Not everyone eats like me... :(

Ready2Rock206

I do all the shopping and all the cooking. If someone wants something else they are more than welcome to shop and cook themselves.

Julicat6

It's just myself and my Husband usually but we also frequently have friends over for meals. My husband has Crohn's and a naturally decent metabolism and is picky about veggies. I have IBS/C predominant., so our needs are very different. I tend to make the same protein for both of us, usually grilled, roasted or sauteed on the stove top, his in a bit of oil and mine with less or spray. I make a starch we can share but I always steam a veggie or make a salad for me and eat a small portion of the starch and lots of my veggie. He can request a veggie he is able to eat or go without. This strategy rather than just making what he wanted and eating it has made it possible for me to lose almost 50 lbs since February 2010. I still have about 50 to go and just started MFP. I was doing Weight Watchers. I gained nearly 70 lbs after we moved in together(over 5 years) eating like him and I can't do it again. I find it best to make the same meal, but to customize portions. Good luck finding a strategy that works for your household.

crazybookworm

Thankfully my fiance was really supportive, so he pretty much adjusted his eating to pair up with mine. And he is the type where he can eat ANYTHING and not gain a pound!

Your family needs to understand that you are trying to get healthy, they need to support that. If they don't want to eat your healthier meals, then they should prepare their own meals.

But, you can change up a lot of things to make them healthier for you, but that your family will enjoy, too! Take your fried chicken for example. Bake it, instead of fry, and serve with sweet potato fries. There are tons of great 'swap this for that' recipes all over the internet! There should be a way to keep everyone happy

Good luck!

sallysuze

Are we only talking about dinner? I presume your husband sorts out his own lunch at work?
If so, then having a healthier dinner is just one meal out of 5 in a day, if you count snacks. So if you want to make a healthier dinner then there is plenty of opportunity for your other half to get his junk food during the day when you are not around.

As for kids, of course they may prefer high fat, high cal, low veg meals. That doesn't mean that that is what they should have. It is perfectly easy to find yummy foods that nurture their body and their mind. And you are setting them on the right track for adulthood.

I have children, and I am not a short order cook. I meal plan, and 4 nights out of 7 are meals that I know they love. The other 3 dinners might be more challenging for them, but they won't starve and eating a wide range of great food is a work in progress.

leeann0517

Well, your household may not be set up like mine but the kids eat what's put on the table or nothing at all. No fixing their own stuff or hitting the snacks. They dont eat, they dont get a snack later either (this is the older kids, my 22 month old gets exceptions but she eats anything!) Now that seems harsh but that's what has to be done not only for your own health but theirs as well. Luckily, my husband eats whatever is put on the table but I do know that some husbands are not that easy.

^^^ LOVE this! That's called "parenting" and not enough people do it any more.

I do not understand this forcing kids to eat what YOU want to cook.....why does everyone think the only options are what you cooked or something unhealthy? if a kid doesn't like what's being served, why can't they make themselves something else that's healthy? I certainly don't like everything my kids do and certainly don't want to eat food I don't like or be forced to go hungry.

senyosmom

I see 2 ways to address the issue:

1) the other people can cook for themselves of they want food that are weaknesses to you (like fried chicken)

2) you can try eating the same main dish but switch up your sides. This is what I do. For example, I may go ahead and make the steak everyone wants, along with steamed veggies. But while they want and eat mashed potatoes I skip that and pop a sweet potatoe in the microwave instead - add salt/pepper and there you go. I can eat a smaller piece of steak with the veggies and sweet potatoe without having to make an entirely different meal for me. Another one is salmon with rice pilaf and veggies. I just skip the rice and have a little more salmon and/or veggies. Everyone else eats the rice but I dont.

PaveGurl

I guess I never realised how danged lucky I am - I cook, we eat. When someone else cooks, they are generally considerate enough to take into consideration any dietary requirements (such as being gluten free), and then we eat.

If the planned dinner isn't ringing someone's bell, there are usually leftovers from something recent available. We don't often have snacks on hand, only full-on ingredients that are frozen in portions for the family (enough for dinner and lunch the next day), so making something else is not really an option. If someone doesn't want to eat it now, they'll end up eating it later, so they might as well get it over with and look forward to something else for the next meal. *laugh*

momskibum

Hang in there! I live in a house with 3 skinny men - my husband and sons. I have almost always cooked differently for them. What is interesting is that their diets have slowly evolved to be healthier too. I did not force the changes but they saw some of the yummy stuff I ate, and starting eating more of that. Stick to what you know is right for you and explain to the others you really want to be healthy so you can stay with them. If you stick to your plans, they will earn a respect for you for it.

RunHardBeStrong

Well, your household may not be set up like mine but the kids eat what's put on the table or nothing at all. No fixing their own stuff or hitting the snacks. They dont eat, they dont get a snack later either (this is the older kids, my 22 month old gets exceptions but she eats anything!) Now that seems harsh but that's what has to be done not only for your own health but theirs as well. Luckily, my husband eats whatever is put on the table but I do know that some husbands are not that easy.

Sounds exactly like my house. They get use to it. My kids/husband have never gone to bed hungry.

Firefox7275

How do I conquer eating a healthier diet when no one else in the house does? It is very frustrating trying to buy 2 sets of groceries or cooking sets of meals. My other family members don’t want to eat the same things I do and I can understand that, fried food does taste better but fried foods especially fried chicken is one of my weaknesses so I don't cook that way. I need some solutions if there are any out there…

People eat what you prepare or they make their own food: your children need to eat healthy just as much as you do. Fried food doesn't have to be tastier than other food, it certainly has a different texture and flavour but a spicy curry is plenty tasty.

DrMAvDPhD

You buy and cook the food? In my house, that means everyone eats like you.

Happyme2009

I know it's been said before....
I cook the healthy stuff and to that I make some rice, or macaroni, or mashed potatoes, etc that just don't go on my plate.... or if they do, in very small amounts....
On top of that, I supplement with snack.... ( "goodies")... you eat the broccolli, you get a Lindt chocolate candy... ( for my daughter).... But then again, she gets her sandwiches or pizza for lunch at school, which I don't eat often...
Cooking 2 times is just not acceptable... how to you even have time to do the dishes? I don't have a dishwasher so I wash by hand... I'd go crazy with that many dishes....
Good luck... so yes, my solution is "extra" sides, and "extra" rewards for healthy eating.