Cooking for two - with opposite goals

maryannshep

I love to cook but have trouble making lunches to take to work and dinners that fit with both my and my husband's goals. I'm trying to lose a bit of weight, while my husband is on the low end of weight for his height and is trying to gain weight and muscle. I know the simple answer is for me to just eat less and him to eat more - but I'd love to hear any creative ideas out there about how you handle cooking for a variety of calorie needs under the same roof. Thank you!

lucys1225

In my house my son and husband eat very differently than I do. For the most part, I make the same protein for all of us and just make different sides. I have vegetables and make them some higher calorie sides (pasta, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese etc.) If I'm making them something fried or high in calories, I always have meals in the freezer that I have made.

Clarewho

^^^ what she said! It's a challenge isn't it. I've gotta skinny husband and 2 skinny boys. None of them can afford to lose weight so I load their plates with carbs and mine with veg

SherryTeach

I suggest that the other person in this equation do his share of the cooking.

futuremanda

Bigger portions. Even small changes, like using extra butter and jam on a piece of toast, add up. Give him the slightly bigger sausage or the hamburger bun that weighs a bit more, put an extra tbsp of mayo or second slice of cheese on his burger, etc.

Extra snacks or different snacks for your husband. Or he can have an extra, non-fussy meal; my partner will often "snack" on a bagel.

Also provide plenty of calorie dense options -- he can use a higher calorie salad dressing or higher calorie bread or full fat dairy, that sort of thing. (Well, so can you, and just control the portion differently, of course.)

Make dishes customizeable when it makes sense. Example, with foods like salad, tacos, burgers, you can cut up a bunch of toppings and have a variety of dressings/condiments handy, and each put together your own food. You could each have a taco, but with different toppings and portions of each topping, you'd get very different calories in the end.

He can also drink more calories, and you can opt not to. (Juice, chocolate milk, milk, etc.)

maryannshep

Great ideas! Thanks all! I don't see him picking up more of the cooking though. He takes the lead with the cleanup and dishes, which is just fine by me. I really like the idea of having a protein we share but the sides or fixings can be tailored to what we each need.

jessef593

My girlfriend and I share the same set of goals that you and your husband have. We simply cook our own meals depending on what we feel like each night and available calories for the day. Of course we make our meals together, and will often make one big meal if we're both craving a certain type of food. It's not anyone's job to cook for another capable adult, if you have time to cook two diet specific meals then he definitely should have time to cook his own.

andrikosDE

cook chicken breasts, slather on butter wine sauce on his and none for you.
cook steaks, load his with some herbed butter
make a nice salad, add more EVOO in his

I can't imagine it's that hard to shift the caloric balance by manipulating portion size, added sides, added fat to one's plate.
I do that with my kids all the time. They grow vertically, I don't want to grow horizontally...

loopingcaterpillar

grate cheese over his

jimmmer

Some approaches that might try:

1) You cook a meal for 3 - You get one third, he gets two thirds.

2) Alternatively, say you are eating pasta and bolognese, he gets double the pasta and a couple of sides of garlic bread. That way you are both getting what you need without the hassle of cooking two meals

3) Or, you eat the same meal 50/50, but he has a second course. i.e. you split the main and he has a pot of greek yoghurt, banana and honey for afters. Or PB on toast. Etc.

You could implement one, or all of the above on a rotating basis.

moxie1962

Yes. Definitely add more calories to his meals. Butter, cheeses, bread, noodles, potato dishes. You can cut back or just eat lower calorie veggies. No sauces.
I have to cook and eat entirely different than my husband. He has food sensitivities, and cannot eat many foods. I on the other hand, need to stay away from potatoes, corn, sugars, ...but can eat all the foods he is sensitive too.

Ironmaiden4life

Lots of great suggestions.

In my house I cook my meals for the week. The other half big enough, old enough and ugly enough (I kid he's actually very handsome) to fend for himself!

Francl27

Make an extra side for him, and he can have dessert and a snack later.

daw0518

I agree with making the same protein with different sides. I often bake a big batch of chicken for my own dinners for the week, and I have veggies & a baked potato with it, but you could easily bulk up the sides with rice/pasta/etc. instead of potato & a veggie.