Family is whining about my new cooking style

WendyTerry420

My family whines too. I let them whine. If they don't like what I cooked, then they are free to make their own damn food! :laugh:

3foldchord

When my boyfriend was doing the same thing, I threatened to stop cooking for him altogether. Then I actually did stop. After 2 nights of going hungry he shut up and started eating what I make with a lot less complaints.

I have done this. And they really don't care. They just make their own food when they are hungry.... So now I only cook a few times a week and a few times a week dinner is Get Your Own. They like that better, actually and I have something super healthy on those nights (usually. )

skopp18

I'm with the people who say to stop cooking for them.

Also tell them how disappointed you are that they're not being more supportive of you. Guilt trip like a mom should!

Joanitude

P.S. We both hate gruond turkey so I always just use the leanest ground beef I can find. And ditto on Ronzini Smart Taste - that stuff is awesome!

50% ground turkey + 15%fat ground beef - Texas farm raised husband cannot tell the difference between this and "real" meat. As long as he doesn't see a wrapper.

dakotababy

Me and my boyfriend definitely have different...tastes..when it comes to food now a days. We pretty much eat separately or we prepare the same "main" thing (chicken, steak...whatever), but the sides are different (mine is usually veggies and a salad while his may be his potatoes and corn...or sidekicks).

If they continue to complain - you could just start cooking for themselves. I would never let my family insult my cooking and still cook for them afterwards! Besides, it is important for your daughter to start learning to cook her own meals for when she moves out.

Joanitude

my husband eats what ever i put in front of him..wants to lose weight, but usually has a couple of pb&j sandwiches , or bread and butter at night...honey buns when he stops at the store in the a.m. and then wonders why he doesn't lose weight...

Sounds like my ex LOL

SoDamnHungry

Your family is being pretty ungracious about the whole thing, so tell them to shut their pie holes and that they're lucky you made anything. However, as someone whose mom is a really good cook, it would suck to have food you love completely replaced. Make the healthy options most of the time, but once in awhile it won't hurt to give them a delicious, high calorie meal because it's just so damn tasty.

Edit: Typo!

chicco57

it takes time for people to change their eating habbits especally when they don't want to, basicly what they are doing is pushing your boundries in the hope that you will give in and go back to your old way of cooking, and we know what happens if you do this, they will keep on doing this and before you know it you will be back cooking your old ways.

Perhaps you could come to an agreement where agree to cook their fav meal once a week? or try and find low calorie alrternatives of the family meals they enjoy? making them smaller portions of their meals and adding healthier salads/ veg with them?

Just keep trying and don't give into them, they won't starve, it will just take the time to adjust, good luck!

lewcompton

My wife hasn't complained about much... I cook in our house and I try to cook things that we really like and try to do things that are friendly to a three year old as well... I'll cook up whole wheat pasta and then do two sauces... one for us marinara and one for him alfredo... I'll make up fajitas for us and quesadillas for him. I'll make couscous with curry chicken and all of us eat it. I'll make up brown rice and stir fry and he'll have rice and some microwave warmed nuggets... I'll do up salmon for us and fish sticks for him... I guess, I just don't mind doing the short order chef adjustments for him and us. He's on the typical three year old modified white diet...

JessieTangerine

My OH is picky eater. ANd if I told him that if he doesnt like what Im cooking, to make dinner himself, he would gladly start living off cornflakes (this has happened, its not good). You kind of need to treat your family like they are 3-year olds. Introduce new foods one at a time. Dont make them a meal of whole grain noodles with ground turkey and a weird looking vegetable you found at the ethnic food market that you needed to look up on the internet to name. Its too much new stuff at once and the brain will reject it before the tastebuds have even started to get used to it. Instead try one new thing at a time. Try making your soup with milk instead of cream for a week, then move on to the whole grain pasta.

Of course there are things that no amount of time will make your family like. In my family's case its ground turkey. You will have to make compromises in these cases, this is about creating a lifestyle, not eating nasty food the rest of your life. In my case, I just use ground beef in pasta dishes, but use it sparingly, just enough for flavor and not very often.

On the days where you arent trying out something new, consider halving your recipe or serving smaller portions. For instance, halving the serving size of your original lasagna recipe wont break the bank and the family loves it (who wouldnt love comfort food). To ensure your family is still getting in all their healthy goodness, bulk up on sides. Some steamed broccoli and a large salad work. That way your family is getting what they want, and so are you.

