What should I do?

RungosGirl

I love all things healthy. I love vegiis and fruit and salads but my husband does not eat one single thing of those. He hates veggies except califlower and broccli and cant stand fruits except banana's with peanut butter, he hates beans all condiments except barbeque sauce. I try to make thing like stir fry but I know he won't eat it so we end up having something else, I don't know what to do. I have tried eating my own meals but we like eating the same thing plus we don't want to do double the dishes.
Any suggestions on low calorie foods that a picky person might like.

katschy

Picky person needs to grow up and eat his veggies - also, if he's not cooking, he should just eat what he gets. If he wants to eat something else, let him cook.

Seriously. I have very little patience with people who consciously or unconsciously sabotage the efforts of someone they love. If he doesn't have genuine food allergies (it doesn't sound that way from your post) then he should just Suck It Up Buttercup and eat his veggies

abyt42

This is where my DH and I started 20 years ago.... though iceberg lettuce salad was an acceptable vegetable for him.

So: I made calzone, homemade spaghetti sauce with shredded carrots, potato au gratin where several layers were actually peeled broccoli stems, started adding romaine lettuce to the salad, started adding bulgar to chili....


He's now a huge fan of spinach, of actual salad..... my diary's not a good record of what we eat together (because of work, I'm elsewhere right now..), but we're planning a meat free Thanksgiving again! 20 years. And a great deal of patience.....and a functional barbeque for when he absolutely must have ribs (which he makes for himself) is ALL it took....

Aeriel

I wish I could offer advice, but all I have done is cook two or three meals. I have young kids that I introduce to most of the foods I eat, but my son has diet restrictions (no dairy, egg or nuts) and my husband will not touch spicy food, fish, seafood, most tomato sauces or dishes and any type of peppers. I try and cook a main dish we can all eat and then cook side dishes for each person. I usually cook enough so that there is left overs for a day or two, and then it is not multiple meals every day.

Cook the veggies he likes and add another one you like. He doesn't have to eat it. Make your dishes without sauces, and add just before eating, so you can have what you want and he can have his plain or with BBQ sauce. Hope you find a solution.

BrendaKayS

Good luck. My husband won't touch one single veggie. Not one. Not cooked, not raw, not in sauce. However, I do all the cooking so they all know "they get what they get and they don't pitch a fit". They do however pick out what they don't like so quite often he spends more time picking then eating. My kids are much better about eating new foods although my son eats better then my daughter and I even try the tactic that he needs to eat better to set a better example for them!

I make a main meal with sides but let everyone choose from that what they want. I guess I've fought with him about this for 10 years and finally figured that at 43 years old the man just isn't going to change and I have to choose my battles.

meggonkgonk

Picky person needs to grow up and eat his veggies - also, if he's not cooking, he should just eat what he gets. If he wants to eat something else, let him cook.

100% with Katschy on this- My bf is really picky, but recognizes that that's his issue, not mine. Best thing to do if he's really being whiny (other than telling him to make his own dinner) is to make something you can add your veggies to later. Make your sauces, or soups, set some aside and then add ur veggies(i do this esp with chicken soup or lite alfredo sauce) and cook your veggies til their flavor soaks in. My guy particularly hates onions and mushrooms which I basically live on, so I saute them on the side and put them over whatever I want.

There is a cook book like "the sneaky chef" or something like that, that sneaks health food into your meals, but it wouldn't kill him to eat around the veggies or *gasps* eat one or two.

CoryIda

I am fortunate that my son likes veggies and my husband likes everything, but I have some advice anyway because a friend of mine had to come up with a way to get her family to eat fruits and veggies.
One thing she has done is to blend up fresh carrots and spinach and adds it to her spaghetti sauce - they can't taste the difference. She does that with any dish that has a sauce.
Also, you may try cooking vegetables in different ways. If he doesn't like stir fry, then steam your veggies and add plenty of spices (but not a lot of salt or butter) to disguise the taste.
Also, it would be a good idea to sit down with him and talk to him about your goals and how you really need his support. Try to come up with some compromises (for instance, he may refuse to eat broccoli but may be able to choke down peas if they are hidden in rice and may not want to eat apples plain but will tolerate them dipped in yogurt) and Google healthy recipes for dishes that he does like.
Good luck!

