Question about gravy

ser0630
ser0630 Posts: 223
in Food and Nutrition
Tonight, my boyfriend and I here having a little argument about gravy. He has to have gravy with his mashed potatoes for some odd reason. I think that gravy's not much better for you than butter.

My boyfriend has started making some changes to his diet because of high cholesterol and he's trying to get it down on his own. I've told him that he really needs to add more vegetables to his diet (He does some vegetables, but he hates a lot of them--especially broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.) and cut back on things like gravy.

He has been making a gravy with Campbell's Heart Healthy Cream of Mushroom soup to go with his mashed potatoes. I don't think that the Heart Healthy cream of mushroom soup is much better than the regular Cream of mushroom soup.

So, is gravy better for you than butter?

Replies

  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
    Gravy can be made without so much bad stuff. I wouldn't use anything in a can though. I don't make it often because I have to buy expensive gluten free flour but when I do I use almond milk or broth, depending on what it's for. I use butter during the holidays but not too much of it. Honestly, I could actually eat a stick of butter by itself. lol. My body wouldn't react so well to it though.

    Try experimenting with making different types of gravy.
  • ser0630
    ser0630 Posts: 223
    I'll have to get him to try that, even though he is a very picky eater (he calls himself the pickiest fat guy you know--even though he's lost about 30 lbs so far).

    I've tried telling him that even though he's using the "heart healthy" stuff, it's not that much better. He says that he's looked it up and it's alright. I don't believe that. I've told him that he should start cutting out a lot of the processed food he eats (canned soup, potato chips, etc.) He's cut out ice cream, has been eating salads for lunch at work and oatmeal in the morning for breakfast.

    I'll have to get him to try to make different types of gravy. It may not be easy, especially with we grill our meat.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    Real gravy is made from 1 part fat (fat skimmed from the drippings of roast meat, or oil meat was fried in, or butter) and 1 part flour, to which a liquid (the "juice" - not the fat - of pan drippings, or broth, or water, or milk) is added.

    I haven't looked up the ingredients in the mushroom soup you mention, but you can compare the label to the constituent parts of homemade gravy and determine whether one is "healthier" than the other.

    My suggestion, however, is that you back off. Your boyfriend is a grown man. You can not dictate to him what he should and should not eat. Trying to do so is going to create conflict in your relationship. It sounds like he is making some changes to his diet. Try to be supportive and praise or acknowledge the beneficial changes that he makes to his lifestyle. Try not to tell him what to do.

    It can be overwhelming to change many things at once. Let your boyfriend go at his own pace.

    You might look for the book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink at your local library. It explains how to make little changes that can create incremental weight loss over time. Don't try to get your boyfriend to read it if he doesn't seem interested, but you can leave it out and he may actually pick it up and get some ideas.
  • jlohcook
    jlohcook Posts: 228 Member
    It seems like the healthy heart mushroom soup is a good substitute, 70 calories, it's low in fat, low in cholesterol, look it up, its in the list of food. a little high on the sodium tho. A good alternative is to make your own, substitute the butter with low fat, unsalted butter, do not use plain flour, use corn flour as thickener, at least there is no preservatives.

    However, for a big grown man, salad for lunch seems light, does that fill him up? Even for me who is 5ft 3 woman, salad alone makes me hungry all the time, and if I throw in nuts, the calories will shoot up, it still doesn't fill me up. Losing 30 pounds is a lot, so, looks like he is heading the right direction, and small successes will yield more and bigger success, be patient.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
    Show him this site. If your cals and macros are good you can eat whatever you like (including gravy lol) maybe that would appeal to him? I also agree with an above poster, he is trying, but nit picking him over a can of soup is only going to cause bad things. If its working for him (you said he has lost a good amount of weight) then what's the problem?
  • auntygill
    auntygill Posts: 108 Member
    Just to say how can you not have gravy with mashed potatoes !!!! my husband would divorce me if i gave him a dinner withe mashed potatoes as part of it with no gravy , ok so its only bisto gravy granuels in the week but at the weekend with the sunday roast its full blown gravy made with the meat juices . you have to live your life and you cant give everything up .xxx
  • Starla_
    Starla_ Posts: 349
    I love gravy and make it up everytime I cook meat in the frypan or do a roast...

    meat drippings/butter, cornflour and water, sometimes a bit of stock,.. easy as and its not such a bad food to have.

    If he wants to use a healthier version of a soup then let him, he's losing weight and if he is a picky eater getting him to cut out entire foods he enjoys may only back fire.

    Unless you have specific dietary requirements for specific fitness goal or health reasons then you can have everything in moderation, there is no need to restrict or cut out entire food groups just to lose weight.


    Oh and butter aint so bad either ;) just don't go crazy with it. Good butter is better for you as a fat than a lot of the so called 'healthier' options
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member


    My suggestion, however, is that you back off. Your boyfriend is a grown man. You can not dictate to him what he should and should not eat. Trying to do so is going to create conflict in your relationship. It sounds like he is making some changes to his diet. Try to be supportive and praise or acknowledge the beneficial changes that he makes to his lifestyle. Try not to tell him what to do.


    This. He's losing weight and doing well, you're his girlfriend not his mother.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Butter is not bad.
  • tuppence1984
    tuppence1984 Posts: 11 Member
    Sorry, i need gravy with mash. end of story. why doesnt he just buy a tin of brown onion gravy (bisto's or whatever) two teaspoons, mix with boiled hot water, quarter to half a cup, mix it well. Will be thick, doesn't need all of it, job done! Not sure about the calorie etc etc content but a taste is enough!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,956 Member
    I've found that people who hate vegetables will often eat roast vegetables. Drizzle on a little olive oil, add salt, and blast at a 220C/425F in the oven. About 20 min for broccoli and zucchini, 30 min for cauliflower,10 min for asparagus and snow peas, 30-40 minutes for brussel sprouts and carrots. You can optionally add a squeeze of lemon afterwards or a sprinkle of grated parmesan.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Depends on what's in the gravy, depends on how much butter!

    As others have said, good on him for making small changes where he can. That really is the best way to go, rather than trying to do everything all at once.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    So... what is wrong with gravy OR butter?

    Get off his back. He is an adult and can make decisions for himself. If that is what he enjoys, then let him. As long as he is watching the calories and macros then who cares if he has a bit of gravy on his mashed potatoes!

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