To become the only vegetarian of my family of 4? Help!

[marykitty]

So, after considering it for a long time, I have decided 2022 is the year and I want to give up meat products.
I am the main only cook of our family of 4 (DH, a toddler and a baby).
I am the only one giving up meat and this is creating more organization issues than i considered. I basically have to cook 2 different meals every single time...

AIBU to think I can manage to be vegetarian even if I am the only one in my family? Do you have any tips how to do it - meal prepping, recipes of else? I have a very busy lifestyle between kids, work and family chores.

Thanks a lot!

Quick cold meals - wraps or sandwich.

Lettuce+hummus or Lettuce+sliced in half vege sausage or salad + little bit of cheese/peanut butter etc

I'm vegetarian and my DH isn't but we usually eat vegetarian. He's used to it and doesn't mind at all. Most of the meals we cook just happen to be vegetarian or even vegan. When I want something with tofu or paneer he'll have chicken but other than that we eat the same thing. We vary what we cook a lot and I have loads of well used cookbooks which helps. I still fall into the occasional slump but I assume that happens to everyone.

Easy go to cold meals:

Orzo pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, feta and olives

Hummus and veggies sandwiches (cucumber, tomatoes, spinach)

Egg salad with crackers

Shrimp summer rolls

I’m vegan, DH is an omnivore happy to have meat once a week or less, DS is a recent convert to pescatarianism and DD basically only eats chicken, chickpeas, steak, broccoli and green beans.

My veganism has been a slow burn but pretty much 100% for about 4 years. Now that my cooking has adjusted and I can make decent vegan food and I’m the main cook we pretty much eat vegan all the time. One night a week DH will cook steak or fish with chips and green beans for him and the kids (though this week both he and DS have opted to have tofish with me instead of an animal product). I do have to cook seperately for DD most nights but I’d be doing that even if I was an omnivore so she gets very easy and basic food

If it were DH who was the vegan but me doing the cooking I guess we’d eat vegan less often than now but that would mean cooking separate food for him as well as DD. Basically I’m the cook and I cook what I want to eat and DH and DS are happy with that

I'm vegan and my DP is pescatarian, it is just us two. I won't cook fish, and so DP will usually cook himself fish twice a week. The rest of the time, we eat vegan, or he will have a vegetarian pizza and I will have vegan.

There is so much great advice from PPs. I think it can be quite daunting when you first start out, but you quickly get used to it.

Bulk cooking, if you have time, is an absolute game changer. You could cook a curry for example, adding meat to one pan, and a plant-based protein to the other (daal is my favourite and so easy). You could then freeze the rest and save time in the long run. Bolognese and chilli would also be good for this. If you are making something like sausage, mash and veg, just serve yourself vegetarian sausages.

If you plan on eating faux meat subs, there are so many delicious ones out there now. Vivera is an amazing brand and so is Beyond albeit they are vegan. I would suggest just trying some. Most supermarkets have their own plant-based range.

There are loads of great recipes online now to give you an helping hand. Bosh is one of my faves and I often make their recipes. Their mac and cheese is delightful, but again vegan.

Good look with it all.

I concur - take it slowly to learn how to cook veggie, it takes time - also your children are tiny enough to make a bigger change for them

I've been the only non-meat eater in our family since November. I don't want the DC to stop eating meat right now because especially 3yo DS2 won't eat any of the standard vegetarian protein options (hummus, baked beans, falafel, any kind of stew or bolognese you could put beans or lentils into, eggs in any form except dippy eggs and soldiers). What I do is sometimes plan something where we have nearly the same but with one substitute, so on Thursday this week we are all having pasta, 3 of us having tomato sauce, 3 of them having meatballs and I'm having quinoa balls. Then other times I will plan a vegetarian meal for DH and I with an alternative for them, so we might have curry, dhal and naan and the DC will have fish fingers, carrots and naan. Or I'll make something like a bean casserole that I will have as my main with some boiled veg, DH will have it as a side with sausages and veg and the DC will have the sausages, veg and a basic carb. None of these options require much extra cooking and my food is mainly the kind of thing you can easily freeze or take for lunch the next day so I make double or triple. I usually buy one prepared vegetarian dish each week (I like the stuffed mushrooms and stuffed peppers from the Tesco veg aisle) so there is one day when my bit can be quick and easy and the effort for cooking can go into the meat option. I also try to cook two or three meals at once when I am in the kitchen so some days minimal effort, since DH does a lot of the dinner prep whilst wrangling 2 DC before I get home from work.

Hello dears, just wanted to give a quick update after few successfull veg meals :)
I made lensils bolognese sauce this time with green ones, it's 100% better! Thanks for the tip.
Then mushroom and Parmesan risotto was also a hit
Cooking now a vegi lasagna with peas, carrots and Zucchini sauce