ashleighk2010

I love all things healthy. I love vegiis and fruit and salads but my husband does not eat one single thing of those. He hates veggies except califlower and broccli and cant stand fruits except banana's with peanut butter, he hates beans all condiments except barbeque sauce. I try to make thing like stir fry but I know he won't eat it so we end up having something else, I don't know what to do. I have tried eating my own meals but we like eating the same thing plus we don't want to do double the dishes.
Any suggestions on low calorie foods that a picky person might like.

I have a similar issues- except I'M the picky one. I pretty much hate any veggie that's ever been discovered and like apples for fruits. I personally started introducing myself to veggies through Caesar salads. The only veggie in there is a mild-flavored lettuce and it's covered in cheese, dressing, and croûtons and you can even add chicken to hide it more! So that may be a place to start, I really love them.

Something else you can do is create meals which you can customize, like sandwiches, tacos, pancakes (you can add fruits and veggies, he can chose not to).

For balanced meals a generally accepted rule is 1/2 plate veggies 1/4 plate protein, 1/4 plate starch/carb. What I am trying to do is add a veggie to every meal as a side dish, and even if I don't like it at least I tried something new.

A good technique is to just cook up the new veggie in olive oil and chopped garlic... pretty much everything tastes better like that (I've discovered asparagus is especially good like this!)

Also, if you get a chance, go to a restaurant together and order NOTHING but veggie side dishes. Then you can have fun and try some new things that are cooked properly. Sometimes not liking veggies at home is due to not having them prepared as well as they could be. I plan on trying that soon!

Ha ha, sorry this is so long but this is something I deal with on a daily basis so I know what you're going through. Good luck!

madijo41

my son was a real picky eater. I would hide stuff in nearly all his food. You would be surprised at the stuff you can hide. Most of the ideas were already mentioned. He loved dessert so I hid silken tofu in his chocolate cake. Pureed all kids of veggies in his desserts. He liked smoothies and milkshakes, so he always got a couple of secret ingredients. Then I did bribery.

RungosGirl

The only problem with that is that we cook together. He is always in the kitchen with me so I can't sneak stuff in there.

JDMPWR

Don't be weak and let him throw a wrench in your diet plans. He can either eat what you serve or have him cook for himself.

Ps cauliflower, broccoli and salads are fine. Bananas have tons of unneeded sugar.

AnAbsoluteDiva

Supports what I've said all along - husbands are ridiculously overrated.

*wink*

Seriously, unless you're running a restaurant, you shouldn't have to publish a menu. If your husband were found to be diabetic, I doubt you'd shove a cheesecake in his face.

As Katschy the Wise said, hubby needs to grow up and take charge of his own meals.

canbecanbe

DO NOT BUY BBQ SAUCE do not buy what he does eat like most men they will chuck a fit at first but will get over it. my sister has a husband like yours, she want to treat him with respect when it comes to his food choices so try the gently gently approach and he has full grown tantrums. You can't treat someone with respect over there choice if it is making a huge impact on you because when it comes down to it he is not respecting you enough to be polite and try the dam food without complaint.
so if it were a child you would put what you put on the plate and he can like it or lump it. I mean as an adult if you go to a dinner party and some one put your most hated vegie on the plate (mine is pumpkin) you don't chuck a fit you simply chew and swallow dream of cake, pretend it is something pleasant and more importantly put a smile on your face and genuinely thank the person that cook the meal because that is the respect they deserve after cooking a wonderful meal
Sorry about the rant but i do think people would be less fussy if there was allot less food to chose from

ashiteru

such a tough one! it is easy to say well eat what i fix or dont eat at all. but being marreid one thing you want is peace in the household! but try and hide the veggies in different things, even in the bar b q sauce! or lovingly tell him how you want him to be around with you for years and all the lovy dovy stuff! and maybe he will mk the effort to try and do better if only to make it easier on you. if that dont work let him starve! lol mine had to learn to eat what i cooked since he cant cook!:flowerforyou: