Hi, I'm sorry for the vent-ish and longgg post ahead.. I know everyone time is precious, so please just skip it if you don't have a few minutes to spare. I'm not good at wording. I always type straight out what in brain, my train of thoughts are scatter all over the place. And I apologize for my not so good English grammars, English is my third language.
Happy Holidays, and early Merry Chistmas/Happy New Year. Hope everyone have a nice holidays time with your family and loved ones.

In my culture, and especially I'm Buddhist. When it comes to major Buddhist holidays, and the first day of Chinese Lunar New Year. We eat vegeterian, we don't eat meat.. Buddhist believe that when you don't eat animal meat, you eat vegeterian will give you blessing--(for not eat animal meat), you'll get blessed.
It hard to explain it but it like when you doing good deeds you get blessing. And by not eating animal meat, you get more blessing.

A year 365 days and I eat vegeterian for 39 days (7 major Buddhist holidays, first day of Chinese Lunar New Year, and the 31 days--whole month of Ullambana)..
Ullambana (it like a Buddhist holiday/festival) in the seventh lunar month calender--it known as the season of filial piety to our parents (whether our parents alive or deceased). In modern days it like the western Mother's Day.
To be frank, I try my best; that 39 days is the Maximum I can go without meat. I personally love eating meat too much, no way I can't give up meat.

I'm Chinese/Vietnamese, my husband he West African (he from Sierra Leone, West Africa). Eventhough we have a huge cultural difference between us. But he very understanding of my culture and Buddhist religion.
I explained it to him. And I told him the days I eat vegeterian, I will cook separate food with meat for him. I mean we do have plenty of meat in the fridge.
But he said No, he will not eat meat while seeing me eat vegeterian.. He said he not gonna enjoy eating meat by himself when his wife is eating vegeterian food. He said he is my husband, the days I eat vegeterian, he will eat vegeterian together with me.
And he did. he did what he said. The 39 days where I eat vegeterian--I just eat steamed rice, vermicelli, tofu, eggplant, boil vegetables and soy sauce. and he happily eat it with me.

Anyways, my husband knows knows in my culture and religion that when you eat vegeterian/Not eat animal meat will give you blessed, you get bestow blessing for not eat meat.
And my husband he wants to do this--he said when I'm pregnant he will eat vegeterian for 9 months of my pregnancy till I give birth and continue to eat vegeterian till our baby turn 3 years old.
So that 9 months of my pregnancy till our baby turn 3, he will not eat meat.. So 3 years and 9 months, almost 4 years he will eat vegeterian; so that me and our baby will be blessed.
He said he wants to start as soon as I get a positive on the pregnancy test, he wants the baby in my tummy will be blessed, and he will continue vegeterian till our baby turn 3 years old.
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Perhaps he thinks that he eat vegeterian, he not eat meat can bestow blessing/can bring blessings to me and our baby. I dunno, but he said it something he really want to do, and he asked me to let him it for 4 years (during my pregnancy and till our baby turn 3).
I mean he not hurting anything.. If you were me, would you let your DH do this? If your DH want to do something like this, would you let your DH?

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okay, and he said it will ONLY be him eat vegeterian (in that 4 years), 'him' only. He wants me to eat normally eat meat, and my pregnant tummy need nutritious foods, regardless during pregnancy or post pregnancy he wants me to eat meat.
And the baby also need to eat meat, babies/toddlers need iron protein for growth, developed strong immune system, healthy development, brain cells, yada yada.. What he saying is the 9 months of my pregnancy till our baby turn 3 years old, me and the baby need to eat meat. He make it clear that he wants me and the baby to eat meat, it just him eat vegeterian. (not me or the baby)
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You know how when I offer to cook separate food with meat for him on the 39 days I eat vegeterian, he said No. He said he not gonna enjoy eating meat by himself when his wife is eating vegeterian food. He said he is my husband, the days I eat vegeterian, he will eat vegeterian together with me..
But then look at it now, while me and and the baby eat meat, him eating vegeterian only. He doesn't want doesn't want me and the baby to eat vegeterian with him in that 4 years. He wants me and the baby eat meat, eat nutritious food.
What would you do if were me? I guess I should let him have it his ways so he can be happy right? Since he said it something he really want to do, and asked me to 'let' him.. If your DH want to do what my husband do, would you let your DH?

