If you’ve been thinking about going plant-based, but your significant other isn’t on board yet, this can be a tough situation. Going plant-based is a personal choice. It’s something that you want for yourself and your health, but it also affects everyone else in your ecosystem—including your partner! So how do you go plant-based when your partner eats meat?
Don’t Force Your Diet On Them
You can’t force your partner to go plant-based, but you can inspire them to eat healthier. Don’t make this an ultimatum and don’t shame them for eating meat, because that will likely just backfire. Instead, be the good example of why it matters to eat this way. Show them how it affects your life in a positive way and explain why it’s so important to you. Educate your partner in a kind and loving way; eventually they might start asking questions about what you’re doing and why—and then maybe one day they’ll decide that they want the same things for themselves!
Do The Grocery Shopping Together
The first thing you should do is do the grocery shopping together. Share your reason for going plant-based, and mention the nutritional benefits of your new meal plan. Get them interested! Don’t make them feel guilty for eating meat, but explain why you want to go plant-based. Ask them to try some of your new recipes with you or incorporate more vegetables into their diet as well. Don’t forget to plan out the week so they know what to expect when it comes to cooking at home!
Cook meals together that can be plant-based or not
Cooking meals together is a great way to find common ground in the kitchen. If your partner eats meat and you don’t, it’s important to create a meal that is not only delicious and nutritious but also appealing to both of you.
If possible, make the same base meal for both of your diets: For example, things like stir fries, nachos, or pasta dishes can easily be made without meat and dairy. Then each of you can add whichever proteins work best for you. This saves time in the kitchen because it’s not creating two separate meals—and less work in the kitchen means more time spent enjoying each other’s company around the table!
Find Plant-Based Food You Both Like
When you are adopting a plant-based diet, it’s fairly common for a meat-eating partner to be not as excited about the new foods and recipes as you would like them to be, which can be frustrating.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! With some patience, you can help your partner ease into a more plant-based diet without much resistance. Here are our top tips:
- Make a list of all the plant-based foods that you and your partner already eat and love. When you make a meal, serve more of these items, and it will feel familiar —and less like an experiment or inconvenience!
- Start with things they already like – and then work your way up to “weirder” foods. Over time as your partner adjusts their expectations about what constitutes dinner at home every night, try adding different kinds of vegetables to more traditional recipes until eventually, they get comfortable with new foods being part of dinner every day.
Find Restaurants that have Plant-based Options
There are so many more restaurants that serve plant-based options than ever before. The perfect way to try out new plant-based meals is to grab a bite from a professional! While many plant-based recipes are simple, it can be intimidating to try and create a plant-based meal for a resistant carnivore. Leave it to the experts! Plan a date night around exploring some of the best local plant-based restaurants in your area and take the pressure off while trying out new and inspiring dishes together. Explore our menu (it’s entirely plant-based!)
Conclusion
If you’re thinking of going plant-based, talking to your partner about it can be a big step. Your partner may not be comfortable with the idea of eating a plant-based diet and may have concerns about how this will impact your health. Be careful not to push too hard—you don’t want them to feel like they’re being pressured into something they don’t want. Instead, try talking about ways that both of you could eat fewer animal products (like switching from cow’s milk to almond milk), try out some new recipes together, and get out and explore the amazing plant-based restaurants in Las Vegas together!
