Help! DH wants us to go vegan!

[SparePartz]

I'm not a good cook and tend to stick with what I know. I'm panicking slightly! He's watched the Netflix show and has decided we should try to eat vegan during the week.

I have some issues:
first and foremost my tea. I drink milk in my tea. We tried oat milk a while back and even he decided it wasn't great. Is there a better option?

Mushy food makes me gag. He's talking eating lentils, peas and beans. Is there any way to prepare them so they're not mushy?

We, especially DS, eat a lot of cheese and yoghurt. How do you keep a growing teenager full without cereal/milk/cheese on toast? We're not looking to try out highly processed vegan copies of non- vegan food.

I cannot eat mushrooms. Well, I can eat them but then get horrific stomach cramps a few hours later. Lots of recipes seem to be mushroom based.

How do I make sure the DC are getting all the nutrients they need as they come into and through puberty?

Nuts - hazelnuts make DC2's mouth blister, walnuts make my mouth itch and I don't like any other nuts.

Is there an idiots guide to being a vegan somewhere?

This isn’t your problem is it? If he wants to go vegan let him and you carry on eating as you want to.

...but for non-mushy bean/pulse content, I second the recommendation of frozen edamame beans, they stay crunchy and have a lovely gentle creamy taste. Also the dark brown chickpeas (rather than the bigger beige ones) tend to hold their texture much better, even from a tin.

You don’t want to go vegan so don’t.

He can if he wants to.

He is not the boss of you.

You don’t need help, you just need to say that’s nice dear, and carry on as you are.

I’d start by adding a meal or two a week that’s vegan. And then expand as you want.

I like ratatouille

Mujadara is nice

but it takes effort to make sure the nutritional profile is right if you are fully vegan.

I'm doing Veganuary but my husband and kids don't want to. As I already do all the meal planning, food shopping and cooking then it has no impact on them. I choose foods that I can easily make two versions of. Admittedly I was already doing that as the only vegetarian in the house! I think if he wants to do it then he needs to think about how he is going to make it happen, not leave it up to you. I don't think one person can demand everyone eats like them.

This is what you say... DH, that's great and I will support you in your decision. However, this is not my choice so DC and I will continue as usual.

Plant based milks come in barista formulas now, usually better for coffee than tea, if not herbal teas/black tea!

Chickpeas don’t need to be mushy, pop them in the oven with loads of seasoning (paprika and salt usually) - delicious addition to meals. Also TOFU omg, drain and cover with cornstarch and fry - sooo good.

Peanut butter on toast for son, also maybe discuss with him if he wants in on the vegan think first. Avocados are great on toast. Once you find a milk he likes that’s perfect for cereal. Forget all the cheese stuff but check out nutritional yeast which tastes like nutty cheesy marmite - I put it on EVERYTHING. Also lots of smoothies. Dark chocolate can be added and sweetened if he has a sweet tooth too.

I tolerate mushrooms, I never cook them myself, but they’re fine. You’ll only struggle when eating out but at home you don’t need those weird slug-like things.

Have you guys tried cashews? If not no nuts no worries! Maybe google nut free vegan dishes, there will be plenty out there :)

TikTok/Instagram from good videos and recipes - it’s good to see how things should look if you’re not super experienced with a style of food.

Hope this helps OP! Good look with the vegan adventure!

Ooh, bean chilli is great.

Historically my family were vegan (in another country)

Rice, lentils, nuts etc are crucial

happily for me, my parents dropped it coming here. There’s a a problematic history of long life in my family and certainly everyone has a lovely figure and pretty robust health till 85 where it seems to go wrong.

but I would think it really unfair on DC. Sorry. I know it’s perfectly healthy, I see the evidence, but it doesn’t seem much fun to me.

DH can do it. He can cook for himself and whenever his turn is to cook for the family.

He can decide if he wants to restrict his diet, you get to decide for yourself. Even if you both decide to, and cook vegan dinners in the week, there's no reason to impose any restriction on your children. Other than what's on offer for dinner if you're the ones cooking of course.

This !

I would tell him you look forward to trying the vegan dishes he comes up with whenever it is his turn to cook. Otherwise continue meal planning as you wish.

A simple 'no' will suffice

it won’t last - get up early and grill bacon, on a butty with brown sauce one side, butter the other, only a man of steel could resist, have roast a chicken for dinner,
remark on his leather shoes, belt, lunchtime sandwich, good luck OP, please keep us up to date

You don’t have to go vegan too if it’s that much of an issue for you, but there are lots of non-mushy, mushroom free vegan recipes online.

Chickpea curries, crispy tofu poke bowls, black bean burritos, beetroot wellington, vegan vegetable red curry, Vegan bibimbap without mushrooms, vegan, stir fry recipes

He's being dramatic and leaving you to do the work. Don't let him.

You don't need to all go vegan, and certainly not all by a set date. Just add more fruit and veg and grains to your diet, have more vegetarian and vegan things, if you like it then phase out meat and dairy until you're at a point you're comfortable with.

Otherwise it's like him announcing that from now on, you're only eating thai food or something!

If my DH told me he wants us to be vegan, I would tell him he can do it himself and cook all his vegan food.

I am concerned about your and your DS’s reaction to eating nuts - have you asked about allergies to your GP?

He goes vegan, u don't. U eat as unpleasant without any commentary from him.

would tell him you look forward to trying the vegan dishes he comes up with whenever it is his turn to cook.
well so far, he hasn't come up with any suggestions. And he definitely didn't close a vegan option last time we were at a restaurant. He generally only cooks at the weekend - when he says we can eat meat. He's only wanting to eat vegan M-Fri. Says we need to eat more healthily.

He generally only cooks at the weekend - when he says we can eat meat. He's only wanting to eat vegan M-Fri. Says we need to eat more healthily.
that’s convenient for him, he just gets to on a whim change the food of the house and put zero effort in.

As usual first response nailed it.

A healthy varied vegan diet is hard work to plan unless you resort to unhealthy UPF.

HE wants to be vegan then HE can.

This. No point in panicking, just tell him to sod off and he began on his own if he wants to be, but you have no intention of joining him

Be aware that most milk alternative drinks contain seed oils like rapeseed.

*be vegan not 'he began' (oh for an exit button on the app!)