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My husband he work 70 hours a week (10-12 hours a day). He doesn't eat much at work, he just eat what I pack for him like a salami sandwich or like baozi (it a Chinese round shape bun inside/filling have meat in it). And to be frank, the nature of his job doesn't give him much time to eat.
He always save his stomach to come home to eat with me.. He very important on family eating together. He said eating homemade food that his 'wife' cooks, able to eat together; means alot to him. He wants me and him eat together everyday.

He not picky on food, at.all. he never picky on food. He said he eats anything his 'wife' cook. And I do cook for him everyday (my culture food), he never ask me to cook anything specific for him, he said he eat what me--his wife eat.

(since he wants to be vegeterian/not eat meat for 4 years to bestow blessing, bring blessings to me and our baby).. Talking about vegeterian food, this lead me to the next question. Can anyone educate me on the 'western' culture of what vegeterian food is. Can you help give me examples of what to you would be considered as a 'vegeterian' dishes?
To be frank, I only know how to cook and good at cooking my culture food (Chinese/Vietnamese). I'm not good at cooking western food.. And the version of ours culture 'vegeterian' food it just different from the 'western' vegeterian food that I see.

From what I see in the 'western' vegeterian dishes is like it concentrate mostly just eating big portion of the vegetables itself; it all vegetables, ALOT of vegetables, vegetables (and alot of raw leafy green?).
But Vietnamese 'vegeterian' food it not like that. It different, we don't concentrate on the vegetables or raw leafty green; But the we concentrate on the rice--noodles--vermicelli as the big portion, and the (cook) vegetables just put on top. No raw leafty green like the western salad.
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I give some examples of my culture vegeterian dishes that my husband eat with me in the 39 days I eat vegeterian.
this dish as you can see, the main part of it is vermicelli noodles, and it just little tofu on top.. I dunno, but it just different from the western vegeterian dishes I see.

Or like this dish, it just tofu and eggplant. And he just eat it with a big bowl of steamed rice. The main part is the rice, and the tofu and eggplant just go on top.

Or like this noodle vegetables dish below;
you see it just little vegetable on top (mushroom and beansprouts), the main part is the noodles.

It different from the 'western' vegeterian. As you see from the pics, the big portion main concentration is the rice, noodles and vermicelli. NOT the vegetables..
When look at 'western' vegeterian dishes it just have alot of vegetables, way way more vegetables/leafy green than the Vietnamese vegeterian dishes.

I'm thinking of signing up for a 'western' vegeterian cooking food class. I'm sure here in the Bay area it not hard to find a cooking class (vegeterian or not). And I need to go buy vegeterian cook books.
Can anyone help educate me more on the 'western' vegeterian? Like can you give examples, or post pics or describe what to you is 'vegeterian' food? Perhaps I'm cooking vegeterian food all wrong here?:-(

My husband he 6'1" and weight 170 lbs, which is an average weight for his height; but he slim and very lean. He has zero body fat. He been this skinny/slim body type all his life, he just very slim.
He eats normal, he eats meat. He eats all the food I cook him, and he remain the same skinny/slim weight. I guess he has a fast metabolism.
Regardless, he just very slim/skinny, he very lean.. Don't get me wrong, I admit I'm sexually attracted to him being slim/skinny. I just worried his 'iron' level--I not sure if he will get enough iron (in the 4 years vegeterian) from mostly just the rice, noodles, and vermicelli.

And he wants to be strictly vegeterian in the 4 years.. No dairy No eggs. In Buddhist you touch eggs that is no longer vegeterian. Buddhist vegeterian food is pretty much what I show in the examples above; steamed rice, vermicelli, noodles, tofu, eggplant, boil vegetables and soy sauce. (No fish sauce or oyster sauce neither. Yes, I know it sauce but it fish and oyster sauce so that no longer vegeterian. So it just soy sauce).
No meat, no fish, no seafood, No dairy no eggs, no milk, no fish or oyster sauce etc.. He wants himself to be strictly vegeterian. I guess he want to make an effort of follow my Buddhist and culture of what 'vegeterian' is.

I don't mind cook for him everyday, I eat the food too, we always eat together.. And what I cook is my culture food, he never ask me to cook anything specific for him, he said he eat what me--his wife eat.
(If he wants to eat those Vietnamese vegeterian food for 4 years, I don't mind cook it for him). Every day I eat steamed rice. There days when we eat noodles, vermicelli; but me I mostly eat rice.. What difference if I add in a bowl of vegetables for him. Or make him a side of tofu so he can eat it with his bowl of steamed rice. Or put vegetables on top of his noodles/vermicelli dishes (like those pics examples above). It not hard at all. I just wish those dishes contains enough 'iron' for him.