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I am also in your situation (husband and kids who eat meat--in fact I would probably call one of my kids a carnivore rather than an omnivore as he eats very few fruits and veg and loves all meats and fish). Unlike you, though, I still will prepare meat/fish dishes for them 2-3 nights per week. On these nights, I usually have leftovers from a previous vegetarian meal and there is no real extra work.
My husband, I think, would be fine in a vegetarian (not vegan) home as if he really wanted meat, he could go out and get a burger. My kids are a little more difficult and picky. I am trying to transition to all vegetarian dinners but they will not touch most of the stuff I serve (vegetable=yuk, two or three veg in one meal=major yuk).
Dishes like pasta, tacos, beans and rice, quesadillas, and even some soups are great because it is easy to add meat last minute or serve it on the side. I have tacos with beans, they have tacos with beef or chicken; I have plain red beans and rice, they top theirs with some kielbasa. Also, there are no restrictions on what they order for takeout, so if they want pepperoni on their pizza or pork in their mu shu, fine by me.
Since I dislike preparing meat more and more, though, I am starting to only buy meat they can deal with themselves. For example, if I make a vegetarian dinner and they don't want it, I will have some turkey breast or salami on hand so they can make themselves a sandwich instead. I have also told them they are welcome to have a PBJ or cereal. Hopefully they will become a little more adventurous and try new things the more I offer them!
My husband and kids eat meat, I don't. I make a lot of pasta/macaroni and cheese dishes for them, indian too. If he wants something different he will make it. My kids are older too, so if they want chicken or a burger or whatever they will cook it. I don't like the smell of meat cooking anymore, and also it's hard to cook something when you don't want to taste it for seasonings.
For holidays, such as Thanksgiving or if we have a BBQ he will cook meat. And if we go out they will always order a meat dish.
We rarely buy meat, just basically for holidays, except for his coldcuts for lunch.
It is much easier when everyone in the house eats the same kinds of foods....my husband and I are retired and eat a plant-based diet....this would have been very difficult when we had children but I know some people do it.
The rest of my family eats meat. I find the thought of eating meat is repulsive so there is no temptation.
What is your reason for not eating meat? If it is based on health reasons, I can understand why it would be tempting.
I'll admit that the smell of some meats cooking (especially pork products) is pleasantly aromatic. But I'm still not tempted. It is pretty easy to live without eating meat and I am content with what I eat.
I am a vegetarian because it just feels right to me. I don't have a specific reason. I love animals and I just don't want to be part of that cycle of eating animals.
No temptation whatsoever for eating meat either, but so many people will say things like "look how good this burger looks, I bet you wish you could have one". Wrong, I could if I wanted to to, but no desire to.
I can cook, and I am glad that I live in an area where meatless dishes in restaurants are very easy to come by. I can cook also and am pretty creative sometimes.
When I gave up meat I stopped preparing it altogether. I was a single parent with three kids, and they were just fine with a vegetarian diet.
I am very much against factory farming and animal cruelty. There is such a wide variety of food available that doesn't involve harm to animals, why would I prepare meat for my children?
Just start a new way of cooking. The people who eat meat can prepare it themselves, those that do not can share their results.
The thought of having someone who is repulsed or has no enjoyment for eating meat hardly seems like someone that should prepare it.
Right now a meat lover's pizza sounds tempting but I'd just as soon not have a vegetarian prepare it. While they might have the necessary skills, I bet the thought of a medium to well done cabbage doesn't exactly thrill the vegetarians.
How do those of you who live with meat-eaters maintain a vegetarian lifestyle?
Don't eat meat.
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