Vegetarianism: Why vegetarianism is good for relationships

 (Post card from a Veg Fest 2013 in Austin)

I never realized how great vegetarianism was for my marriage until I looked back on the first year of being a vegetarian. Being vegetarian creates a common interest in recipes, education, and news. We're able to share in conversations with meat-eaters and become excited about the same restaurants and food-related discoveries. It sounds small, but common interests are vital to the success of any relationship and being vegetarian is an engaging interest that impacts multiple areas of shared life.

I don't know if I'll be a vegetarian forever, but having a wife who feels as strongly as I do about it, makes it easier and more enjoyable to continue. It's hard for me to imagine being a vegetarian with a girlfriend or spouse who isn't supportive. It reminds me of growing up in the church and hearing how important it was to find a Christian spouse or to attend a Christian school.

Vegetarianism becomes something that is shared. Grounded in social responsibility and healthy intake, it creates a common passion that brings people together. I wouldn't suggest becoming a vegetarian solely for these reasons, but it's a great benefit.

While religion has worked for the relationships of people like my grandparents who have been married over 50 years and attribute it entirely to religion, vegetarianism, for many people, is one part of a new foundation-- a new belief system based on social/environmental responsibility and self-care. It's something that couples can do together to make a difference in the world, to their health, and to strengthen their relationship.

**This is part of a series of posts on vegetarianism in which I'll try to avoid the cliche topics of the lifestyle. New posts on Thursdays. Click on the "eating animals" tag above for more.**