Husband who hates healthy food!

NavyKnightAh13

every once in a while I compromise and lets us have something greasy and not that great. Other then that, my husband was scared originally that healthy food meant nasty diet food. He actually loves it and prefers it. I teach our child to eat as healthily as possible but that it is okay to compromise.

I would suggest when he gets back to just let him make the choices.

Mpol2

My husband has been deployed for 3 months now. After he left, I cut out processed foods. Then I started eating all organic, upped my vegetable intake, and cut down on meat.
Now I've cut out all meat and dairy. I feel amazingly healthy and I've lost 27 lbs so far. This is something I want to keep up long term, for life, I hope.
My problem is that my husband eats like a 5 year old. He hates vegetables and loves pizza and macaroni and cheese. How do I keep up my healthy habits when he gets back? Has anyone else dealt with a lifestyle change in their diet without the full support of their families?

Hi Stef,

I have been and still am in a similar situation, though neither my wife nor I have been deployed in the armed forces in a war zone.
My preference is to be vegetarian but my wife and kids are avid meat eaters. When I can I cook healthy vegetarian fare though sometimes my wife comes home from the supermarket with meat, chicken or fish and wants that for dinner. I encourage my family to eat more vegetarian food but its not the end of the world if they don't. The vast majority of the time, they prefer my cooking to take away and most restaurant meals.

Something that I want to tell you is that at different parts of my life I was vegetarian, vegan and macrobiotic. I know from close observation and first hand just how divisive a dogmatic adherence to a particular dietary philosophy can be. Its great if you can eat healthy food but sometimes we don't get the choice. Mental qualities such as gratitude and humility, in my opinion, are important to continually cultivate when we get what we want and when we don't..

One strategy that might work for you to get your husband on board is to cook high-quality alternatives to his junk food choices. Home-cooked hamburgers can be absolutely fantastic, as can macaroni cheese. It just requires a bit of investigation and planning. It might also be worthwhile having a heart-to-heart talk with him when he is next home about your health and wellbeing goals and how important they are to you. Perhaps the open and honest communication you'll get him to be be your biggest ally.

Do keep us informed as to how you go.
kind regards,

Ben

What a thoughtful and wise response, Ben. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

sally_jeffswife

Maybe make the Macaroni or the pasta as a side with something else like a steak and he can be happy and you can just eat the steak with veggies and skip the macaroni or make a pizza but make it healthier by making it homeade and using lower calorie cheese etc. Maybe try incorporating more veggies into side dishes till he gets used to them and likes them and that way he can have his comfort food and you can eat more of your veggies if you like.

SharpieV

Don't try to change what he eats- it's his body and his choice. That said, there has to be a middle ground if you're the one who does most of the cooking. My SO came to me the same way- couldn't cook and ate junk. Gradually I am rubbing off on him. The trick for us was options.

I never make two completely different meals, I just add a few sides. If I know the 'main dish' is more my style and he isn't going to be too excited about it, I'll make some mac'n'cheese (or something else he likes) too for him to eat on the side. Doesn't mean I have to put it on my plate, but it serves to a) make sure there is food he wants to eat and b) show that I am not pressuring him to change his diet. If the main dish is more something his style, I'll make more sides that made me happy- a big salad and extra veggies for example, and then fill my plate up with those and just a little of the higher fat/meat/whatever main dish that he likes better.

Unexpectedly, he's starting to get more interested in healthy eating and saying 'yes' to my offer to make him a side salad too more and more often. Meet in the middle and don't try to change him. You'll be fine. My SO is learning to cook too, and I must say, he's doing a great job of it! It can be fun to figure out things that you both will like, and fortunately, most people will tend to eat whatever happens to be in front of them/cooked, so it becomes less of an issue than you might think.

Confuzzled4ever

My husband isn't a big fan of healthy eating either, so I cook meat and starch for him, have small portions of that for myself, and make myself extra veggies.

Is there any vegetables he will eat? Mine doesn't mind carrots, so I put them in EVERYTHING.

He will eat spaghetti squash... Corn occasionally. But that's about where it ends! That's my biggest concern. I put veggies in EVERYTHING! Brussels sprouts, asparagus, onions, peppers, spinach, kale! I can't do without them!
I guess it is possible to cook my veggies and his meat separately. Just another pan?

There's a cookbook where it has all these awesome recipes where the veggies are hidden in the meals.. i think it's called deceptively delicious.. I can't vouch for how the recipes taste.. I have the book.. but everyone in my house loves veggies.