In the beginning of our relationship (8!!! years ago), Kyle and I ate different meals 99% of the time.
Then he went vegetarian a year ago and we started eating the same things. It was pretty cool to plan dinners and grocery shop for us both in the same way. We still eat this way…until this past week…
In an effort to clean out the fridge, I’ve been making a ton of not very FODMAP friendly meals for him. Meanwhile I’ve been on a total salad bender.
They all have the same theme. NUTS! Lots of nuts!
I look forward to these massive beasts so much so that I’ve almost made one for breakfast. But I didn’t.
Now you get a mini montage to prove my salad devotion.
Yep. Obsessed with salads topped in nuts. Each has had different proteins to go in it – from seitan, to [frozen] gardein chik’n breasts, to hard boiled eggs, to tofu, to tempeh.
Kyle’s dad took us to lunch at Greens Up! on Montana (that’s the one with tofu on top). And Alene brought us take out from Veggie Grill (that’s the kale salad with tempeh).
Our produce is basically doneso. Kyle likes big salads, too, but not as much as I do. So here’s a quick sampling of what I’ve been making him instead.
Rice & Bean Casserole [I cooked the dried beans and rice together in the rice cooker, used a boxed squash soup, added spices and cheddar cheese to the whole thing and then baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees]
Curry chickpeas with brown rice [I sautéed 1/2 onion, 1 can of chickpeas, 1/2 head of cabbage in oil and Patak’s curry paste]
Neither of us really mind the fact that we eat different things, but it’s a bit more work, that’s for sure. I’m definitely looking forward to restocking a new kitchen and fridge after we move and making meals that we can both share and enjoy together again. 🙂
I just have to say that you are such a good example of how different eating styles can work in a relationship. My boyfriend and I have ate differently ever since we have been together….and he’s picky. So, a lot of the time we eat different meals. It gets stressful sometimes to make sure he doesn’t succumb to eating fast food and processed food all the time as a convenient last resort, but you show how easy it can be to throw together some ingredients to make your man happy. Anyways, thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Oh, and those salads look awesome! No wonder you are obsessed!
My boyfriend and I have been together for 8 years, and 5 of those I have been vegan, so there are lots of different meals. Sometimes, however, they can line up pretty well, like when we do taco night. He will make a pan of his stuff and I make a pan of mine, and we can both enjoy tacos!
what are some examples of what exactly are in your salads? Besides the protein bases? The salads look awesome but I wouldn’t know how to begin to put together a salad. Would love some ideas from your list of pics. Do you use an olive oil/basamic vinegar dressing to stay natural?
My boyfriend and I eat completely differently–he doesn’t like ethnic food and I go ga-ga for a good curry. His favorite food is probably steak followed by fries and mine is probably hummus followed by dark chocolate 🙂 He does love veggies and is slowly starting to come around to my weird little veggie-friendly meals.
my fiance and i use to eat different meals, a lot of the time it was schedule differences, but then we realized that it really wasn’t normal to make two separate meals. i had so many people comment asking why we did this and yes, he eats more meat than i do and we do have separate tastes, but there were plenty of meals we could make that we both would enjoy. it just took a little more creativity. it actually made cooking fun because we both would throw out ideas of what we had a taste for a create something we both agreed on.
now im in no way saying it’s “not normal” to eat separate, but i just dont think it should be a regular occurrence. part of a relationship and being a family is sharing all those experiences together, and cooking and having dinner together i think it one of them!
i hope this doesn’t sound critical, everyone has the right to do their own thing, i just think cooking together as a family would be a good thing, especially with little P around now!!
Maybe you didn’t read the end of the post but the different meals are only for this last week before we move. Trying to use everything up and not waste. I think being frugal at the moment is of larger concern. Obviously I’ll go back to our weekly family meals once I’m not packing my life up.
My husband and I have been together for 13 (!!!) years and for the first few years, I still ate poultry, but have been a mainly vegetarian for probably the last 6-7 years (I will fish/seafood occasionally).
My husband is not vegetarian, let alone vegan, and just does not have the desire to do so.
I suppose I’m lucky, though, since he is basically a de facto vegetarian at home. I never cook us separate meals, he never complains/isn’t picky, and eats whatever I do. He’ll have meat if we go out, or if we’re grilling in the summer sometimes he picks up a steak. He also doesn’t have any issues going with me to vegan/vegetarian restaurants and enjoys that food. So no separate meals for us!
I think it looks like you have been making amazing meals, especially since I’m sure it’s getting harder as you use up the pantry. I think it’s sweet that you make Kyle meals he can enjoy even though they don’t get along with your stomach. I’m lucky my boyfriend is not picky at all and on nights we are together, if schedules permit, we always have fun cooking together.
Mm salads topped with nuts=<3, I'm glad someone else shares my enthusiasm regarding this topic :).
I've been aaall about toasting hazelnuts to top my salads recently, have you tried this?
Ooft, all your food gets me hungry!
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really need some ideas on what is in these salads, please! Are they raw veggies? I need help, please! When you find time, lol!
Ok…I’m starving and wanted to literally dive into that rice and bean casserole! Do you have an actual recipe or was it just a “throw everything in a pan” type thing? Either way it looks amazing and I’m totally doing it! I’m also still dying to make the kale, soy chorizo and rice casserole too!
No recipe just throw it all together. I think I added 1/4 cup ground flax too in order to kinda bind it but it was definitely a spoon casserole as opposed to a fork one if you know what I mean.
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anyone?