Enjoying a delicious meal with someone you love feels incredibly special. There’s nothing better than your heart and stomach feeling full and warm at the same time, and eating together is a great way to grow closer to loved ones. But food can sometimes become a point of tension in relationships when both partners don’t see eye to eye on what they want on their plates.

One man recently reached out to Reddit after his vegetarian wife started complaining about him not including meat-free options in his meal prep. Below, you’ll find all of the details about the beef that this couple now has, as well as a conversation with Deirdra Barr, Director of Marketing and Communications at The Vegetarian Society.

Sharing meals together can be a great way to bond with your partner

Image credits: Los Muertos Crew/Pexels (not the actual photo)

But this man found himself in hot water when he refused to make vegetarian-friendly meal prep for his wife

Image credits: Timur Weber/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: ThrowawayMealpreppin

“It is entirely possible for meat eaters and vegetarians to be in happy relationships”

Having different dietary preferences from your partner can be stressful when meal time comes around. If you have a gluten allergy but your partner wants nothing more than an authentic pizza with actual flour in the dough, you might find yourselves hangrily ordering from two different places so everyone can be happy.

To gain more insight into this situation, we reached out to Deirdra Barr, Director of Marketing and Communications at The Vegetarian Society. Deirdra was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and discuss what it’s like to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t follow the same diet.

“It is entirely possible for meat eaters and vegetarians to be in happy relationships,” the expert says. “Like with anything else in relationships, mutual respect, communication and understanding are critical. There are a few key factors that influence how people can make this work.”

“One is: at what point did one person become vegetarian, was it at the start of a relationship or did they decide to make a lifestyle change during an existing relationship?” Deirdra asks.

“Some single vegetarians may decide they only want to date someone who aligns with their lifestyle when they are meeting people. Many couples find that they may start a relationship, but then one person decides to make changes to their lifestyle choices. So like with any change, adaptations and compromises are needed. It is important that you communicate your preferences early on and avoid judgmental language and hoping to or trying to change someone.”

The expert says another key factor is why someone has become vegetarian, as that will often affect how they feel about their partner eating meat. “Many vegetarians have chosen to not eat animals, so if they see their partner choosing differently, this can be upsetting for them. Many vegetarians might also find it difficult to cook or handle meat as they have a strong affinity with animals. Equally, they may not even want to see meat in the house or fridge.”

“Try and find the commonalities, like maybe cooking together and making a dish where meat can added in at the end like pastas or stir fries”

“For many vegetarians, they can only see meat as a dead animal, and as harsh as that may feel to a meat eater, it is a fact,” Deirdra explained. “We have all been conditioned in our society to see animals as food. ‘Vegetarian’ can be a dietary choice, but often, it is underpinned by deeper convictions. It is important that the couple communicate preferences around shared spaces such as the fridge and use of utensils.”

The expert also noted that vegetarians may have chosen to make changes because they have strong environmental reasons or are doing it for their health. “The environmental and health benefits evidence is undisputed these days in terms of eating less meat and increasing plant-based foods,” Deirdra shared.

So what can couples do to deal with the possible conflicts that might arise from their different diets?

“Understand where each other’s boundaries and compromises are,” the expert says. “Try and find the commonalities, like maybe cooking together and making a dish where meat can added in at the end like pastas or stir fries. When eating out, find restaurants that cater to both preferences and be mindful of the partner that has limited choices. So many cuisines naturally lean into more vegetarian such as Indian, Mediterranean and Ethiopian.”

“We know of examples where a separate fridge for meat has been a compromise, or the vegetarian partner has agreed to serve ready-cooked meats but not to handle or cook raw meat,” Deirdra continued. “We know of other examples where the non-vegetarian partner eats veggie at home but non-veggie when out.”

“Finding a healthy middle ground is down to each person understanding their own needs and communicating those clearly”

“The bottom line is communication and respecting and understanding each other’s boundaries,” the expert shared. “Even a simple thing like a meat eater brushing their teeth after eating strongly flavored meat (like bacon!) before kissing their veggie partner can be a sign of respect. Not every vegetarian is bothered by this, so it’s important to talk openly about your individual preferences. It is really important for the vegetarian to educate without preaching.”

Finally, Deirdra says it’s always important to learn about and be interested in your partner. “Don’t be defensive or lecture. Because vegetarians are not always catered for well in restaurants, a partner who learns to cook some veggie meals is greatly appreciated,” she shared. “It’s also beneficial to the meat eater in terms of their health to introduce more veggies into their diet.”

And if you’re looking for delicious vegetarian (and vegan) recipes or more information on introducing vegetarian meals and nutrition, be sure to visit The Vegetarian Society’s website!

“Finding a healthy middle ground is down to each person understanding their own needs and communicating those clearly,” Deirdra added.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Then, you can find another Bored Panda piece discussing similar issues right here!    

Many readers took the author’s side, and he joined in on the conversation to answer some of their questions

The majority agreed that it’s not his responsibility to make his wife’s lunches too

However, some thought that the man was being unfair to his wife

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