My partner is vegetarian and I am not, what do we do?

Daniel Marichal (34), a professional chef and chocolatier, and Martha Fuentes (36), an industrial engineer, have been together for nine years.

.

Lovers of good food, a mutual friend introduced them.

They fell in love and had their first date at a Chinese food restaurant.

Since before they met, Martha wanted to give up meat, but it was not until the end of 2016, in a

, when she tried a vegetarian burger that prompted her to take the last step.

"She was so hot that I told Daniel: 'if that's the case, I don't have to eat meat anymore', I hadn't forgotten my dream of being a vegetarian."

That Christmas, he tells

, he had to "come out of the closet" at dinner with his family.

"I would pass the turkey to Daniel until they asked me and I said at the table that he was not eating meat."

Making the transition to a diet free of meat consumption can be surprising for those around you, but, according to

, psychologist, sexologist and couples and non-monogamous relationship therapist, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a personal decision and, from that place, it must be approached.

The decision to consume meat or not is crossed by multiple factors, but it must always be personal.

(Photo: illustration Shutterstock)

“The choice of what we eat or stop eating should be very personal, even if it is influenced by collective issues, by sociocultural aspects and some ethical position in relation to that”, he indicates.

And despite the fact that more and more people are changing their diet, there are vegetarians who continue to face stereotypes.

“Many people still have the concept that we only eat lettuce, tomato and rice”, says Martha.

For Daniel, his partner, it was a challenge that led him to rediscover ingredients: “I have a taste for culinary research and I began to look for substitutes in recipes.

Much progress has been made at the gastronomic level.

I really like to cook for her and she opened up a world for me with new ways of doing it”.

They remember, for example, being surprised by a vegetarian 'mac and cheese' recipe that they made with cashew sauce and nutritional yeast.

"My monthly consumption of meat also decreased, I started to eat more vegetables because we have

at home," Daniel clarifies.

And, although they still have to warn in new places when they go out to eat that she is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, both agree that the offer has expanded in recent years.

In 2021, the Israeli industry

managed to emulate the texture and flavor of a beef steak by using cells from the animal without sacrificing it.

The news showed that the market for

could be an option for many omnivorous consumers.

A year earlier, in Singapore the same thing was also achieved with chicken meat.

The Singapore authorities approved the regulation that opens the door to the sale of laboratory-grown meat and becomes the first country in the world EFE/ Eat Just /Hampton Creek

That milestone may be an option against the projections of

.

In their latest report, it is estimated that the growth of income and the world population would lead to a 14% increase in meat protein consumption by 2030.

The effects of livestock farming on CO2 emissions and its contribution to climate change have also been important factors for many who oppose animal abuse and opt for a

diet .

A study at the request of the

carried out in July 2020 by the consulting firm KANTAR – Insights Division estimated that

.

This being the case, how is it possible for a couple to live together healthily when, for different reasons, they have such different eating habits?

According to Benedetto there are three key aspects:

.

"It is true that living with people with different food choices implies a challenge, but we could also think of it in someone who lives with a condition that deserves to reach some kind of adaptation, such as a

person , "says Benedetto.

You should not try to impose, persuade or convince the other person.

(Photo: illustration Shutterstock)

Although this individuality can be put to the test, the willingness to generate agreements is key, especially if positions are not radicalized.

“For a coexistence to be as healthy as possible, the idea would be to be able to preserve the two food options that people propose.

If we suddenly start to think that there are things that cannot happen inside that home and the other person who has other tastes has to solve it outside, we would not be exercising a respectful position in this regard, ”says the specialist.

In addition, it warns that

.

“For example —says Benedetto— it may be that someone because of his conviction is not only vegetarian, but also does not buy or handle meat, who does not want to participate in this chain of abuse.

Therefore, he can state that, when cooking or buying things, he is not going to have contact with meat ”.

In this sense, the psychologist highlights the importance that

what they want to eat.

.

"In order for a coexistence to be as healthy as possible, the idea would be to be able to preserve the two food options that people propose," says Benedetto. (Photo: illustration Shutterstock)

Making judgments or reproaches about the consumption of certain foods is not healthy for any bond, explains Benedetto (on Instagram, @lic.noeliabenedetto).

"The idea is not to go around converting people or putting them at fault if they don't adhere."

According to the specialist, a relationship may break if there is a very important gap in this regard.

The same could happen with other political, religious or economic convictions.

But she points out that "you have to take into account this

of the other person towards me, and of me with the other person; you have to try not to be disrespectful from either party."

Benedetto reflects on this difference: “If there is not [respect], here we are talking about a symbiosis that can become complex, in that, if I like someone or if I share life with someone, we have to have a total amalgamation. of tastes and consumption, I say, that is not going to be like that, that is forcing a utopia that is closely related to the myth of romantic love”.

Martha summarizes the dynamic in her house: "

: one for him, where he prepares his

, and another for me, and for my

. Daniel respects my opinion and I respect his. He has been a constant support, he always tells me: 'let's buy this, let's try it'”.

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