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animal rights
October 2009 
Vegan or single?
Posted on Sep 9th, 2008
by 
Anges
Anges
Drawing by me of our cat Willow that left us in December last year.
I very recently became a vegetarian but this is something I have been considering for a long long time. Only when you have meat eaters in your family, it is not easy to take the step forward with the risk of upsetting the applecart. Then I read a brilliant book called "Vegan Freak" and thought why stop at vegetarianism when I care so much about animal welfare. I realised that eating dairy does harm the lifestyle of animals because it comes from the same practices as the meat eating industry.
Going vegan however would have meant that as a Mum I would have had to cook for every meal: one vegan option, one vegetarian portion and two meat-eater options. In short, a complete nightmare! Now I really value the opinion of vegans on what we should do for our bit of animal welfare but how do you manage such a diversity in your home, not to mention that usually what my son likes, my daughter dislikes almost as a matter of principle!
I have tried to find a book that is sensible and that helps people in my situation to no avail. Can you offer help? Have you successfully managed a challenge similar to mine?
Thank you for your attention
Namaste
Anges
PS I have to add a post scriptum to this entry. I finally decided on a compromise with my man: I will go vegetarian for now with an aim to step up to veganism when the time is right. In the meantime, I will impress his taste buds with some amazing vegetarian cooking and perhaps that will win him over. He has already said many times since I posted this entry initially (9th Sept) that he finds what I eat more exciting than his meat stuff and has compromised too by offering to eat only fish. Relationships are all about compromises :-)))
I very recently became a vegetarian but this is something I have been considering for a long long time. Only when you have meat eaters in your family, it is not easy to take the step forward with the risk of upsetting the applecart. Then I read a brilliant book called "Vegan Freak" and thought why stop at vegetarianism when I care so much about animal welfare. I realised that eating dairy does harm the lifestyle of animals because it comes from the same practices as the meat eating industry.
Going vegan however would have meant that as a Mum I would have had to cook for every meal: one vegan option, one vegetarian portion and two meat-eater options. In short, a complete nightmare! Now I really value the opinion of vegans on what we should do for our bit of animal welfare but how do you manage such a diversity in your home, not to mention that usually what my son likes, my daughter dislikes almost as a matter of principle!
I have tried to find a book that is sensible and that helps people in my situation to no avail. Can you offer help? Have you successfully managed a challenge similar to mine?
Thank you for your attention
Namaste
Anges
PS I have to add a post scriptum to this entry. I finally decided on a compromise with my man: I will go vegetarian for now with an aim to step up to veganism when the time is right. In the meantime, I will impress his taste buds with some amazing vegetarian cooking and perhaps that will win him over. He has already said many times since I posted this entry initially (9th Sept) that he finds what I eat more exciting than his meat stuff and has compromised too by offering to eat only fish. Relationships are all about compromises :-)))
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Hi Anges,
I suggest that you ask your question in two of the most active groups, Gaia Lounge and the God Pod or Life, the Universe and Everything because you might have a greater readership therein, and hence greater chances of a solution to your dilemma. I wish I could help you on this, but I am soory that I can't. Quite a large population in Inda is “vegetarian” , but they depend heavily on milk and milk related products.
I have both in my family, I am veggie, my partner eats meat and my ninety year old mother likes sloppy food no bits eats both, we keep our own chickens and ducks for eggs and know they are fed well healthy and as nature intended, no beaks or wings clipped etc. I am tolerant and not judgemental of the meat eaters in return they accomodate my needs, my children and grandchildren are all fit and healthy, some vegan, some vegetarian, some meat eaters.If you have a freezer, cook double or triple quantity veggie one day and freeze the other in portions for future use, next day do the same for the meat eaters and freeze the extra.. Pizza's different toppings on each half or third. Pasta cook a sauce divide in two add meat to one half pulses to the other half. i make a meal in a soup bowl( liquidised ) for my mother and my husband takes some chunky to work in a flask on cold days Teach your family to take a turn cooking something and they will appreciate your dilemma better and be more helpful.. I have seen cookery books on these principles for families that are both, so keep your eyes open. Hope this is helpful
Hi Anges,
Please cross post this on Realizing Health and you will get answers from Vegans and Vegetarians right away to start more flow for your decision.
When you are doing your weekly planning and grocery shopping buy what the majority of the meals will be and keep the Vegan dishes on a separate section of the refrigerator and a shelf so the others in the family know that is a special diet for you. What a blessing to be able to cook for them. They will start to see you enjoy some of your dishes and on a step by step process you will be able eventually to incorporate some of your choices into the whole without causing a make wrong situation or a know besty type of attitude. Have them see it as a game and “hat” them up as you get trained on it so do they.
Have fun!
Thank you all for your support. I have posted my question in the two different forums and I am hopeful. I guess being a single mum of three with most of the house to run by myself, the prospect of cooking big quantities and freezing them is not so easy. My partner is a meat eater and didn't take the news very well to start with… I already do the home made pizza with different section bit… I guess you have to learn as you go LOL
But I have taken one challenge with heart: that to show my kids how food, particularly veggies, can be delicious and they don't have to stuff themselves with cheese and burgers to be happy. I have learnt a lot about nutrition… and still learning
A big hug to you three
Yes if you are tired, a microwave meal served up with a smile is better than an overtired Mum, hugs.
Was thinking that perhaps you could get the kids involved in meal selection and preparation as well; it keeps life interesting for them and they get familiar with the choices at their disposal for their 'ultimate' decision what to eat. Perhaps they'd get an appreciation of what Mom goes through preparing those meals!
Best of luck hon! Sherri