Do you consider being vegan / vegetarian as a minimal requirement for a partner ?

Longtime partner, yes.

Short-term/Casual partner, no.

But even so with a short-term partner they must understand why I am vegan and respect that. If not, then even a short-term/casual relationship would not work.

I'm lucky. My BF is ovo-lacto veg. but eats vegan 99% of the time since he can't cook to save his life so he eats what I make. And he can't be trusted in grocery stores so I do the shopping. If it were up to him, we'd be eating chips for dinner.

I would accept a non-vegetarian as long as they were respectful of my beliefs but I don't know about long term.

And how do you know whether it's short or long term? You might say it's ok for a short term relationship but it evolves into a long term relationship, you just never know. Would you then dump the person?

I want to see that picture now. :)

Personally, i would “accept” a vegetarian cause vegans are hard to find.
I hope that I can “convert” her to Vegan in the long run. (I know this is a wrong full thought)

I know opinions differ on the reasons one becomes vegetarian, but could you stand a piece of dead bloody animal in your fridge ? Or having it baked in your kitchen, the smell of fried animal while your baking your veggie-burger in another pan?

Originally posted by 1vegan
I know opinions differ on the reasons one becomes vegetarian, but could you stand a piece of dead bloody animal in your fridge ? Or having it baked in your kitchen, the smell of fried animal while your baking your veggie-burger in another pan?

This is something I'm dealing with now. I've been vegetarian for 6 months now..that's it. My b/f and I have been together almost 6 years. He still eats 'the old way'. When it's cooking, even though it's winter and 10 degrees out, I have the windows open. I'm not going to kick him out because he eats flesh. Maybe in time he'll come around and be a vegetarian too. I'm not going to force anything on him though in fear it might turn him off of the idea. I don't like cooking it not one bit so he's going to start learning how to cook his own. What else can I do? I love him for him; not for what he eats or doesn't eat.

My first husband went veggie. My ex boyfriend and my now husband didn't. I seldom dated vegans, maybe six ever. The vegetarians came in all sorts. But my husband is a good patient man. And he loves cooking and eating. I don't cook corpse. I did for a few weeks when we were first shacked up, guess it tasted bad the way I did it? :D And we now have two fridges. Bad fridge with corpse and beer in, good fridge with vegan marge etc and veggies in. Seperate grill pans. Same plates and cutlery. If he wants smoked kippers I make him cook it out in the garden on a camping stove! He steals my vegan food.... :D

I said that I am open to non veg*ns. But I also know that it would have to be a special non-veg*n, some one who already ate very little meat, or who would like to be at least vegetarian, but feels it is too difficult. Someone who can understand my reasons on more than just an intellectual level.

I have only dated one person since I went vegetarian. He ate a lot less meat bc of me, but it was still an issue. Not the food per se. But the difference in views towards animals. He could admit that he thought cruel practices in factory farms were wrong, but he didn't bother to try to find meat from smaller farms. He also had no problems with things like fois gras or veal. He didn't want to think about it.

Other things caused tension, too. Like once we passed a horse race track, and I commented on it negatively. He said, "they're bred for that." Just no meeting of the minds on some issues.

But to give him credit, I got him to learn to love tofu, to defend vegetarianism when he heard someone making fun of it, and to think about meat as animals (he would admit that this was popping into his mind now bc of me.)

In the end, though, the difference in viewing animals was a factor in the demise of our relationship.

Spud writes: "He steals my vegan food"

I don't think that's funny, and is one of the problems with living with non-vegans. They can steal your food, but you don't want to steal theirs. So they get enough to eat, and you get malnutrition. Before I moved out of my parents house, I had to physically restrain my sister once, to prevent her from stealing my carrots, as I was hungry, had saved the carrots for when I was hungry, and had no money to buy more food. She had no food at all, that I could steal, if she stole my carrots. I would never want to live with a non-vegan. I would not even want to live with someone who was a vegetarian, and agreed to go vegan to appease me, to make it easier to live with me. What a dull kind of person that would be! I'd only want to live with someone who wanted to be a vegan, for their own reasons.

I'm a vegetarian and the only thing I won't accept (relative to this subject) is dietary intolerance. Whether it's from a vegan who gets on my ass about drinking cow milk or a meat-eater trying to convert me back to the dark side. They're both equally annoying. Just leave me alone already.

I don't get malnutrition! There' s loads of food in our house, enough to feed us for a month if we get snowed in, enough to feed hungry visitors. I'd get the sack if the larder was empty. The problem isn't him eating my food, it's me expecting it to be where I left it and not in his stomach. I can just make some more, or eat something else. Anyway, he ends up eating many vegan meals at home, and he cooks 75% of the meals here too. Including vegan ones. All our margerine/bread/biscuits etc are vegan, it's only things that are clearly animal that are animal, oh and dried milk powder for his tea. No fresh milk here to go rancid, and I never have eggs in unless one happens to have been laid by our own hens. And I try to give those away to my neighbour before my husband finds them, chloresterol and all that.

