Healthy Snacks for my picky Fiance

Boccellin

So I am more or less solely responsible for food for my fiance and I (voluntarily, if I left it up to him, we'd be eating Mcdonalds every night). I do all the shopping, I cook all the meals, I even pack his lunch for him. Because I have been switching to a healthier lifestyle, by default, so has he. He does want to eat clean with me. He wants to eat healthy and lose weight.. While he has adjusted very well to eating healthier meals, we're having a bit of trouble with snacks.

Before we moved in together a year and a half ago, he lived with his parents, who instilled some pretty poor eating habits into him over the years. His mother always bought tons of unhealthy snacks to keep in the house, cookies, chips, snack bars, that kind of thing. He's a big time snacker. Even though we both have healthy, filling breakfasts, and I always pack him a healthy, filling lunch (two sandwiches with high fiber bread...more than 24 grams of fiber in the sandwiches alone) he always wants snacks when he gets home from teaching, and snacks after filling, healthy dinners.

This would not be a problem for most people. If I was a big snacker, I know how I would handle it, fruits and vegetables. However, he claims he has a unique problem. His stomach "ignores" fruits and vegetables. He says they do absolutely nothing to help fill him up. I told him with snacks, the point isn't really to get full, just to take the edge off. He agrees, but says he still wants something somewhat substantial. For the record, he does eat fruit and vegetables, I give him a fruit with lunch everyday, and we have vegetables with dinner and lunch on weekends. He says its fine if they are with something else, but they are "useless" on their own.

I thought I found a solution with fiber one bars. Not completely healthy, but substantial, definitely snacky, and better than chips or cookies. The problem is how MANY he goes through. He insists on having two in his lunch so he can have one as a snack throughout the school day. Then he eats a more when he gets home and over the weekend. At least three or four a day total, sometimes more on the weekends. They're only 90 calories, so they do fit into his goals, but this seems excessive. Last week, I bought a particularly yummy type of fiber one bar that is coated in chocolate. At least...I assume they were yummy, I didn't get to try one. Between midday friday when I bought them and sunday afternoon when I went to get one, he ate the entire box of five...plus some of another box. I end up buying 4-5 boxes a week...and I only get to have a couple.

What I need is other options for him. It can't be good for him to eat 4 boxes of fiber one bars a week, it can't be. But I'm stuck as far as choices go. Fruits and vegetables, at least on their own, are pretty much out. I already give him a fat free yogurt in his lunch everyday, and he says he doesn't want more than one yogurt a day. He doesn't cook, at all, so he won't make himself any kind of snack that requires cooking (unless it's a simple microwave). He already has a hearty breakfast and lunch and moderate dinner, so it can't break the bank with calories.

Chrisparadise579

I really hate to say this but it sounds like he will just need to control his appetite if snacks are causing him to go over on his calories. If he is eating them but fitting them into is daily calorie limits then there really isnt a problem with it and there is nothing to worry about.

Amitysk

Maybe change from fat free yogurt to greek yogurt? Also, if veggies don't work on their own, how about veggie sticks and hummus? Apples and some sort of nutbutter? Basically try snacks that have some protein with them.

ETA: Check out Pintrest for some healthy "fiber one" type bars you can make yourself! Good luck!

aNewYear123

An apple with peanut butter. Try adding some protein and fat into the snack rather than just fruit and veggie.

ginktn

Almonds, portioned out of course, and string cheese. Or peanut butter on wheat bread. Popcorn--3 tbsp of kernels popped in the microwave in a paper bag with no butter added (takes just a couple of minutes so you could still prepare that for him ahead of time) is 140 calories but it's a few cups of popcorn so a very good snack and healthy since it's a whole food and has a lot of fiber. My husband has a hearty appetite too so I understand your challenge when packing food for the day.

enterdanger

Your fiancee and my husband are like the same person. Add in that my hubby is lactose intolerant and adores sugar. In my experience, there isn't a lot you can do. They eat what they want. Here are some of the things I've tried with moderate success.

1. homemade chips and guacamole- take flour tortillas and cut them up with a pizza cutter. spray with cooking spray (just a bit) and top with sea salt. bake for 10 minutes at 400. for the guac I cheat a bit. 1 avocado 2 tbs salsa, salt, garlic powder, juice from 1/2 a lime
2. individual size serving bags of microwave popcorn
3. frozen yogurt (you wouldn't believe the amount of ice cream my lactose intolerant husband can put away)
4. Peanut butter saltines (made with PB2)
5. Crappy cereal. I know, this sounds bad, but if you measure it out 3/4 cup of coco puffs is like 110 calories
6. homemade granola/granola bars. I have a couple of good recipes. message me if you want them.

