about half a dozen ex-dairy steers that she was finishing at home, feeding on a mixture of grass, hay and grain (largely corn, as I recall).

 

[pensmama87]

Pretty much all US beef cattle start out grass fed (just drive around out in the country–you’ll see what I mean–cow after cow after cow just hanging out grazing), so I don’t see why it would be unsustainable (at least for US consumption) to just eat the cattle before they reach the stage before they get fed non-grass stuff. That’s how it was in the good old days–my family ranches on a small scale and in the old days, they would deliver cattle directly to the local grocery store.

Perhaps it would be more expensive and perhaps Americans would wind up eating less meat, but at least in theory, the US could go 100% to grass fed beef.

Even grain-feeding can be done humanely and on a small scale. When I was a kid, my 80-something-year-old great-grandma had about half a dozen ex-dairy steers that she was finishing at home, feeding on a mixture of grass, hay and grain (largely corn, as I recall).

Yes, the beef we bought was primarily grass-fed but “grain-finished.”

I do agree that we (as Americans) could probably stand to eat a lot less meat, but it’s hard for me to see how that goes to no meat.

 

[E_7]

For some time the horrors of the industrial meat system in the US has weighed on my conscience, and for months I have considered easing myself into a vegetarian (not vegan-cage free eggs are fine by my reasoning) diet.

The health benefits would be a nice perk too.

Religiously speaking, CCC 2415 through 2418 are most relevant here.

I was hoping someone who has been in this situation before can advise me. For you see…

My wife has no interest in this, and she does 80% of the cooking.

I wish to avoid conflict and preserve domestic harmony, how do I broach this subject? Surely someone else has tread this path before?

Hello Geist,

From my 6 experience of being a fully-committed vegetarian, I can tell you one thing: It can lead to memory problems.

I started cold-turkey and was supposed to take the supplement TwinLab Yeast that has all vitamins B (including the most important, vitamin B 12). But it tastes so bad that I avoided it. Because of that, I had B12 deficiency and as a consequence, years later, I began to have short-term and long-term memory problems (I still do). If I’m not mistaken, Vitamin B12 helps your neurons. Memory problems are consequences of problems with the neurons, I think. (I don’t remember well that info).

After 6 years, I finally gave it up because I could no longer think of myself, but my son in my belly (I got pregnant). And yes, I saw Food, Inc. But if that’s the issue, you can buy free-caged, grass-fed meat and even seafood from non-China waters.

At the moment, I find the Paleo diet very healthy and with positive results. Hubby and I have been living the paleo lifestyle for about 5 months now and he says it is one of the best decisions we ever made. But it can be a bit expensive.

To this day, I still regret not eating memorable and great foods during our honeymoon as a couple. I was a vegetarian before meeting and courting my now husband. After we got married, I cooked all complete meals for him, and I ate almost nothing because it was too troublesome. When going grocery shopping, I used to focus on things we needed for his meals and not that much for me.

 

[Xantippe]

Yes, the beef we bought was primarily grass-fed but “grain-finished.”

I do agree that we (as Americans) could probably stand to eat a lot less meat, but it’s hard for me to see how that goes to no meat.

Right.

In any case, average-sized families with kids (let alone biggish families) aren’t chowing down on a 16 oz. steak apiece–it just isn’t economically feasible.

I was just looking this up, and the sausages we eat are 2 ounces per serving. I just looked this up, and it looks like you can (estimating very conservatively) reasonably expect about 150 pounds of meat out of a single pig. With two ounce servings, that’s 1200 servings from a single pig or 600 servings with four ounce servings. That’s practically all you need meat-wise for a family of four for a year.

lovelivegrow.com/how-much-meat-from-a-pig/

So no, I don’t buy the economic argument against meat–eating if a single animal goes that far.

Apparently, a 1,000 pound steer will yield around 400 pounds in usable meat, so the math is even for favorable for beef.

oda.state.ok.us/food/fs-cowweight.pdf