Want to Date a Vegan? It's Harder Than You Think. These Apps Help

In your list of all the things you want in a partner, or heck, just a date, they need to be polite, fun, attractive and able to carry their own weight (as in split the bill). But it would also be nice to find someone who is eating the same way you are: Vegan, plant-based or mostly plant-forward.

Being single and vegan gets harder by the year, as it turns out: According to a story in Plant Based News, 42 percent of meat-eaters say they wouldn't date a vegan, based on a survey done by the British fast-food chain, Leon, which worked with BBC1 on the findings. That number has climbed up from 28 percent in 2018, at least according to a different survey done by Food Box HQ.

Vegans were not asked if they wanted to date a meat-eater, as far as we know, and by the proliferation of apps and sites and meetups (and matchmakers) dedicated to helping vegans find each other, it seems the answer is no. They'd rather date someone who will hold the bacon, not bring it home.

So Can a Vegan Date a Meat Eater?

Can a vegan be happy dating a non-vegan? Of course, but oftentimes, once settled into happy bliss, it turns out that vegans often lead the way in the relationship and their partners adapt at least a partly plant-based lifestyle under their influence. "I made my boyfriend go vegan and I feel it was an accomplishment," said Katie M., who is thrilled that her honey took The Beet's 21 Day Plant-Based Challenge and has been off meat for a good month. "Now he says chicken grosses him out, and he loves making dinner of tofu and rice."

But how do you get to that point in a relationship, where being vegan isn't a negative, and is it even realistic to think that you can convert a meat-eater to become a more plant-based one? Most vegans would simply prefer to start out dating someone who shares their values, or at least their dinner choices.

To find that special someone, you may need to look to the web, meetups, a matchmaker or an app. And now for the good news... there are lots of them! Here is the rundown from The Beet on the sources for finding that future match, the one who shares your lentil soup and tofu stir fry with joy.

This should not be that hard. With more than 400,00 people signing up for Veganuary last month, and an estimated 3 percent of the population who consider themselves Vegan, finding someone who will enjoy the Impossible Whopper with you at the drive-through should be a synch. On the other hand, add it to the list of requirements and you find yourself with a very small Venn diagram of overlap.

The Beet went out to the dating world and offered to test out the latest apps, in search of a vegan or plant-based eater. Because we are all pretty much attached, we had to use a surrogate to do the fishing. We found these, to help you find YOUR mister or misses right.

The Prius of Dating Sites

GreenSingles.com is the most socially conscious dating site we found. It brings together people who care deeply about the same things: Animals, the planet, eco-conscious living and want to date someone with the same value system. Drive a Prius? Head on over the GreenSingles.com. Billed as the oldest, largest network of green "spiritual" dating online, this site prides itself on matching individuals who care about the environment and ethical treatment of animals.

Run by the Conscious Dating Network (CDN) this is the oldest, largest, exclusively "Green/Eco-Friendly" and "Spiritual/Conscious" network of online dating sites with almost 20 years of matchmaking behind it. Only apply if you are eating vegan for the sake of animals, the planet and want someone to be as into it and activist as you are.

Plant-Based Meetups

From Brisbane Australia to Kansas City, these meetups bring together vegan or plant-based lifestyle groups to meet, chat, cook, drink and generally enjoy each other's like-minded company. Want to meet other Forks Over Knives "heart-healthy" plant-based eaters? Are you a Vegan hiker, cyclist, climber, and skier?

There is a group for that. Are you a senior single in Forest Hills, Queens? You get a group! Love pot-luck dinners? Rock and roll? Marathon training? You are in the group! In fact, there is every type of meetup and in every area, you can think of. Okay so it's not specifically dating, but hey, you gotta get out there. So why not?

Plant-Based Match-Making

Yes, it's a thing. In fact, just last month the "Vegan Cupid", who has been vegan for 15 years, launched a new course to teach vegan singles how to best date to find their forever mate. "While working with private one-on-one clients, for my matchmaking service, I realized there was a really big need for this," Find Veg Love founder Karine Charbonneau told an interviewer last month. The participants learn communication skills, get coaching, and have access to a private FB group.