Sleaterkitty

I am somewhat in the same boat... picky eater (doesn't love fruits/veggies) boyfriend who had crummy habits as a kid and was babied. Now, it's time for him to grow up.Here are a few snacks we've come up with to keep him satisfied during the day so he can eat sensible meals.

I agree with the above poster of veggies and hummus.
Also consider:

low cal-low carb crackers(Wasa or Special K)/pretzels with laughing cow spreadable cheese or hummus
sliced meat and cheese sticks/string cheese
babybel cheese and meat chunks
P3 Protein Packs
Almonds or Pistachios
Homemade black bean dip and/or hummus
Joseph's Whole Grain Pita (and fillings, veggies, hummus, lean meat)

I don't know if any of this is helpful. Just know, I feel your pain. I am constantly trying to get him to eat new foods and encourage him. It's exhausting... good thing I like his personality more than his picky eating habits. Good luck to you both.

nicsflyingcircus

I am a little weirded out that you pack lunch for your fiance, heh.

To each their own, though.

I would consider adding more protein and fat to his diet, if this is what you both are fine with. Fiber is all well and good, but fat/protein lead to greater satiety. I'd try dropping to one sandwich with 3-4oz meat, sliced cheese etc. Switch from fat-free yogurt to 2% or full fat greek yogurt (bonus protein and fat). Have almond or peanut butter with his veg or fruit. Hummus is a good add on as well. Hard boiled eggs are healthy, as is beef/turkey jerky, if a little high in sodium.

reachingforarainbow

Definitely need to have more fats for satiety.

And more fruits/vegetables... Try for around 5 servings.

Also are you making his diet match yours? I'm just wondering, as men typically need more food than women and more protein.... but I have no idea what your feeding him. So yea.

Another thing, have him get involved in cooking (making food all the time for the other person will get old, its nice to have some help once in awhile)

Also stop with the fiber one bars. A single person should not be going through more than a box a week (I used to eat a ton of these too, but they really are not that good for you. Fine for a treat, but 4-5 boxes a week is ALOT)

randomworldgirl

He's not unique. While I love most fruits and vegetables, I don't lean on them to keep me full throughout the day. And I agree with the other poster who mentioned that mens' nutritional needs are a bit different from women. 2 Fiber One bars a day aren't going to kill him and aren't the worst thing he could be eating. I actually eat 3 low cal protein bars a day of a different brand. The only negative side effect is that if I eat them without drinking enough water, my stomach feels bloated. Why not put a boiled egg in his bag? How about a piece of low-fat (or even full fat) string cheese? How about a small bag of dry cereal? He could mix it with some Greek Yogurt and get a nice mix of Fat/Protein/Carbs all at once. Maybe he needs more protein/fat, who knows? Ask him to help you out... tell him in a nice way to act like an adult and make some decisions about his meals.

Boccellin

Some of these might work. I could make some homemade tortilla chips for him...I do have healthy, low cal tortillas. I can probably even make some homemade salsa. In fact...that is a really good idea. I could get him eating some more veggies.

The hummus is a good idea, and I would love it myself, but unfortunately he doesn't like it

I did try getting him some 100 calorie popcorn. I got him a box of five two months ago. Three packets are still in the cabinet. He likes popcorn, but unfortunately won't reach for it as a snack.

The crackers and laughing cow are another option...


A lot of these ideas are definitely worth trying! Thanks!

Boccellin

I really hate to say this but it sounds like he will just need to control his appetite if snacks are causing him to go over on his calories. If he is eating them but fitting them into is daily calorie limits then there really isnt a problem with it and there is nothing to worry about.

He's not going over his calories. He's making them fit. My concern is 4-5 boxes of fiber one bars a week is a lot...its around 20 bars. That can't be good.

Boccellin

Also, I would like to note that he does NOT eat the same amount of calories per day as me. I eat around 1600, he eats around 2100-2300, which isnt too low because he is more or less sedentary. However, I hadn't really considered he might not be getting enough healthy fat. I was setting the fat in our foods to my needs, maybe I can reevaluate and make sure he's getting enough. Now that I think about it....his diet is very low in fat......I'll make sure he gets more and see if that helps.