Having trouble

geeksrule

Hey all! I've been having trouble with staying on track with my food. I usually don't go over my calorie goal (come just about right on) , but of course have those days when - i just blow it.

My trouble is that I am trying to come up with ideas for dinners for myself and my 12 yr old daughter. My hubby travels most of the week so coming up with ideas for 2 is getting a bit tiring. She complains about having to eat veggies and salads all the time- chicken is out as is most fish, she doesn't like bread or soups or anything that is mixed up .
Then to top it off, my dad has a granny flat with us - so he will come eat with us a few nights a week (3-4) and enjoys a full cooked meal (I don't want roast beef and veggies everyday). I get so frustrated trying to figure it all out that i just eat whatever and then all my hard work (I do great with my exercise) is diluted.

How do you resolve these kind of mealtime problems ? Or is it just going to be making seperate meals for each person?

moniquelessard

I'm going to tell you what you what a nutritionist told me. You don't have to eat the same things as your child. It may sound like a lot of work, but I usually make different yet separate meals for myself and my daughter.

Example: tonight I boiled pasta for her, and I made a little sauce with some left over roast beef and tomatoes and diced veggies. For me, I sliced the roast beef, chopped up some of the same veggies, sliced a piece of low fat cheese and added some pickles to my plate for flavor. She had her yummy pasta, I had a high protein & veg dinner, everyone was happy and I didn't feel horrible after for going over my cals.

Another example: I make 2 chicken quesadillas (but I make hers a bit different from mine). weight watchers whole wheat tortilla, chopped cooked chicken, low fat cheese (reg fat for my daughter), some jalepenos in mine, some salsa in mine and a bit in hers if she wants, sour cream and salsa for dipping, and on the side of mine I put a ton of veggies or a salad. On the side of hers I put whatever she wants/prefers.

Its about using similar ingredients, but making little adjustments or removing parts of the meal for yourself (to save cals). If she wants homemade pizza you can make hers on a pizza dough and yours on a whole wheat english muffin, a whole wheat pita, or a whole wheat tortilla. I hope this helps a bit.

HMD7703

Meals for 2 can be easy with some planning. Just think on a smaller scale.
Ex:
2 pc grilled tilapia (frozen food section) - pop in oven 20 mins
and some steamfresh veggies (bagged / frozen) in microwave for 5 mins.

Super easy and healthy too. I think if you planned out your dinners it might get a bit easier. At least you would know what to buy / have ready when it comes time to cook (either for 2 people or the whole family).

Good luck

val071418

I'm going to tell you what you what a nutritionist told me. You don't have to eat the same things as your child. It may sound like a lot of work, but I usually make different yet separate meals for myself and my daughter.

Example: tonight I boiled pasta for her, and I made a little sauce with some left over roast beef and tomatoes and diced veggies. For me, I sliced the roast beef, chopped up some of the same veggies, sliced a piece of low fat cheese and added some pickles to my plate for flavor. She had her yummy pasta, I had a high protein & veg dinner, everyone was happy and I didn't feel horrible after for going over my cals.

Another example: I make 2 chicken quesadillas (but I make hers a bit different from mine). weight watchers whole wheat tortilla, chopped cooked chicken, low fat cheese (reg fat for my daughter), some jalepenos in mine, some salsa in mine and a bit in hers if she wants, sour cream and salsa for dipping, and on the side of mine I put a ton of veggies or a salad. On the side of hers I put whatever she wants/prefers.

Its about using similar ingredients, but making little adjustments or removing parts of the meal for yourself (to save cals). If she wants homemade pizza you can make hers on a pizza dough and yours on a whole wheat english muffin, a whole wheat pita, or a whole wheat tortilla. I hope this helps a bit.

this is how I have made it work for me, but i have 3 kids and a hubby. But I usually eat most of what they do I just switch it a little to be more calorie friendly for me. EX. when the fam wants burritos and tacos, I make them they way they like it then instead of having the tortillas I put my taco fixings on a bed of lettuce for a taco salad. Also if u go ahead and make larger meals, you can always freeze them for a quick and easy dinner later that month! Check out Skinnytaste.com they have some great meals and snacks that are family friendly and calorie friendly! Hope this helps, and good luck!!

brendacooks

First, a caveat. I have only just begun - I'm on week 2 so maybe my thoughts aren't useful but, for what it's worth, here they are. I have been eating the same food I have always eaten, and I have been cooking for my family as I always do - but I eat less of it than I did before. We just celebrated Thanksgiving here last weekend and I had turkey and stuffing and mashed potato and pumpkin pie... You get the idea. The thing is, I probably ate half of what I did last Thanksgiving. For now, because I am just starting, I weigh and measure what I am eating so I can be totally factual in my food tracking. It has cheered me to no end to see that I can still eat what I love because, of course, this has to last forever. I love cooking and I especially love cooking special meals for friends and family and I really hated the thought of having to give that all up. I'm finding it isn't necessary. Hang in there!

kneeki

One of the great things about being a parent is you can tell them what they can eat.