#idk how much nutrition the spinach actually adds but it at least makes the meals FEEL less depressing

[yardsards]

so many meals can be bolstered by just throwing a handful of frozen spinach in there while you cook it. scrambled eggs? add some spinach. ramen? add some spinach. mac and cheese? add some spinach, baby!

[asking-jude]

(1) Hi 💕 I'm a vegetarian and I live with my boyfriend who eats meat. He works (hard) and I don't, so I do the chores etc and cook, he doesn't make me but I feel guilty if not. He has kidney disease and has to eat a low potassium diet, so he can't eat things that I love, potatoes, tomatoes, tofu, nuts, spinach etc. I find it hard to do nice dinners everyday that we both can eat. I don't think I could ever eat meat again, it also makes me feel sick to cook but I still do. Unfortunately meat is

(ask continued) …the main thing my boyfriend can eat so I try to do it most days. His potassium can be high when we go to the hospital sometimes and I feel guilty and useless that I’m not cooking enough low potassium things. Should I try to eat meat? Cook a proper dinner for him with meat and just have cereal or something myself? Ahh idk any advice? X

Hey! I am vegetarian too! I am trying to be vegan but it is really hard. I can’t imagine how hard it would be with a problem like your boyfriend has. I eat tofu at least every week, spinach at least every week, tomatoes and potatoes several times a week, and nuts often as well. I can understand how it can be difficult cooking for the both of you and I don’t think you should try eating flesh again because it is bad for you and the environment. I know it will be harder for you to cook for both of you, but the effort and mindfulness you put in the meals will definitely demonstrate the love and compassion you have for him.

I didn’t know much about the kidney disease situation, but I found a few articles about it: https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/diet-and-nutrition/lifestyle/the-vegetarian-diet-and-chronic-kidney-disease/e/5346, https://www.davita.com/recipes/tag/vegetarian, and https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/diet-and-nutrition/lifestyle/30+-healthy-low-potassium-farmer%25e2%2580%2599s-market-food-finds/e/7148. The first article talks about how a vegetarian diet can actually be beneficial for someone with kidney disease in many different ways! The first and the second provide some options that both of you can eat. The third lists some foods lower in potassium. I’m sure you can find more information online.

I know I eat a ton of hummus (which is fast and easy to make indifferent ways), soups (carrot, butternut squash, black bean, eggplant, and more can be great with the right levels of seasoning. Especially if you both like curry), mycoprotein fake meat (mushroom derived protein usually has about ¼th of the potassium than soy protein products and tastes better in my opinion), pesto pasta (you can cook him some meat on the side if you want to add to his dish while you cook some beans or broccoli for the both of you so you get protein as well), quinoa (has some potassium, but not nearly as much as soy and has a ton of protein), fruit and vegetable smoothies with non-dairy milk (I use soy milk or coconut milk but rice milk works great too), corn (always a good side), eggplant, mushrooms, cucumbers, beans (another great side), and more. I used to eat a ton of eggs which are low in potassium. I hope I helped. Good luck! Try not to feel bad! He is working hard, but you are working hard too! All for him! 

Tyler Kennedy

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