Food inc. has traumatized me!

[ticklemegreen]

So, Dh and I watched food inc. earlier this week and I was completely traumatized. A lot of it I knew already, but actually seeing it was too much. I haven't had any interest in meat since watching it and while I don't know if this is a definite change, right now I can't stomach meat (or look at it for that matter). The problem is my dh is a very picky eater. I actually already do a 'meatless monday' and have trouble finding recipes. I usually hide veggies in his food via my food processor (sneaky chef anyone?) I could really use some recipes or website/book suggestions.

Dh does not like beans (ANY beans), corn, any orange veggies, broccoli, peas, cooked spinach, those are the main ones that come to mind. The beans really limit my menu because they can be used in so many great, filling main courses!

I tried using boca 'beef' crumbles in our enchilladas this week and while he ate it, I don't think he's a fan. The texture was perfect, but I actually didn't like the taste either. Neither of us are big on the faux meats.

Thanks for ANY advice in advance!

[BeanyMama]

I'm glad you've been traumatized Haha! But seriously, is your DH interested in going veg too? Maybe you could check a bunch of vegetarian cookbooks out of the library and look through them together and pick out recipes that look good. You can sub veggies he's not crazy about for some he doesn't mind, perhaps. Or maybe he'll get some ideas of different ways to prepare those dreaded veggies that seem yummier. Look into Vegweb.com, too.

Also, you might check out a book on veg*n nutrition for him too, if he's willing to crack it. Sometimes learning how remarkable a food is makes it more appealing. There's some great veg books and cookbooks stuck in the top of this forum. Good luck to you! Keep us posted!

[LeahBoo]

I don't have any advice for you, but I must say, me too. I've been trying to go pescetarian (only wild caught fishies) for months now, but I couldn't seem to make it stick. I watched it a week and a half ago and it certainly gave me that extra push.

[KimL]

your husband is going to have to have an open mind. it takes more than one time or even a few times trying something to get use to it. "fake" meat isn't going to taste like real meat. So, first off.... work on that knowledge and move on from there. Expect something different. Keep cooking. Let him go thru veg cookbooks and choose recipes. Give him "diet for a new america" to read, that turned my dh veg after he turned the last page! gOOD LUCK!

[Kelilah]

Processed faux meats are not any better for you. If he wants to eat vegetarian food, he's going to have to learn to like vegetables and legumes. I agree that he should keep an open mind and try new things. A lot of people think they don't like vegetables, when all they've had has been processed, frozen/canned, tasteless nasty out-of-season vegetables. Try shopping at the farmers' market instead of the supermarket and try new things that you find there. If you ever see an unfamiliar vegetable, just ask the seller or someone who's buying it what to do with it. People are happy to share tips.

Good luck! (And remember, more people get food poisoning from manufactured produce than from meat - corporate processing is what you want to avoid to be safe!)

[Shantimama]

Can your dh take over some of the cooking if he wants to eat meat and you don't? Show him some vegetarian cook books and see what common ground you can share - how about pasta dishes? If he wants to continue eating meat as much as you want to be vegetarian he might need to start preparing his own meat.

When my dh and I met I was vegetarian and he was a staunch meat eater. We both compromised a little - he started trying new things and I occasionally cooked something with meat in it for him. Neither of us liked it much at first but after 17 years it isn't a big deal any more

In fact, he is more and more vegetarian all the time but that has been his choice and not because I tried to change him. I haven't liked seeing and smelling the meat but I also know he has eaten a lot of meals he wasn't crazy about at first - but he preferred eating them to cooking himself We made lunch together the other day and he laughed because we made falafel and sweet potato fries for lunch - a far cry from the burger and fries he liked when he was younger

[ticklemegreen]

I'm not trying to make him a vegetarian, but if I'm the one cooking that's what he'll be eating; I refuse to cook two sperate meals. Like Shantimama said, he'd prefer to eat what I make than to cook himself. That's why I'm looking for things that he'll like. He does love pasta and could pretty much eat it every day. A couple of years ago I tried to quit eating meat and we didn't eat any meals together. I hated it. That's why I started eating meat again, it was just easier. Now that I'm sah and not working I have more time to search for and try new recipes. I'm also cooking all of our meals now, we used to split it.

We've made it through the first week pretty easily. I'm not cutting dairy or eggs, but we already bought organic eggs and dairy products anyways. I'm going to try a couple of tofu recipes this week. I've never had it before, dh said he didn't like what he had. I'll make sure to have a back up plan for the tofu nights.

[colsxjack]

If you can afford it, you can buy some organic and naturally raised meat as a treat for your husband. Find some vegetarian foods that he will like based on stuff he already likes and slowly add some other veg that he doesn't know he likes yet. Then once a week treat him to a nice organic chicken or roast or sausage or something.

