dinner time divided? help?

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krollins21
krollins21 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else have to eat totally different meals than their families? I tend to cook dinner every night, but sadly no one eats the same thing. My boyfriend will eat almost anything, but also needs a lot more calories than I do, since his job tends to burn up all his energy. and my 2 children want something else altogether. meanwhile I am stuck with my small, simple, yet satisfying (usually) dinner. I tend to finish way before anyone else and worry about picking small bites out of the higher calorie dinners. I don't want to just get up and leave the dinner table though. I want to stay and visit with my family. I have tried cooking and catering a single meal to everyones taste. ( laughable) .Any suggestions on how to unite a family dinner?

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  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Yep. Make one meal. Your boyfriend gets a bigger serving because he needs more food. You eat a smaller serving. The kids eat what you give them. You encourage them to eat what's on their plate and if they are hungry later, you can offer fruit or yogurt as a snack.
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
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    What she said^

    I only make one meal- you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. That said, I DO try to include 4-5 choices (usually a protein, carb, 2 veggies and a salad) so even if the kids dislike one thing, there're still plenty of healthy choices for them.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Yep. Make one meal. Your boyfriend gets a bigger serving because he needs more food. You eat a smaller serving. The kids eat what you give them. You encourage them to eat what's on their plate and if they are hungry later, you can offer fruit or yogurt as a snack.

    Yup. This.
    When i was on a restrictive diet, I would also sometimes make an extra side for my husband that I couldn't eat but we basically eat the same things, just different portions.
  • Skyebella27
    Skyebella27 Posts: 62
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    I agree with the others too.....my parents always made me eat what they cooked and I'm not a picky eater probably because of it. Hubby and I will raise our kids the same way. Currently I cook one meal and try to make it healthy and delicious and give hubby a bigger portion. It's a win-win :)
  • Blitz_40
    Blitz_40 Posts: 110 Member
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    Did this for along time. Now what my kids want & what they get fed are usually two different things. We do have a night that each of them get to choose a favorite meal and slowly, they are asking for some of the "healthier" options I've been making. If it's not a healthier option I eat something different. I like for them to have some feeling of control and often I'll "healthy-up" a chosen meal (ground turkey tacos instead of beef) and they don't say a word. I hope to help them learn to make better food choices.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    I often end up cooking my own meals even though I live at home because of the hours I work, but if I'm lucky there's left overs!
  • LorienCoffeeBean
    LorienCoffeeBean Posts: 227 Member
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    Yep. Make one meal. Your boyfriend gets a bigger serving because he needs more food. You eat a smaller serving. The kids eat what you give them. You encourage them to eat what's on their plate and if they are hungry later, you can offer fruit or yogurt as a snack.

    This. i have three kids. i make one meal. my teenage sons get more then my daughter, i take none of the starches, less of the meat, and more of the veg. i decided long long long ago that i wasnt going to be a short order cook. if they dont like it, tough.

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