Here at our FEMPIRE, its ALL about dating a vegan! All the time! This is the in’s and out’s of dating a vegan from BOTH vegan and non vegan stand points. Let’s unpack it!
MY ex at first wasn’t a vegan when we started dating, I was. Maybe you’re in her shoes, or maybe you’re in mine. Either way we’re going to share all of the parts of vegan dating we find/found important to help you navigate your vegan dating scene and break them down into easy vegan dating lessons for you!
For me, it was really amazing to have someone I was so interested in, be so open-minded. I had recently become a home owner when we started dating and of course, as a new homeowner I wanted to spend every minute I had IN MY NEW HOME! DUH! Especially in the kitchen. My first ever plant-based kitchen. MINE. ALL MINE!!
Lesson #1 – Be Open-Minded and Eat The Food
This is the lesson for the non-vegan in my ex’s shoes. I cooked a vegan mac and cheese. (which at that point was simply Daiya and pasta-I got better don’t worry) She was TOTALLY open-minded about it, ate that bland as* mac and cheese, and RAVED about it. (she liked me too…evidently)
I asked her if she was weirded out, or if she ever thought she could become vegan herself. Her response?
“Well I love animals but I really love cheese and chicken too, but I’m open to it, if I can find things to replace what I love, then what’s the big deal?”
The open minded answer of an open minded person. Thank GOD. This was a new relationship and a new step in a relationship, SO I was totally hoping that she wouldn’t think me or my food was weird and bizarre. Instead, she was amped to try anything and everything I made. Asked questions constantly, watched me cook, and helped when I would let her!
So the gist of why I shared that with you- get involved, vegans love to chat about being vegan but we DO have a “preachy” reputation that none of us want to be involved with, ESPECIALLY with our significant others so we tend to pull back a little.
Ask questions, and MOST importantly – don’t be closed minded. TRY new foods! Worst thing that could ever happen- you hate it. And thats A-OKAY!
Lesson #2 – Go On A Real Vegan Date
So maybe your new date isn’t a homeowner or maybe you both are feelin’ a night out. Vegans will get trapped in their kitchens a lot guys. I do at least. We tend to eat where its safe and where we have control over what we are using. Makes us sound like weird going extinct animals or something right?
A vegan night out is the perfect answer to cabin fever vegan. If you live near a city chances are there are MANY veg friendly restaurants near by. We’re in a tiny town in central MA and WE even have a couple restaurants near us. Google is your best friend here.
Again, applying lesson #1 here also. Always be open minded. Most of the time if I’m trying a new vegan food for the first time I like to order it at a vegan restaurant so I kind of know what to expect when I’m cooking it on my own for the first time.
Take this opportunity to, again, be open minded and try new foods. It impresses us. Trust me. And lemme’ tell you, you’re going to discover SO many of your new favorite foods. I promise you.
Watch All Of The Videos Your Date Shows You
So this happened to my ex all on her own. We were sitting on the couch and she asked me, “Have you watched any of those…like…documentary things about veganism?”
YAYAYAYYAYAYAYA!!!! I wanted to say. But, gotta be calm cool and collected here, I didn’t want to scare her away.
“Yessss! A lot of them are incredible! Do you wanna maybe watch one?!”
Boom. Instant vegan date. Yes, can be eye-opening and horrifying depending on the documentary you show them. But from my standpoint – I’m supporting this new raw mindset of this person I was SO into…..while she shapes into her own perfect vegan. SCORE. The even bigger score? She was interested ALL on her own!
What If You or Your Date Doesn’t Want To Be Vegan?
So maybe this didn’t happen for you. Maybe you’re in a situation that was nothing at all like mine and my ex’s. And thats okay. As a couple you BOTH don’t have to be vegan. You do still have to be open minded, and ALWAYS respectful!!! PAUSE **LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK** ALWAYS RESPECTFUL! And lastly, accepting of the other person’s desire to choose veganism or not. We’re not burning bridges with all loved ones and dating prospects!
Find restaurants that cater to both of your dining needs. Trust us, there are MANY! It’s totally possible to be in a healthy supporting relationship where both parties are not vegan. They exist. Support is the key word, and open mindedness is the key action.
We Hope This Helps!
This should get your vegan dating up to par guys. We wish you the very best of luck and we personally think every vegan is deserving of a supportive partner regardless if they choose veganism with you or not! Love is love!