Different eating habits and relationships: please help!

So my boyfriend is white British and I am Indian. We have recently decided to move in together. We're both very excited about this, but there is one issue I am a little concerned about. It seems silly but I'm worried about our very different eating habits. I am vegetarian and I love Indian food, but he doesn't like it at all. SO basically he doesn't like my food and I wouldn't want to cook meat for him!

This is an issue for me because I don't like the idea of us cooking separately every night. Does anyone have any ideas about how we could go around this problem? I would really appreciate any thoughts on it!

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Do what he wants.

Compromise? When you cook you make non-spicy veggie dishes. When he cooks he makes a meal with a substitute meat/veg section. There must be some foods you btoh like so just work those out and work out the best way of going about it. There arw loads of meals you can cook and enable one person to eat meat and ths other a vegetable substitute. Jyst dont expect him to cook indian food on your days off!

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Reply 3

beckaroo7

Try to find foods that you both like? How does he feel about it?

Reply 4

joker12345

Why on earth can't you just cook separately? Makes so much more sense. You can occasionally coin for each other, but you may as well just make your own meals and both eat what you like.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Original post by joker12345

Why on earth can't you just cook separately? Makes so much more sense. You can occasionally coin for each other, but you may as well just make your own meals and both eat what you like.

It's not a problem in the short-term. We have been cooking separately when he stays at mine or I stay at his, but I'm thinking more in the long-term now. If things go well while living together, we'll consider getting married and starting a family. Ir seems impractical to carry on cooking separately for an indefinite period of time.

Reply 6

Studentus-anonymous

Original post by Anonymous

Prepare your own meals, problem solved!

Reply 7

joker12345

Original post by Anonymous

You don't have to do everything together to stay together.

Reply 8

sliceofcake

Original post by Anonymous

I agree, it is quite a pain to cook separately all of the time and is often easier and quicker to create one batch of food. I really think the best idea for you both would be to look into recipe books and find recipes on the internet. You'll find all sorts that neither of you have had or at least one of you hasn't had it and you can try them together. Eventually you'll have quite a few meals you both enjoy and you can even develop your own.

Reply 9

effofex

Original post by Anonymous

You can cook the food that you want to eat and he can cook the food that he wants to eat.

Likewise when you go out for lunch/dinner it's not like you both need to have exactly the same meal. Most restaurants of all genres will have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

Original post by joker12345

You don't have to do everything together to stay together.

Of course you don't. But when you're building a life together with someone, being able to eat the same food does make life a lot easier.

Reply 11

Anonymous #1

Original post by effofex

Eating out is not an issue, but when we're home it would be nice to eat the same food sometimes.

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

Original post by sliceofcake

Thanks for your idea. I'll suggest it to him ans see how it works out :smile:

Reply 13

Preeka

I understand how you feel as I live with my partner, even though we're both Indian, I'm more geared towards being healthy and he's not that way inclined although that's easier to deal with than a veg/non veg situation and having different tastes for which cuisine is preferred. There are some things I can think of though like for example, if ur having stir fry noodles, he can simply add chicken breast to his. Or if its a freezer night, you can get different pizzas/quiches/pastries and make it work that way. I think over time, you'll be able to find some Indian stuff that he might like and equally if ur eating non-Indian, then try something veggie which doesn't necessarily need meat like vegetable lasagna/pasta. Ull be able to find some staple meals to include during the week but just make sure there's a balance in the compromise. Also, making food in batches is also not a bad shout.

Reply 14

Inazuma

#bored of vegetarians refusing to cook meat when people are willing to cook vegetarian for them.
This is come dine with me all over again.
#pet peeve

Reply 15

sliceofcake

Original post by marinaim

#bored of vegetarians refusing to cook meat when people are willing to cook vegetarian for them.
This is come dine with me all over again.
#pet peeve

bored of people thinking TSR is #twitter or >4chan but I think we'll both survive it

Reply 16

Inazuma

Original post by sliceofcake

bored of people thinking TSR is #twitter or >4chan but I think we'll both survive it

I was only using them to make it less harsh :wink:

I don't think it worked. #hashtag #awesome

Reply 17

Ruffiio

Original post by Anonymous

Of course you don't. But when you're building a life together with someone, being able to eat the same food does make life a lot easier.

You can't be serious. Jesus, get over it and cook separately. Like the other person said, you don't have to do everything together. You gonna start wearing the same clothes and going the bathroom together too?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 18

Anonymous #1

Original post by Ruffiio

Not sure what your problem is. If you and your partner are happy cooking separately then good for you. I'm just here asking if anyone has any suggestions of making it work. DOn't post if you don't have any.