Can I kiss a meat-eater?
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so we thought we’d answer the one question that new vegetarians and vegans are desperate to know…Can I kiss a meat-eater?
The following is an excerpt from our book Say No to Meat: the 411 on ditching meat and going veg.
Can I kiss a meat-eater?
There are no rules as to whom you choose to date. If you love every aspect of a person except what they choose to eat, then you may well decide that they should eat their food and you eat yours and both just accept the situation. We know many couples who have lived together happily for many years with this arrangement. Over time, the meat-eating partner may become comfortable with eating vegetarian all the time, or at least most of the time, just choosing a meat dish in a restaurant once in a while…or they may continue to insist on meat at every meal. Either way is OK if you’re OK with it.
Some people feel that their food choices are so important to them that they can’t face the idea of dating someone who eats meat. You are entitled to make that choice, but be aware that at present the percentage of vegetarians in the general population is very small, so it may take a little more work to find a suitable partner. You can try attending vegetarian dinners and get-togethers, or looking online for veggie dates.
Remember that there are many open-minded people out there who just haven’t heard about the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and would be happy to learn about becoming vegetarian in a warm and supportive environment. Don’t deprive them of kisses until they become vegetarian, or they’ll be out the door in no time, and you’ll be back to square one.