Apple's criteria:

* makes me smile
* makes me laugh
* makes me happy
* respects me
* sticks up for me
* he is open minded
* he acts cute
* he's funny
* he can be serious
* he's patient
* he can be romantic
* he's not afraid to show his feelings
* likes to snuggle
* will dance

Veganism / Vegetarianism is a plus.

In other words Apple is going to be single forever. :cry: :(

Originally posted by Apple
[B]
In other words Apple is going to be single forever. :cry: :(

Oh no...you'll find him. Sometimes I look at couples walking down the street and I think, gee they look so suited for each other it's unreal! If some of the people I see that I know and actually some of the people I see that I don't know can find a partner and be happy, so can you (or maybe he'll find you first). Just keep your heart open and let it be your guide :)

i'm vegan and i'd like to say that i don't care if they are vegetarian or not, but in all honesty, i think it would pose a major problem if they aren't. i have a tough time watching people eat meat, although i don't say anything about it and you probably couldn't tell, and i don't think i could deal with having to see that over and over again.

but at the same time, people change.. i mean, how many of were born veg*ns? which means that a non-vegetarian could easily change to a vegetarian if they are open-minded about things. so i guess it's possible that they could not be vegetarian.

well now i'm awfully confused :)

Funny how my non veg*n b/f recently realized how much soy is included in what he eats. If anything else, he is 100% more aware of what's in what he's eating now than 6 months ago. The wheels are turning.......

My husband is vegan. We were both vegetarian when we started dating and we made the vegan transition about the same time. Back then, as a vegetarian, I don't think I would have had any issues with dating a non-veggie so long as they were considerate and accomodating. Now, however, after being vegan for years with a vegan partner, I can't imagine dating or marrying a non-veggie.

I agree with Thalia, even though I said I'd date a non-veg*n it would have to be someone who ate very little meat, or at least ate very little meat around me. Also, a vegan would be ideal. I would love to go vegan and if I had someone who already was that would be awesome.

Where abouts exactly is the dating thread on this board?

The way we deal with it, is no meat in the house (except for the cat food), I really don't care what she needs when she is at work, but I strongly prefer not to have to deal with that in the fridge.

Originally posted by Michael
I would accept a non-vegetarian as long as they were respectful of my beliefs but I don't know about long term.

And how do you know whether it's short or long term? You might say it's ok for a short term relationship but it evolves into a long term relationship, you just never know. Would you then dump the person?

I want to see that picture now. :)

I meant short term like... um... you know... uh... like a "fun" relationship. One that you're pretty sure won't develop into a long-term thing... heh heh!

But seriously. I guess I wouldn't dump the person if I really liked them. And if it developed more into a live-in relationship then it would be separate cookware and minimal meat & byproducts in the house.

Picture, who me?

Originally posted by Michael
I would love to go vegan and if I had someone who already was that would be awesome.

dude, you've been saying that the WHOLE time i've known you. what's the hold up already? ;)

my husband is vegan.

i could see myself with a vegetarian. but not a meat-eater. short- or long-term. just too very different ways of seeing the world. it would cause too much conflict.

Max Power writes:
=======================
I'm a vegetarian and the only thing I won't accept (relative to this subject) is dietary intolerance. Whether it's from a vegan who gets on my ass about drinking cow milk or a meat-eater trying to convert me back to the dark side. They're both equally annoying. Just leave me alone already.
======================

Hahaha. I don't like "dietary intolerence" either. And I try to practice the golden rule and not be intolerant of non-vegans, or non-vegetarians, or anyone with any diet, for that matter. I just don't want to share share a houshold and kitchen and dining area, with non-vegans, and i think it presents so many problems, that it would make living with a non-vegan a real pain, not enjoyable. Food is one of the most important things in life, and one of the things that people relate to each other about, the most. If don't like being dietarily intolerant, or nagging people about their diet, but if I were living with a non-vegan I would be constantly tempted to do so. The temptation, and the necesity of restraining myself from nagging, and the lack of meals togeher and discussing and planning what to buy, grow, or eat -- would make an non-vegan a person that there wasn't much to share about, in life, with them. Sex? That's not enough to build a satisfactory living arrangement upon.

Tell me:

who voted for "as long as he/she is beautiful".??

Should I see this as valueing somebody on basis of there outer shell or as "beautiful" as the total sum of everything ?

I am vegan, my husband and children are vegetarian. I could never be with an omnivore, because I don't think much of people who knowingly cause animal suffering and death.

dude, you've been saying that the WHOLE time i've known you. what's the hold up already?

I need help. Not just help like "good job" but help as in someone here all the time who knows what they're doing.

Originally posted by Michael
I need help. Not just help like "good job" but help as in someone here all the time who knows what they're doing.
Yeah so do I. Oh dear me yes.


Tell me:
who voted for "as long as he/she is beautiful".??

Me, I was one. There wasn't a box to tick for I'm vegan and I'll love someone even if they eat corpse as long as they are a good at heart kind person who can be kind to me even when I'm seriously premenstrual and utterly hateful