Are you the main cook in the house?

ms_leanne

I'm the main cook in the house as well. Neil (OT) eats the same things I do. I sometimes do variations for Joel (his son, 11) although he is very good at eating veg and more 'grown up' foods.

What I might suggest being that you are a UK bod is have a look at the hairy dieters (bikers) cook book "How to love food and lose weight". There are stacks of recipes in there, much more than just on the BBC website or the show. They do pies and curries and Fake Aways as they call them.

Lupercalia

I'm the person who cooks in our household. I'm not a short order cook, and have no desire to be one, so there is no way on Earth I'd prepare three separate meals for all of us. Nobody is complaining!

We all pretty much fend for ourselves as far as breakfast and lunch go, so I'm just cooking dinner most of the time. I have to watch my carbohydrate intake (blood sugar issues), so I cook a lower carb main dish and a veggie side (all stuff I can eat) and then sometimes bake potatoes or sweet potatoes for my husband and son. They don't always need a potato or sweet potato with dinner, depending on what I've cooked that night. We eat all the meats and all the veggies, so nobody is missing their precious steak or anything of that nature. I don't (can't) eat a lot of fruit, but keep the house stocked to the gills with fruit for the guys. I don't eat grains, but have a bit of those hanging around for the guys, too.

My son was never a picky eater because I didn't allow him to be. I cooked whatever I cooked, and that was dinner. If he didn't want what we were having for dinner, he could go sit on the sofa or whatever while we ate. Going without dinner makes being picky rather less appealing, so I think he skipped dinner maybe twice as a young child and then got over it. He's 18 now and is happy to eat pretty much everything in the house, haha.

When he was little and taking lunch to school, of course I took into consideration what he liked, but I also took into consideration what sort of foods were more nutritious than others and prepared his lunch accordingly. He fixes his own lunch now, and takes something really healthy every time. Not much variety in his lunch menu, but it's all very healthy.

He loved helping me in the kitchen, too. Still does! I do think that helps to encourage a healthy and more adventurous/excited attitude about food, as a previous poster was saying.

shivles

We are still eating beef but the amount has reduced quite a lot, we used to have it 4-5 times a week and now I'm trying to limit it to 2 tops. I just want to get some more variety with the protein, some nights chicken or fish instead of beef every night. I did make my own burgers last night with extra lean minced beef which were well received but also came with the comment 'Why can't you make burgers more often?'

I think I'll probably get a couple of the things in he likes like the pizzas and pies and he can make them himself if he doesn't want to eat what I've made. I'll carry on trying to get my daughter to eat salad lol shes just a bit picky but suppose she will grow out of it.

Evagem

I am the primary cook and do a combination of things. As a general rule, we plan our meals together. Both my husband and I are actively trying to lose weight and our 15 year old son is an athlete who is very much into eating "good" food. We all typically have the same protein unless I want a piece of fish instead of beef or the more fattening main course that was decided on. Since this is my choice, I prep their beef , which my husband grills, and then I bake my fish. There are also times I modify a main course. For example, last night we had enchiladas. I used about 1/2 of the beef in mine that I use in theirs. We typically eat the same side items with a few veggie exceptions. My son is does not care for asparagus so he will usually open a can of green beans (notice he does this). He also doesn't care for cooked broccoli / cauliflower so we pull out his serving before cooking. I do not prohibt them from having less healthy foods in the house. Luckily I don't care for some of the things that they like so can easily say no to them. When it is something I like, I plan my day's calorie around the treat and/or exercise more so I can enjoy with them.

sweetpea03b

I don't have kids but I think you should definately instill in them now the values of eating healthy. If you don't do it now, they may be in a situation 10-20yrs down the road of needing to lose weight.

My hubby complains CONSTANTLY about eating healthy but I tell him too bad as long as i'm the one cooking he gets what I make. He could stand to lose a few lbs too. But, little things appease him like putting a ton of cheese on something that I don't put cheese on.

Maybe that could work for your kids.... make them steamed veggies and put cheese on top to make it more appetizing to them?

I also try to make dishes he normally loves just with little changes like still making chili but using turkey instead of hamburger. Still making pasta but using half whole wheat pasta instead (he complained the first time I made pasta with only wheat pasta).

kimlight2

Everybody eats the same thing in our house for the most part. I don't like fish but DH does so I make myself chicken when he has fish. DS eats what ever we make and he is 10. He loves chicken and spinach and chicken and rice. Pasta is whole wheat now and we have it once a week with ground chicken or turkey instead of beef or pork. DS also loves pork but it is lean pork loin now instead of faty cuts. We have chips and junk food in the house but a healthy meal needs to be eaten first and it isn't an unlimited amount whenever you want it. I am trying to teach him it is OK to have junk food as long as you are smart about it.

hadlam83

Might as well teach them good eating habits while they're younger. He now hopefully eats most meals the only thing I think he actually doesn't like is mashed potato.

But you're not teaching him good habits, you teaching him that some foods are good, and some foods are bad. which is bullchips. Food is food is food. there are no sinful foods, moderation of the high fat / high calories food. teach your kids portion control and will power and you'll all enjoy eating better. rather than driving your kids to sneaking bad food when out or when you're not there.

I get what you're saying but I didn't say we don't eat other foods or that he is not allowed to (I even said we have takeaways as a treat fortightly) I am just meaning he is expected to eat what is served up for dinner as I don't think it is a good idea to prepare seperate meals because what age do you stop and suddenly expect them to eat what you eat?. We still eat so called "bad" stuff but in moderation which has been my biggest struggle. Learning to have two biscuits not the whole packet!!.

Babeskeez

Yes, I am the main cook and usually everyone gets the same things to eat. The only exception is the kids. They are picky and I hate it. lol. But I make them try everything *if* its not a spicy item. Other than that, I do not make special orders.