vegetarians

My husband loves meat too and we've been working it out since we got together.  I was a vegetarian for many years before we even met.

I just buy meats for him and in a package around here you usually get about one lb--maybe a little over of meat--I usually buy him turkey or chicken cutlets, pork chops, things that have about 4 or 5 pieces of meat in a pack.  He will eat half and save the half for the next days lunch or for at night.  Or, sometimes I split it and use 1/2 to add to Willow's food for a few days. I still use real dairy products so milk, cheese, yogurt we share.  I've never been able to eat eggs due to a little allergy but DH eats a lot of egg beaters and I bake with them when possible. 

The only things I buy that he doesn't eat are the veggie burgers so when I buy those I usually freeze them and take out one at a time.  They only come in about 4 per package.  I don't bother with tofu because I don't like it.  And, soy milk especially the vanilla is good so I sometimes get that but not every time I shop.  And, I just get the smallest one and I usually share that with Willow.  I also like those Luna bars for women and Power bars for the morning and I usually do end up getting different breakfast bars for him.  But, those we'd probably eat different ones even if I ate meat.

If we shop at a place where we can buy more meats I usually take out what he wants to have and freeze the rest.  But, I freeze it separately so I can easily take out another serving size without having to defrost too much. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is if you will still be eating some dairy it shouldn't be too, too bad as far as cooking and expenses go. 

I'm vegan, but I try, very hard, not to subsist on "fake" stuff. I do fairly well, most of the time.  Today, I went out to a new, Mexican place. I had a veggie burrito, with no cheese or sour cream, beans and rice, and fresh salsa. It was wonderful. The burrito was filled with avocado, beans, cilantro, rice, tomatoes, onions, and all sorts of yumminess.

Ethnic foods are AWESOME for veggie meals, IME. Indian food is traditionally vegetarian. Mexican food is easy to eat beans and veggies. Chinese places usually serve bean curd. The Thai place up the road serves all of their food with the option of tofu, several meats, or no meat.

I was 15 when I went vegetarian, and it was a combo thing. I was fat, and eating badly. I quit eating meat, because factory farming is evil, and I needed lower calorie foods. A year and a half ago, my new years resolution was vegan. Again, factory farming, and healthy eating. My dogs eat the way they do, for similar reasons. I buy as much free range and organic meat as I can afford. They get wild caught fish. They get grass fed beef. They get all sorts of wonderful things. Doesn't bother me a bit, because they're dogs. It's what they're supposed to eat. I'm ok with that. When I brought them home, I promised I'd do the best I could to give them what they needed. They need meat. I buy the most ethically raised meat I can get my hands on.

 

jennie_c_d

I'm vegan, but I try, very hard, not to subsist on "fake" stuff. I do fairly well, most of the time. 

Got any good dinner recipes? I'm "almost" vegetarian..I eat meat pretty infrequently, mostly because I actually don't like it..but I have the hardest time coming up with meatless dinners that aren't rice & beans or pasta & veggies. So I end up eating "fake" stuff a lot, or frozen dinners that happen to not have meat in them (mostly Lean Cuisines), which just aren't at all healthy. Sigh.

I love rice and beans, and veggies on pasta, LOL. Those are staples. Both of them have so many variations. 

A grilled portabello mushroom is pretty awesome, in place of a burger. You can do it in a skillet with olive oil, too. Grilled pineapple is GREAT stuff. You can do peppers and onions, and carrots. All sorts of veggies taste great on top of fire.

Baked potatoes, stuffed with whatever I feel like, are one of my favs. I put all sorts of random veggies, or chili in them.

I loooove chili. And cornbread. It's easy to make meatless chili. I have a recipe. I'll have to dig it up. Vegan Planet is a GREAT cookbook.

I like veggie sandwiches a lot, too. I eat bread fast enough, though, so I've stopped buying it. Hummus and veggies can be a good lunch, especially when it's hot out.  

Thanks for the suggestions. If it weren't for DH, it would be a cinch as I'm not that crazy about meat to begin with (although I will greatly miss a nice juicy burger!).  It just would feel weird since I'm buying the meat anyway for him, I would feel like I'm not really accomplishing anything by not eating it.  But I suppose it does make a difference that one person is eating it vs two people.

 Way back when I was in college I ate very little meat and developed an iron deficiency.  My skin was very dry and my hair was falling out.  I will have to be very careful to make sure I am getting enough iron.  The definciency could have just been due to poor diet overall and not necessarily the meat though.  I also have to be careful to make sure I'm getting enough calories, I'm already on the low end of the ideal weight for my height and frame.

Tofu may not be super tasty, but it is easy to add to things - spaghetti or pasta sauce, mashed up with a baked sweet potato, that kind of thing. It hides in more flavorful foods quite nicely. I also love tofu when it is marinated in a tasty sauce and pan fried or baked for texture.

You could ease into the meatless thing - try planning one or two meals a week in which there is a meatless, balanced option for you. Mexican, as suggested above, works well. Tacos or burritos can have meat for him, and beans can be your protein.

Eating less meat doesn't have to be all or nothing, too. You can go mostly meatless and still have the occasional burger.

I'm not a vegetarian now, although I was for years when I was younger. I've found that my body is much happier with animal protein, but I try and buy meat (and eggs) that come from humane living conditions. I once knew a couple who would eat meat or eggs IF the source was humane, and not otherwise. Obviously, they didn't eat meat at restaurants!  

Great suggestions Dog_ma, I just may do a "mostly vegetarian" diet.  At least it's a big step in the right direction.

jenns

Thanks for the suggestions. If it weren't for DH, it would be a cinch as I'm not that crazy about meat to begin with (although I will greatly miss a nice juicy burger!).  It just would feel weird since I'm buying the meat anyway for him, I would feel like I'm not really accomplishing anything by not eating it.  But I suppose it does make a difference that one person is eating it vs two people.

 

 

Since you are only buying the meat for him you could try getting it from sources other than the grocery store.  Try looking for grass fed meat, free range/cageless chicken meat and eggs, etc.  that way he can have the meat he wants, and at the same time you would be supporting the farmers that are doing their best to treat their animals properly while lessening their environmental foot print.

It's definitely better to just eat less meat. Most Americans get too much protein, anyways.

The hummus I mentioned (if you like hummus) has a ton of iron. So does spinach. I can't take iron pills, but I've never been anemic. Of course, part of that is my general makeup.... I can always give blood, if I have a day to sleep afterwards.  

I think I'll take a little trip to Whole Foods this week and see if I can stock up on some grass-fed meat.  I will still be eating it a lot less than usual.  And I loooove hummus  :)

 One other good thing - DH just tried a bit of a veggie burger today and he actually liked it! 

 Good advice, I'm slowly weaning myself off meat because I really want to become a vegetarian. Was having the same problem with my DH being a huge meat eater and not liking veggies and trying to make separate meals and such. I was going to start a thread about this, so glad I seen this one before I asked the exact same thing!

jenns

DH just tried a bit of a veggie burger today and he actually liked it!

My husband likes them if we do them on the grill. 

willowchow

jenns

DH just tried a bit of a veggie burger today and he actually liked it!

My husband likes them if we do them on the grill. 

DH eats them every now and then, just like the fake brats....as long as I dress them up like the real thing.....lol