Are you a vegetarian?

My mother and sister are both vegetarians, whereas my father and I are omnivorous (eating both meat and plant-food). My mother still cooked meat-inclusive meals, such as curries with chicken/beef/pork, pastas and the like. We would also have a grilled meat with a side salad/risotto that covered all the major food groups. If you're willing to still cook meat or have it cooked in your house, then let the rest of your family make up their own minds and keep their diet balanced - don't force them into not eating meat if they enjoy it and don't have a problem with it.

Well Jenna, a lot of these questions you'll have to answer for yourself based on your personal situation. I can tell you that I became a vegetarian for environmental reasons - since my decision was more 'cerebral' and less 'emotional,' if you will, I wouldn't necessarily have a problem making meat dishes for my family, if that were the case. Since you mentioned health reasons, I would think that you might want to not include meats like pork or beef in the realm of meats you're willing to serve your family. Pork and beef are very much less healthy than, say, poultry or fish. Depending on how either is cooked. As far as the initial decision on whether or not you should cook meat for your family, I'm wondering if you're a housewife? If so are you also a mother? I would think that these factors would make for very different decision making. Also, if you decide you want to become a vegetarian and can't bring yourself to handle animal carcasses, there are plenty of ready-made meat products available at supermarkets these days, like rotisserie chickens and stuff like that, so you could, with some effort, avoid the actual handling of meat and still feed your family what they want. If I were a vegetarian in charge of feeding a meat-eating family, you can be sure that I would have several courses available at any given meal and make sure my kids/husband ate their veggies too, at the very least! God knows Americans could be eating a lot more veggies!

I am a vegetarian and so is my family. So we don't have problems or dilemma regarding eating food. And even if someone comes to our house like relatives we serve home cooked veg. food. AS it is good for health. And also because animal rights issues. I feel if you're family wants to eat non veg. let them do so. One shouldn'r pressurise somebody to eat soemthing that one doesn't like. Though make them aware of huge benfits of eating veg. diet. Your family can cook separate meals when they wnat to eat non veg. food other times you all can eat veg. food.

I think it is a great step that you yourself are going to become vegetarian. If you want to continue to cook meat for your family that is your choice but I'm sure as time goes on this will get harder for you. I am a vegan and now refuse to cook using any animal products at all. I will put dairy things in my fridge for people if they insist on it, but I'd prefer not to. Perhaps you could introduce some nice vegetarian meals for your family a couple of times a week. That way you aren't making them go veggie but just showing them that the food is really nice. For recipe ideas you can go to my website: http://www.recipesforvegans.co.uk

If you become a vegetarian then you have to be careful about your diet. You cannot get all the amino acids that you need from one type of plant. So you diet must be very, varied in order to stay healthy. Conversely, you can get every amino acid that you need from meat. I would say don't force your family to become vegetarians that will only cause stress in your familial relationships. I believe you can still cook meat for your family and if you feel that you don't want your food touching the meat the best solution would be to buy your own set of kitchen ware to cook your food in, so that it doesn't have to come into contact with the meat.

I would say that I would prefer to be a staunch vegetarian . But it is quite discouraging that in the family household ,vegetarian delicacies are vanishing ,paving the way for animal fatty food favorites . Vegetarian cuisine ..it needs a lot of dexterity in preparation which most housewives are not familiar .

You should NEVER EVER force anyone, into something that is a moral committment on your part. All it will create is resentment and dissention. Trust me. Its hard enough when dietary decisions of a family are driven by one member or anothers allergies, but on a strictly ethical choice, well, that has to be each individuals choice. If you decided you were going to be baptized Christian, would you hold them under the water with you? I do know vegetarians who cook for and dine with meat eaters. One of my friends of many years has been veggie for 9 years now, and will still cook a steak for others when we do a cookout, but I know it's hard on him sometimes.