“I could see that veg folks struggled to find love," she said. "They think it’s because their ideal partner doesn’t exist, or that the pool of veg singles is too small. But after helping so many of them, I’ve realized it’s really because they are blocking their own love life by putting up walls, and not being able to let go of certain things that are holding them back.” Charbonneau had hosted Veg Speed Date events in the past, and Canada, but is now focusing on her matchmaking services. She plans to launch more courses this year, for people in all different stages of relationships.

Let's Get Veggie Together

Veggie Date calls itself the premier dating site for vegetarians in the world. Members include vegans, Lacto vegetarians, Ovo vegetarians, pescatarians (fish and vegetable eaters), semi-vegetarian, those who are becoming vegetarian and macrobiotic eaters. Many raw vegans, raw vegetarians, and raw foodists are among our vegan single members and our vegetarian single members. Love Yoga and call yourself a yoga vegetarian, head on over to Veggie Date.

This is like a cross between a meetup and a GreenSingles, in the sense that it's networking with a point of view, and the possibility of love is always in the air. One testimonial was especially heartwarming:

"I'm happy to write that I will not be renewing my VeggieDate membership; I have no further need for your service, and my wife would also disapprove. Camille and I met almost a year ago through VeggieDate. We absolutely loved each other's profiles, but we were 3,000 miles apart. Still, after several lengthy e-mail messages and phone calls, three months of daily skyping, and several letters and cards......" You can guess the rest.

Another testimonial brought me to near tears. "I joined VeggieDate after my dear wife died of breast cancer. VeggiDate really only matched me to one lady, but she was perfect, with similar religious affiliation and beliefs, similar diets, and many similar interests, especially growing things...." Okay, we're sold.

Want to Date a Vegan? There's an App for That!

Vegandr

This is the Tinder of the vegan set. With 4.5 stars in the app store, this app says it "puts the fun in vegan dating" by allowing users to connect with people in your city who share your same interests.

It's specifically designed for vegans who love pets and love to workout. You can also workout with your pets! Then grab a non-dairy latte. It costs $22 a month for the "vegan gold" subscription and so far 467 people have rated the app, so this may be a small club, but one you want to join. Don't be shy to let people know how much you love animals and fitness, and veggies.

Veggly

Veggly is pretty small with only 70 reviews, but they have a distinct point of view, which is: There is no better way to date than going into it knowing the other person thinks and eats like you.

It encourages the daters to "share meals in peace and have a good time, knowing that you agree on such important things such as saving the animals, your health and the planet."

Avoid the obstacles of "she wants chicken, he wants tempeh," and find your plant-based match. Pay the $5 bucks and search for your vegan match. Then, help them grow by posting your testimonial!

Grazer

The plant-based network for herbivores, Grazer is still in start-up mode with just 10 reviews but all of them five stars. We love the name, even if it does make us think we're in the pasture hanging out with the other cows. But Grazer admits it "isn't for everyone... only plant-based people who want their friends and their lovers to be plant-lovers too. Because we know that choosing to eat plants is a bit of a big deal."

Yes, it is, but we wouldn't only choose our friends from the plant-based world because, honestly, we don't have that many friends, to begin with! And the ones who have stuck around, and put up with our special little sidebar with the waiter at every dinner that starts something like, "I'm a complicated order... I don't eat dairy, and that means cheese, butter, milk, cream. Oh, and if the soup is made with chicken broth I need to skip that. And do you have a special vegan plate....." Those are the friends you keep.

If none of these apps or matchmakers work for you, then you can always go on the mainstream sites and put a little plant emoji by your name in your profile. That tells other plant-lovers that you are vegan and looking for someone to share that Beyond Sushi dinner with! Hey, if you're like Rooney, you may just catch your Joaquin!