Dh wants to go vegan again

[beebalmmama]

I have absolutely no problem with dh being vegan again as far as his own health is concerned. Dh was vegan when I met him and it forced me to really delve into cooking and trying new recipes which actually helped me become the great cook I am  today.

Over time he started eating some dairy. Partly because I was really getting into organic farming/agriculture. Took two different internships on organic farms. So he was able to see first hand the kind of dairy/egg production that I wanted to support. I think it was on the second farm that he started eating eggs and the goat cheese. Our dream at the time was to have our own farm and he wanted to support that.

So fast forward after having ds he ended up eating turkey at Thanksgiving when ds was 2. He felt he should model what he wanted ds to eat. I had been eating chicken for a few years at that point. I never pushed him on the meat eating at all. I had been veg for a few years and have alway had a hard time digesting plant proteins. So I need to balance my meals and days with other protein sources. This works for me.

So dh recently has said he wants to go vegan again. I kind of think it's a follow up thought due to his recent bloodwork and cholesterol levels. He has also put on a little weight over the winter. Although he always goes up a bit in winter due to his lack of exercise. I really think the cholesterol level is due to lack of exercise too.

I just don't see how I can add another dietary need to our family. We don't have any outright restrictions. But I have IBS and I'm starting to really focus on avoiding those foods as I can. Ds is super picky and will eat only a small variety of foods. We eat quite a few vegan meals already and some where avoiding cheese in it would be easy enough. I just don't want to start changing up all that we eat to accomodate dh. Baking.....I love baking and I really don't like baking vegan style. Yes, some of it is yummy and others are okay. But sometimes I just want to bake a recipe as is....I really love trying new things. I know maybe not a big deal but it drove me crazy trying to find vegan alternatives.

How do you balance out all the dietary needs in your family?

[cristeen]

What is he asking of you?

Just because he is going vegan doesnt mean the rest of the family has to. Since you already cook some vegan dishes through the week, i would compromise by making an effort to have something he can eat on the table each night, even if its salad. And I would keep a pot of something in the fridge that he can round out his meal with. I would also expect him to do some of his own cooking rather than expecting you to do all of it (i.e. He can make his big pot on the weekend).

As for treats, any recipe that you like, keep in the rotation. But there's no requirement that you only bake vegan.

[beebalmmama]

That's a good question. I guess I automatically assumed it was up to me to accomodate him because I do 90% of the cooking around here. Dh can cook and has made a lot of things in the past usually with directions to the recipes from me. His go to meals without prompting from me are chicken and potatoes, scrambled eggs and potatoes or omelets and spaghetti/pasta of some sort. He used to make rice and beans and so I'm sure he can start that again. But his current standby's could no longer be his back up meals.

Maybe I'm not giving him credit but I really don't see him fixing up his own meals. Maybe this is why he's been talking about being vegan again for the last several months. I could see him eating vegan when our boys are older but the alternate foods for dinner could really set a precedence for ds who is already a very picky eater.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

In our household 1/2 the people are vegan and 1/2 are not (there are 8 people in our house 7 adults and ds).  We just make sure that the base of a meal is vegan and then the non-vegan things can be added in.  For instances, burritos, beans, rice, veggies, guac, salsa, and if you want cheese/sour cream.  You make your own plate.  If we have something like lasagna or pizza, 1/2 of it is vegan and 1/2 is made with dairy cheese.  Indian food would be all vegan with the option of adding ghee or yogurt to your own plate.  Soup/chili is veg, and if you want cheese or meat in it, you add it to your bowl.  

With baking.  I would say 80% of the time I try to bake vegan to make sure everyone can eat.  But 20% of the time I say, "hey I'm making this and it has eggs in it, sorry."  And it's no big deal, usually.