Forcing your family to eat your foods wont make them like it anymore nor will it reinforce the idea that healthy foods are delicious and something they can eat for a lifetime. Just be patient and willing to compromise, after all can YOU see yourself dealing with their less than enthused dinner responses everyday for ever?

Marlitharn

I agree with Lora! Treat this as an opportunity to teach your kids about healthy eating and lifestyles. Before you know it, they will be on their own and they will THANK you for teaching them how to cook and eat healthy P.S. Could you give me your roasted red pepper soup recipe?!

It's a Skinnytaste recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/10/roasted-red-pepper-soup.html And it's really really good.

I guess I just wish my family would be a little more supportive and a little less dismissive. The beast in my avatar loves my cooking and tries to steal it whenever possible.

kenazfehu

I would always tell the whiners "then fend for yourself!" Which soon got shortened to FFY. "Don't like it? FFY!"

Alajtner

Keep doing it either they learn to cook, or eat your food good luck!!

By the way does anyone have a low calorie snack for the night when i am watching t. V.???

And not carrots and celery. I just started and it is hard the first few days. PLEASE!!!!!

Alajtner

Keep doing it either they learn to cook, or eat your food good luck!!

By the way does anyone have a low calorie snack for the night when i am watching t. V.???

And not carrots and celery. I just started and it is hard the first few days. PLEASE!!!!!

TheArmadillo

I would have a long talk for them about respect for you. I wouldn't let my 8yo and 2yo speak to me like that, let alone a much older child and my husband. I would also speak to them about the fact you feel that they are not supportive of you either.

After you have a talk and have warned them, if they complain chuck their dinner in the bin.If they continue cook only for yourself, if they live off crap that is up to them, but don't shop for it,don't pay for it, don't cook it and don't clear up after them.

Not liking something is one thing, *****ing/moaning/whining is another. If amazes me the amount of people who have a complete lack of respect for their loved ones.

I also just really really hate whining.

kdiamond

I have picky eaters too (they are 9 and 11) and I don't want them to hate every meal I make. I believe in moderation...for instance I do make cheeseburgers and fries for a meal, but I use lean ground beef and whole wheat buns, and I make the fries myself in the oven with fresh potatoes, and I will add a veggie too. Another meal I make is chicken fajitas...all fresh ingredients, grilled chicken breast, whole wheat tortillas, and I even put spinach in the peppers and onion mixture (they don't even know). You can't expect kids to go from eating whatever they ate to eating tofu, it just isn't realistic. My kids are starting to like different vegetables, but they only like certain ones and I try to prepare them in a way everyone enjoys them. I know from husband growing up in a family where he was expected to eat every bite (and his mom was a gung ho health nazi so no "kid" foods were even allowed in the house), he grew up with a ton of food issues and when he moved out at 18 he ate tons of junk food, and began a battle of his weight ever since. I want my kids to enjoy all foods, try new things, and not make a big deal of it.

Just keep what you're doing and experiment, but let them eat some "junky" foods too...it will all balance out.

Marlitharn

Oh, we still have "junk" food nights. (More of those than "health" food nights, if truth be told, which is why I struggle to come in at or under my allotted calories every day - I'm still a work in progress.) Last night, for example, was pizza night. Tonight I won't even be home so they'll have to fend for themselves, which means one will eat half a dozen scrambled eggs and the other will make toast all evening.

It gets really old, though, on the nights I try something new, to have to listen to them complain, or watch them sit there looking like martyrs, shooting me accusatory looks like I'm slowly poisoning them as they unenthusiastically lift forkfuls of food to their pouting lips.

DenyseMarieL

I can sympathize with you. I get the same minor complaints about things. I'm not cutting out the 'regular' stuff completely, I'm just tweaking it. I have started adding squash to my meals along with the mashed potatoes with milk and butter. I eat the squash, they have a bit of both. I make a big salad and a veggie along side of my creamed chicken casserole. Then I can have a bit of it, and fill up on salad and veggies. I did explain that things were changing, for the good of everybody. They don't turn up their nose quite as much now.

KANGOOJUMPS

OH DO I GET THIS!,,, ME TOO!!!!!!!

RunningDirty

Sometimes to be appreciated you need to step away. Just temporarily I would cook for yourself and not make enough portions to share with them. Let them know they're on their own for a while until they're ready to be on board and appreciate your cooking healthy FOR THEM. See how they like flying solo for a while.