How do you cook for your family?

vanspragg

My wife and I are losing weight using MFP. We have two boys, 15 and 12. We make one thing we all eat. Some of our staples are: 4 oz grilled chicken/med. baked potato/veg, hot ham/seasoned potatoes/veg, chili made with 93% lean beef, taco's with 93% lean beef/ 80cal high fiber shells for wife and I/kraft 2% shredded cheese/lettuce/salsa, spaghetti without meat sauce(but with lean beef that isn't bad either. We also make homemade pizza which isn't horrible at 216 cals a slice. The boys eat until they are full, but my wife and I keep the portions measured for ourselves. There are times one of the boys will have something else, but that is more because of them being picky. We did that before we started eating better. In general we don't eat out much anymore, but the boys don't say much. We are by no means health nuts! We still eat many of the same foods, just in sane amounts. I would imagine it is easier with both parents being on board.

maryjay51

i cook different for myself and make other food for everyone else

char102005

I try to integrate what I'm making for them with what I'm eating, such as fajitas or stir fry, I grill steak / chicken for them and fix the veggies separately. Or sometimes I fix them eggs and toast and I eat, whatever, or I make a vegan soup and they either eat it or find something else.

giraffells

They eat what I eat, and I may make them a starch like rice and potatoes, which I will pass on or measure. The only exception is fish, my hubby and I eat and my daughter eats chicken. If we want to have pizza, I plan my day accordingly.

Karmynzahringer

i'm doing this not only for myself but for them also! i want my kids to eat healthy. i want my husband to eat healthy. cooking a lean protein, a whole grain carb, and a veg for dinner every night is balanced. you can take short cuts and use frozen veggies (and even frozen brown rice!!) to make dinner more quickly. kids learn to LIKE dinners that don't include mac and cheese every night. i don't worry about their portion size (just mine.) it's waaaaay too much work to make more than one meal for your family. and they will be healthy right along with you!!

Agreed! Prior to this diet my 10 year old son had already started battling high cholesterol! I was mortified. My children need this as much if not more than I do! I was always one of those moms that stopped at Mc Donalds after a ballgame or ordered pizza on a family night. Now I am trying to instill healthy eating habits and the enjoyment of being healthy into the whole family. They didn't like it at first, trust me! But over time they are adjusting and asking less and less for "junk food" and starting to enjoy many of the healthier foods! We have also started watching portions on my son, because he does tend to overeat, asking for not only seconds, but thirds and fourths if you let him. He has always been a big boy, at 5ft5 and 169 lbs with size 9.5 mens shoes and he is only 10, but he does have some extra weight in the core area, and what really broke my heart was when I saw he was starting to get stretch marks at such a young age! Not to mention if you do not have your family eat healthy with you, it will make it 10 times harder for you to avoid cheating etc.! Good luck!

adavis59

I cook healthy and low fat for the family. They get bigger serving portions, while I eat just the right amount for my caloric amount. Sometimes I cook something they really enjoy eating, so beforehand, I eat just enough throughout the day to accomodate the calories for later.

Karmynzahringer

Also maybe try Taragon Turkey burgers, my kids loved them even before the diet, and we eat them regularly, plus they are really healthy! (p.s. we substitute mushrooms for the zucchinni, or just leave it out, I do not care for the texture it leaves in these)

These burgers are delicious! And not much more trouble than making beef burgers.
(Joseph Mercola, Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program)
PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
SERVES: 4
1 lb ground turkey
½ cup coarsely shredded zucchini
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 tbsp fresh (or dried) tarragon leaves
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
½ tsp Spike vegetable seasoning (or salt)
3 grinds black pepper
2 large eggs
Preheat broiler or grill.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and shape mixture into patties.
Cook 5 minutes per side, or until browned. (Do not overcook.)

Katie41907

The only time I let the kids eat something different is fish night. They refuse to eat fish. They get a PB Sandwich with no treat since they don't eat what we do. The family love my turkey chili! It's SO easy!