Some of the vegetarian meals we like:
veggie "fajitas" -- stir fry some vegetables (we use pepper slices, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, whatever), grate some cheese, heat some baked beans, cut up some toppings like avocado and tomato and jalepenos. Put out a pile of tortillas and you all build your own wrap.

veggie curry, dal and rice.

veggie chili

lentil soup.

quinoa salad -- cook quinoa, add chunks of cucumber, halved grape tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, green beans, and a vinaigrette dressing.

falafels

veggie omelet -- fry up a mix of veggies and them pour some beaten eggs over it and when its all cooked add some cheese to make it all melty and delicious. Serve with sweet potato fries.

[HoneybeeWaterfall]

Another thing to try is seitan. You can buy it premade or make it yourself. Depending on the broth it is originally made in, it will either be light (like chicken) or dark (like beef). When you make it yourself you can tweek it to get a flavor you like.

Once you have the seitan, try using it in chunks in recipes where the flavor really comes from other things. My omni husband likes to make sweet and sour seitan by frying up the light seitan so it is a little crispy on the outside, then adds it to the stir fried vegetables and the sweet and sour sauce.

Like I say he is an omni but is also growning disgusted with a lot of meat. Last night we made a pesto sauce spaghetti with seitan and he was digging that too.

[kdescalzi]

op...I have not seen the movie but I did read the book Eating Animals and it has traumatized me. I immediately stopped eating meat...how could I after I knew the truth?? I wanted to suggest looking into SPCA approved farms for your dh. We live in Canada and there are many local, small farms that have been approved by the SPCA for treating the animals humanely. It is a happy medium for my dh. I had no idea the impact the book would have on me and I found the idea of going vegetarian so suddenly quite daunting. I started with the library and took out a bunch of cook books and even old editions of Veg. magazines and started to see all my options. Now, I find the ideas pretty limitless. Here are a few ideas
-Pasta with fresh tomato sauce, pesto, garlic herb butter.
-we use Yves ground round in spaghetti sauce,tacos,sloppy joes...you could never tell it wasn't meat.
-veggie chili
-baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce
-Quiche or savory flans
-eggplant parmesan
-Meatless meatballs with rice and tomatoe sauce (dh thought they were actual meatballs)
-If you are ok with fish...millions of ways to grill/bake/or pan-fry plus very healthy
-Grilled paninis with avocado, cheese, tomatoes, and red onions.
HTH

[iamama]

I make smoothies with raw greens and fruit. The greens and fruit are wonderful together and so nutritious. Getting greens in smoothies is a good way to up daily nutrition and then you serve simple meals with less veggies for the picky peeps.

[zepchic]

I just had to read this post. I too watched Food Inc. and yes...I knew a lot of that already, but it just pushed me over the edge. Didn't eat meat for a week...then had to eat out, a chicken sandwich which made me feel physically awful and settled my mind that meat is bad for you. So, no more meat for me.

The problem for me is similar...DH has zero interest in going vegan (DS and I already don't do dairy). But also I am 8 months pregnant and he wants to control my diet. He wants me to track everything I eat and how much protein it has. Which is probably not too bad of an idea to make sure i get enough. I had to draw the line on tracking specific amino acids...

Anyway, I'm quite happy with the decision and glad to read how people handle non-vegan dh

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by zepchic

I just had to read this post. I too watched Food Inc. and yes...I knew a lot of that already, but it just pushed me over the edge. Didn't eat meat for a week...then had to eat out, a chicken sandwich which made me feel physically awful and settled my mind that meat is bad for you. So, no more meat for me.

The problem for me is similar...DH has zero interest in going vegan (DS and I already don't do dairy). But also I am 8 months pregnant and he wants to control my diet. He wants me to track everything I eat and how much protein it has. Which is probably not too bad of an idea to make sure i get enough. I had to draw the line on tracking specific amino acids...

Anyway, I'm quite happy with the decision and glad to read how people handle non-vegan dh

If you're interested, I use the site http://www.nutritiondata.com/ to track my nutrients, which I do every once in a while just to see (and did through my vegan pregnancy, without ever being deficient in anything, just fyi!) The great thing is, they automatically track individual amino acids, too. Happy husband!

[mum21andtwins]

Originally Posted by ticklemegreen

Dh does not like beans (ANY beans), corn, any orange veggies, broccoli, peas, cooked spinach, those are the main ones that come to mind. The beans really limit my menu because they can be used in so many great, filling main courses!

