College Roommates

[likegiraffes]

So I became a vegetarian this summer, and in a few weeks I'll be heading back to school. My (omnivorous) friends and I got an apartment this year (yay!) and we all agreed ahead of time that we'd share food expenses. I'm the only one that knows how to cook, and I volunteered to do so regularly, since I love cooking and they burn things. ;)

I've casually mentioned that I'm a vegetarian now, and I've been met with outright mockery and disparaging comments. This wasn't particularly surprising, but since I'll be eating all of my meals with them this year I guess I'm looking for some strategies.

How should we handle groceries? It's a lot cheaper to cook for four people than to each cook for ourselves. But I don't want to be paying for their meat. I also don't want to cook it, but I already offered to be the designated chef. I wouldn't mind making recipes that they could add meat to while keeping it veg for myself, but I can't really think of anything that would work other than stir fry or spaghetti with meatballs on the side. I've been cooking for my omnivorous parents all summer, and they don't mind eating vegetarian food as long as it's tasty and someone else is making it, haha. But my roommates' attitudes seem to suggest they're going to be really nasty about it if I try to go that route...

I guess I'm asking for advice/strategies/food ideas... I'm really nervous about this!

[s0ad]

Not sure about this, but in my apartment for college I was the only vegan. To have shared the expenses with their food would have been annoying because I wouldn't have been able to eat it.

I just cooked for myself.

This year I'll be living with 2 omnis and will invite them to share my food that I make but won't be accommodating to their tastes. :P

If your roommates want to eat vegetarian than it shouldn't be a problem, but I think trying to work around sharing expenses for omni stuff that you wouldn't use might get annoying.

Just maybe split stuff everyone will use (rice, pasta, etc) then pay for separate things.

[Sam Dude]

Why don't they pay for all their food, and you pay for yours seperately?

[meegie lee]

To me, this is a situation like living with someone who has Celiac's or other food allergies. They should (should being operative word here, not will) respect that. Talk to them again, explaining that you are serious about your diet choice and that you want to compromise and talk it out. Say what you said here--you are willing to cook meals that they can add meat to, if they wish.

Maybe also add that there are economical advantages to not cooking meat...

In the house I lived in for college we had a chore list and one of those chores was meal planning/grocery shopping. We each put in $70/month in a jar, and the person who went shopping took whatever amount of money they needed from the pot. Maybe you could do some arrangement like that...maybe they could have a "meat pot" and one of them could go purchase it.

Rooming situations are difficult! Food was definitely the top tension-causer in our house since we (10 girls!) had so many different preferences. In the end though, we gravitated towards bulk produce, grains and lower-meat meals just because of the sheer cost of buying meat for 10 people.

Hope that helps!

[shellie]

Ask if you can share grocery expenses for everything except meat. If they want meat they can share it between them without including you. Tell them what you are planning to cook so they know if they want meat with it, or what kind they want. The items you listed would be easy for them to add meat to, their are also things like casseroles. You could either make it in two separate dishes, they could add meat to their casserole dish or keep it as one casserole and they could cook meat to have on the side. Be honest with them and explain that you aren't comfortable cooking or purchasing meat but you are happy to cook the rest of the food.

[likegiraffes]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm just a little nervous, but I'm sure we'll work something out. :)