2lbs ground turkey
2 Cans Northern Beans
1 Can Tomato sauce
1 Can tomatoes and onions with garlic
1 Jalepenio
1 Bell Pepper
1 Onion
3 tbsp fave meat seasoning (I use Hickory)

Cook turkey and drain. Add back to pan. Add peppers, onion, and seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then add everything to a stock pot or crock pot. Cook until you are ready to eat. If I'm in a hurry I cook it on the stove for about 20 minutes. If I want it to cook a while, I stick it in the crockpot after breakfast on low and let it cook all day. No need to babysit. Just stir every hour or so.

rubichhs

I totally agree with you. You'll burn out trying to cook separate meals. Your family's health is too important to serve them inferior food. My husband has come around and now prefers whole grain bread after eating white bread for 55 years! Thank goodness my mother was ahead of her time. She always served salads, lots of vegetables, bean dishes. We weren't allowed to drink soft drinks...maybe one a year. Do your kids a favor and save them from a lifetime of poor health. They will then pass on healthy cooking to your grandchildren!

TriciaAllen7251

My thoughts are if you are hungry you will eat what I fix or fix something yourself. My son is 19 do it's time for him to be able to fend for himself. Half the time it's just the hubby and I eating dinner at the table. My hubby needs to eat healthier so it benefits both of us.

RyLaneB

I make one meal and we all eat the same thing. My kids are 8 and almost 4, they are fairly healthy eaters...both love fruits and veggies and have only ever eaten wheat bread. There are times that they do not care for something in the meal, but usually they happily demolish whatever we put in front of them and we are hoping that it stays that way! My husband and I are doing this together, and we are praying everyday that we are teaching them habits that will prevent them from having to struggle with their weight later.

Lorleee

My husband eats the same healthy dinner as me. We each grab our own breakfast in the morning. For lunch, sometimes he makes one for himself and other times he gets fast food.:grumble:

yentess

Thanks everyone for your insights! I should clarify that I do feed my family healthy food. My 3 childrens are all tall for their age and slim. They get plenty of outside play time and we don't keep junk food or soda in the house. They occasionally get to eat fun stuff like mac n cheese, hot dogs and pizza, but I mostly make nutritious food for them. I was just curious how everyone else with families ate as dinner here tonight was a bust. I made fish tacos with baked cod, corn tortillas, black beans, avocado and salsa. My hubby and I both enjoyed it, my 10 year old would only eat the fish, my 8 year old would eat none of it and my 3 year old picked at it but didn't eat much. I am trying to avoid eating pasta, red meat and cheese(my weakness) which isn't bad for the kiddos, but not so good for me. I like the ideas of making one main dish for everyone and serving different sides or finding ways to tweak the meals to serve everyones needs.

mumof5

I hav 5kids and hubby, I do not run a cafe, if you don't like what I served then leave it and hope that you like the next meal! I do make some adjustments, I'm not all witch! ie if we hav spag Bol, I just leave the spag off mine, if we hav sausages on bread for a Saturday BBQ I just hav salad, if I make a cake I just lick the beaters....woops don't think I was supposed to share that one!!!

ZombieSlayer

I cook one meal.

http://www.hdmb.net/

ncqueenbee

Just me and my hubby- he can eat what I eat or starve. LOL

I also have an 8yr old son, and that saying goes for both of them! My son usually complains, but he eats it anyway because he knows he can't have a dessert if he doesn't.

garnet1483

DH and I usually eat different things, though sometimes it's variations on a theme. I like to cook ahead and portion out meals for the week, so I don't have to really "cook" after work. I've actually just started making my own healthier versions of the same old convenience food. Burritos, pot pie, soups, stews, fried rice, chicken+some sort of sauce+some sort of side or wrap (chicken with marinara and cheese with pasta, teriyaki chicken with rice and broccoli, chicken with salsa and cheese and rice or beans, etc.)

NatashaK29

The only time I cook separate meals is when we have pork ( I can't eat pork) and sometimes I'll just pass on a meat that night. I have converted them to turkey sausage and bacon, but I'm not gonna make.them give up ham or pork chops (I even ate one with them last week because it looked sooo good but my stomach payed for it later). Eating like I do has helped my 10 year old with ADHD gain weight, which is good and my 11 son lose weight, he's kind of a gamer but getting more active with us.

raisingbabyk

My husband eats whatever I eat, and is totally on board with being healthy. He will sometimes add extra sauces/cheese etc, and have bigger portions. Our son is only a small baby just starting to try foods but we want him to grow up with healthy parents and have a healthy lifestyle.

pg1girl

It is important to me for myself to be healthy but to also teach my kids the importance of being healthy. Silly to cook fattening things for them when I can cook healthily for all of us! Just make a great dessert or treat once in a while too.