Dear Annie: My wife and I have just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. Two years ago, she decided to become a vegan for moral and dietary reasons. I respect her for that, though I didn’t love constantly hearing about it. I’ve also adopted many of the same eating habits, but I do still eat meat. We’ve both learned to prepare very nice vegan dishes that the other enjoys. Lately, however, she has decided to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet, she also has decided to use a lot of spices in her foods that I cannot eat. For the past two years, I have not cooked meat in our house nor have I fired up my barbecue out of respect for her. Now, I want to again cook dishes for myself that I feel are healthy that include lean meats: chicken fajitas, turkey chili, etc. Do I have the right to cook in my house and if so, how do I approach the subject with her in a way that she doesn’t “flip out”? — Omnivore Husband in Oregon

Dear Omnivore: Your wife wouldn’t appreciate it if you told her how to eat. She should respect your right to decide what you’d like to eat, too. However, I have a feeling that you may want to take a leaf from her book once you see the effects of a whole-food, plant-based diet. It’s one of the healthiest ways to eat and has been shown to be effective against many common chronic diseases, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. (Check out “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” by Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., and “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., for more information.) So, keep an open mind.

Dear Annie: I’d like to address “Feeling Jealous,” who was putting together a birthday party for her 13-year-old stepson and was upset that her husband’s ex might come.

My parents divorced back in the 1960s, after 25 years of marriage. As you can imagine, life around home was upside-down, especially for holidays and birthdays when we kids had to choose a parent. Their love was always unconditional for their children. Being outspoken, an uncommon occurrence for a kid in 1962, I made a heartfelt request to both parents to have all the family together for celebrations. They did it, for us. For their sacrifice, I’m eternally grateful. — Grateful Daughter

Dear Grateful: I have a feeling that the rest of your family was grateful to you for advocating that kind of relationship. It sounds like everyone’s lives were richer for it. Thanks for sharing.