Practicing Keto in hostile territory..

umayster

Not entirely true on the hostile part, but as primary cook and only one in a household of four actively trying to ease into this way of eating any tips (or sympathies) greatly appreciated!

KETOGENICGURL

HI, is it they have many processed foods or fast foods they prefer? are they teens or <12, and is having dinner together a normal daily activity? are you anticipating rejection of you foods or in them having to eat them too, or taking away foods they are used to?

Keto_T

Meh, dont even tell 'em. Cook and low carb protein and side and then add a starch (or not) for them. I cook a lot of chicken, pork, etc in low carb fashion (sugar free dry rubs are my go-to). Add in say broccoli or cauliflower or other low carb veggie, add butter, and then cook some starch side for them.

umayster

Well Padre has some seriously bad carb habits and one of the kids is following his lead/genes. About a year ago before I started seriously working on learning some low carb meal options he was probably over 300 g daily - mostly due to his choices rather than my cooking.

My daughter is somewhat on board as she sees firsthand her father's problems due to diet. Kids are college age and I'm weaning them from depending on my cooking for something they like as quickly as possible. They are actually eating much of it.

Keto T - you pegged my current cooking to a 'T'! Simple meats with oil and spices and lots of buttered veggies.

It has been re-education camp here for a year, so they're at the point where no/low carb is the assumption. I'm really having trouble restraining myself from the 'optional' starch side! My problem!

chloexoxmae

Its just me and my bf. Luckily he is a big 'meat and potatoes' man. Since i started keto we are actually eating dinner together more, and more similar.
If its grilled, fried in butter, or smothered in cheese, he's happy. Then i make two separate sides.
If you have kids i imagine it would be a lot harder to navigate.

Also, if your family doesn't like what your making, tell them, "If you don't like what I cook feel free to make your own dinner." I only had to do that to the bf once haha. (This isnt the 1950s for petes sake!)

DAM5412

@umayster, I feel your pain. I am in also the only LC eater in our family of four. I go to the market with two lists...one for the family and one mine. When I get home and look in my snack cabinets, cookies, chips, breads, candy and soda...yuck. For meals, I can usually make a meat that all will eat, then veg for me (they hate veg outside of salad) and a pasta/rice or some other starchy side. If they want a pasta night, I just make something completely different, but we still eat dinner together. They are used to my weird dinner orders when we go out and they know now it's okay for them to stop for ice cream and treats, and I'm okay with a water or diet soda. My health is more important than a quick treat.

The longer you are LC/Keto, the stronger your ability to resist temptation will be. My issue is snacking on "healthy" fruit...especially during the summer. I miss bananas and watermelon, but again, just don't think the cheat is worth it now.

Best of luck!

umayster

Thx! I just kinda decided it is time to stop being responsible for everyone's food for now.. they are all adults and are welcome to eat my occasional dinners, but I eat much better when grazing or with some old low carb friendly favorites than a full standard dinner! I don't have very good self control when cooking!

Just managed to learn how to eat 4 strawberries instead a bowl full. THAT is a skill I ne ver had before!

DietPrada

I am the primary cook in my house. No kids at home now, but there was until earlier this year. My partner is happy to eat whatever's cooked and grateful not to have to do it himself after a long day at work. If he chooses to supplement his diet with lollies and chips that's his choice. He's a big evening snacker, but I don't feel the need anymore.

When the teenagers were home (his girls not mine) I was regularly screamed at "THERE'S NO EFFING FOOD IN THIS HOUSE" (yes, spoiled girls raised by a man who loved them alot and disciplined them not at all). What they meant was "there's no crap in this house I can eat out of a packet or cook in the microwave". I told them that if they weren't happy with what I bought for them and cooked for them, they were free to do their own shopping.

KETOGENICGURL

Ebony..have to laugh..saw several documentaries where teens open the fridge and say "nothing to eat" when they mean instant food.
the mom said 'there is 3 lbs of ground beef..make a hamburger" but of course they were too lazy.

and the FUNNY burger fast food ad shows a 30 something guy in a grocery, at the meat case..he timidly pokes the plastic wrapped pack of burger meat..and is afraid of it!!! and drives to the burger joint. PERFECTLY proving most young men can't and won't cook.

this is why we see the Microwave 1 minute foods…everything you can possibly heat is now adulterated and tricked out with additives so it cooks fast in the microwave-- Mac & cheese, burgers, breakfast pastries ( the worst!!! smells so good and is so bad for you- nothing but sugars and dyes and faux HFCS strawberries) waffles, pancakes, pies, on and on. even "steamer fresh" bags of veggies ( with fake cheese sauce)….of course salads never made the cut.

Sesame85

I only have to feed one other person, but he refuses to come on board with the low carb life. So when I plan the menu, I plan a main dish which'll work for both of us. Either it'll be soemthing like chicken parm where I can use pork rinds for mine and he gets the real deal, or we'll eat the same main part. Then as a side, when he gets pasta, rice or something carb-ey, I'll make myself some creamed spinach.

I always make sure the meal is delicious and edible, regardless of carb levels. I make sure I can make a dish for both of us with minimal clean up. Then, if he doesn't like it (which thankfully, he always does), he can go fend for himself if he has a problem.

umayster

Daughter requested one of my keto dinner recipes for her birthday dinner! yea!

1horseygirl1

I have been low carb for a long time now and just modify dishes to have mine without the carbs. Hamburgers without the bun and spag bol without the spag I make a hearty salad most nights

kerrihwilson

My kids tell me ther is nothing to eat regularly too. Funny I have a house full of ingredients but nothing ready. To rectify this I have asked them what they do like. Turns one said she likes sushi - so I bought the ingredients for sushi and they make a sushi salad bowl. ( rice, nori, ginger, wasabi, mayo, cukes, carrots avocado and canned tuna). If I have these stables she can make hand rolls or bowls. ( she's 18 and would eat this daily. Note: I do not cook her rice - that's her gig)

The other one said she likes chicken Caesar wraps. So for her I keep chicken, romain, bacon and cheese - and I do buy her wraps. She can whip these lunches up when I'm at work.

For suppers they eat what I cook - usually salad with meat or meat and veg ... If we do burgers I go bunless and lately they have been too. One of their fav meals is sausage and saurkrout. We also have a big pot of chili ( beanless) or taco soup ( no corn or beans) However they do hate stir fry.

Sometimes it gets hostile here - but my kids are 18 and 16.5 - they are old enough to make choices on what they consume - generally it's pretty healthy and they are very aware of how to cook for themselves - but they sure do prefer when I do it

maezombiegirl

I found that with my teenager, she barely noticed when I removed the carby stuff. When she asked why there was no pasta/potato/starch product, I just told her that I did not have time to cook it. As long as she does not have to make the food herself, she does not seem to care.

And now I will make a chicken breast burger patty with salad for dinner, but sometimes I make her patty in a bun (because she eats a lot of junk when I am not around and I feel like this is a solid meal for someone who does not have metabolic syndrome), and now she says to me "why do I have to eat bread and you don't??". So now I will stop that!