Seriously he doesn't eat orange veggies?? that sounds more like my 5y/o than a grown up. When was the last time he tried these things? palates change as you grow up and older so it worth to revisit stuff you didn't like a few years ago cause you might enjoy it now. otherwise I have to agree with pp let him do some of his own cooking. also a visit to the library might be good load up on the veg cookbooks and sit down together marking the ones he likes the sound of.

[GoGoGirl]

I'm vegan - DH is a carnivore. I've found that if I cook something, he'll eat it, because he can't resist the lure of hot food. : Granted, he likes vegetables and isn't picky. But you might find the eventually, your DH will just eat what you cook because it's easier than making his own food.

Have you checked out the cookbook Vegan with a Vengeance? I like it because it has a lot of all American, diner-ish food, just made vegan. The recipes aren't crazy vegan food, it's food that your DH will recognize and be able to wrap his mind around.

If you don't want to cook separate meals, you can try meals that you can make vegetarian, and then add meat to his portion at the end. Most Mexican meals and stir fries are great for that.

Tell us how the tofu nights go. Tofu can be really hit or miss, depending on how you make it. I thought tofu was gross the first few times I had it. Now I have my tofu system down--I buy extra firm tofu, drain and press it (this really helps the texture/flavor, alternately you can try freezing and then defrosting it first, it really makes the tofu chewy and meaty), and then saute it in oil and soy sauce until it's brown and crispy. There are so many delicious ways to make tofu but you might have to go through some dud recipes first.

[karika]

If a person has been eating processed foods with msg, preservatives, food colorings and the like, natural food tastes gross. That was my experience anyway. Try it incrementally. Baby steps if necessary. Once all the taste likes from the old way of eating have worn off, you can do more... I too would like to be veg but am not ready yet. We are GFCFSF and I am loving the changes we have made. My daughter also doesn't like beans but I do. She will eat cooked dried navy beans and cooked dried peas (both high in protein). Her father will not switch over, but we eat a lot of separate dishes. I am learning about the role of spices in making things appetizing....I used to cook like a bachelor

[Crystal Pegasus]

If you want something else to watch to help cement your new beliefs about meat... try "Earthlings"

[karika]

Also, it is important to know Boca is owned by Kraft and is likely made from GMO soy which has documented health risks and consequences, like sterility by the third generation in hamsters. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffre..._b_544575.html
Morningstar is owned by Kellogg (GMO soy again) and I just found out Cascadian Farms is owned by General Mills now... I personally would not eat soy any longer as it is mostly compromised by the GMO crop here (even organic crops have a certain percentage of GMO qualities http://www.non-gmoreport.com/article...anic_farms.php ), and the way it is processed is not how it was meant to be eaten IMO. Soy, wheat, dairy and meat support the farms we saw on Food Inc as far as I can tell. Dairy and meat can be gotten locally from a grass fed producer however. One more like the thoughtful farmer we saw (was that food inc? the guy with the chickens and pigs? I watch a lot of documentary style things...) Here is another one I liked from Deborah Koons

"The Future of Food"
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi2420179737/

way too weird the sponsoring ad is a GMO product!

[zoesmom2009]

You sound just like my dh and me. We watch Food, Inc. a couple weeks ago and both dh and I had the same reaction as you. But like your hubby, mine is a very picky eater, especially when it comes to beans. The man won't touch them! He says they're "slimy" and smell of "fetid earth." LOL. ( I'm beginning to wonder if it's a "man thing". My brother won't eat beans either.)

Anyway, in the seven years we've been together I managed to expand is food palette quite a bit. When we first met his list of edible veggies were french fries, lettuce, tomato, onions, corn on the cob (it had to be on the cob) and peppers (both sweet and spicy). Luckily, his list is much longer now and continues to grow as he tries new things. Unfortunately, I still can't get him try beans. I'm looking for recipes that will somehow hide their texture and smell and he's mentioned giving lentils a try. "They seem to be the least slimy," he says.

I'd love to go completely vegetarian, but I know dh will never stop eating meat and he may never eat beans. So, what we've decided is to start frequenting our local farmer's market and getting to know our local meat producers, even going and touring their farms. That way we can make sure we know where our meat is coming from and that it was both humanely raised and slaughtered.

[eepster]

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, and I hate beans!

I really do. However, I will eat certain very unbeany things that technically count as beans.

There is tofu for starters, and a bunch of other soy stuff. Soy products are made from soy beans, but most of it doesn't look, taste or feel even vaguely beany. I love tofupups (hotdogs,) and chocolate soymilk, and chocolate soy pudding. DS's favorite dish at his favorite restaurant in agidashi tofu.

Then there is hummus d'tahini. That classic mediterainian dish is made from chickpeas, which are a bean, but there isn't anything beany about it. Same goes for falafel.

There is non-beany veg*n foods out there.