I used to say that as a vegan, I would only date vegans. It just so happened that B was also vegan when I met him so that made it easy for me then. However he began eating meat once again earlier than I did. Did our relationship fall apart? Not at all. Perhaps we both inheritantly knew I was not that far behind him, and was making bone broth in no time.
But I do know that some people have strong opinions on this, and regardless, some are in a relationship where the eating habits of one are as far as they can be from the other. Or if not a relationship, either a close friend or family member eats differently to you. So what can you do?
Acceptance - first and foremost. Coz without it, you shouldn't be in the relationship anyway. Accepting that your partner or house mates eats the way they do because that's what they like. You don't feel great when someone disses on your food intake now do you? They may only be testing the waters, or feeling their way through right now. It might not be banana mono meals or meat, meat, meat forever. And if it is, perhaps that's what works best for them. We are all different so vegan doesn't work for us all. Neither does meat. The same with raw food and cooked food. Once you realise this, and see that we're all winging it anyway as grown ups pretending to know what we're doing, we can just laugh and share any meal together anyway.
Share big colourful salads and loads of roasted, grilled, steamed or raw veggies, adding your favourite bits n pieces on the side - meat, fish, nuts, dairy...
Eat out separately with your friends a couple times each week - so one of you can have your delicious seafood, and the other can have a loud smoothie party at home. Restaurants that cater for many preferences are also good coz then you can each grab exactly what you like.
If you live in a shared home, come to arrangements with your house mates; perhaps all meats can be cooked outside on the BBQ or deciding that certain nights are meat nights - like Tues, Fri and Sat so that the non-meaties can choose to be outta the house if they wish. You can also make meals fun by making one night a week a raw dinner feast or a veggie soup night where everyone gets on board. Other simple tips can be having separate shelves in the fridge and the pantry, having cook ups every alternate weekend to stock up on a few meals for the week ahead, or doing the same thing at your best mate's place and sharing all you cook.
I hope this gives us something to think about or play with if this relates to you. Above all else though, I encourage an acceptance of everybody. I was once vegan but no longer, even though I thought I would be for life. So whatever food principles you follow now, you might not forever, and I encourage you to follow the path your body takes you on as well (instead of staying a particular way because your ego and peer pressure tell you so).
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