"Hi, I'd like a sausage McMuffin, but without the sausage."
"Do you not like sausage?"
"No, I'm a vegetarian."
"Oh, by choice?"
"No, I was raised vegetarian. My whole family is."
This was the moment I found out my boyfriend was a vegetarian. Granted, we weren't dating at the time, but it was surprising nonetheless.
In reality, Sam became the first important person in my life who didn't eat meat and it took some adjustment. In the beginning, I was constantly asking him questions about being a vegetarian. Eventually, it turned into me making comments and constantly worrying about vegetarian options.
Now you'd think, "Wow, dating a vegetarian must be really hard."
It's actually not. And I've learned a lot about how to date a vegetarian and a lot about myself from it.
1. Don't worry about them when ordering out.
Unless you're at some exclusive meat-style restaurant, vegetarians know how to order their food. Sam's been doing it his entire life and for those who have chosen this lifestyle, they knew what they were getting themselves into when they chose it.
2. Cooking vegetarian food is fun and challenging.
Originally, I let Sam do all of the cooking, but when I came back from the Netherlands, I decided to take over the kitchen a bit. However, I focused on making my meals exclusively vegetarian. So with that being said, I've learned how to cook many meatless culinary creations.
Tofu was interesting because I didn't know you had to press out all of the water before cooking. And fake meat honestly tastes just like ground beef. Just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you can't have Taco Tuesday.
BuzzFeed offers plenty of great vegetarian food options and they are ultimately healthier for you.
3. There are still plenty of other animal options...
...like eggs, milk and cheese. Unless you're ovo-vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian, these products are fair game. It makes breakfast a lot easier, I promise.
4. And you can always compromise.
For dinner the other night, we made a spinach and artichoke mac 'n' cheese. It was absolutely delicious and vegetarian friendly for Sam, but I needed my own protein intake. For myself, I just cooked my own chicken real fast and was able to enjoy my meal just as much as Sam enjoyed his. This can go for anything really: burgers (veggie and meat), pizza toppings, pasta, tacos, stir fry, you name it.
5. Any meat product is replaceable.
Crazy, but true. Ranging from ground beef to chicken, there's always another option that can give you just as much protein. There are also companies doing their best to create meat alternatives that replicate meat down to the genetic makeup, like Beyond Meat. Their chicken looks and tastes just like real chicken, it's difficult to find a difference.
6. Once you stop eating meat, you stop craving it.
Or in Sam's case, he doesn't even like the taste of meat. So even though you may think a vegetarian is missing out on steak and bacon, he or she actually isn't because there are no cravings. While I don't remember the last time I ate beef, I also don't crave it either. I can live without it, really.
7. You don't have to be an animal activist.
Just because you choose not to eat meat doesn't mean you're condemning everyone who does. There are plenty of vegetarians who choose the lifestyle not because of saving cows and chickens, but because it's ultimately a healthier choice. If you've ever seen the Netflix documentary "Cowspiracy," it goes into detail about how livestock is a huge contributor to global warming and how the meat industry pumps animals with hormones and steroids that you end up consuming yourself. Forget saving the animals, do you really want any of that unnatural crap in your system? I certainly don't.
8. You don't poop as much.
Sorry that we're talking about fecal matter, but it's important to know vegetarians do not poop as much as carnivores. There's just something about consuming meat that makes most people have to go to the toilet more often than herbivores. Learning this changed my own opinion and I've almost completely stopped eating beef. Not that I don't love a good burger or steak, but my body thanks me every time I choose lean meat (or no meat) over beef.
I'm not a vegetarian just yet, but who knows? I might decide to change my ways. For now, I thank my boyfriend for showing me a different side to food and for ultimately helping me make healthier choices in my daily life. I never would've guessed I'd learn so much from dating a herbivore.
