Guys - need meal ideas for my hubby

My husband wants to lose weight and has asked me to help plan meals. Meal planning will be key because he normally would be going through a drive thru twice a day!

He works 12-9 most days - we will need two meals for him to have lunch and dinner at work.

He's not big on veggies but he will eat salad. So far, all I've sent is a salad with chicken and a little dressing and no veggies :(

Since he and I eat differently, I'm trying to come up with healthier things that he would eat. Guys what are you go-to meals to take to work?
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Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Just feed him a lot of lean meat and some Animal Pak supplements. /shrug Works for me. Plants are what food eats.
  • andersonjo0306
    andersonjo0306 Posts: 304 Member
    Definitely will be tracking this thread. Mine will not eat veggies, is a salt aholic and is about 30 lbs overweight. I have told him I am willing to help but only if he gives it his all....so far nothing. mine works 12 hour shifts and that does not help either

    One thing he does like and helps: I cook up between 1 and 2 dozen hard boiled eggs and put them in a container so he has a quick snack instead of junk food...

    Good luck
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    Definitely will be tracking this thread. Mine will not eat veggies, is a salt aholic and is about 30 lbs overweight. I have told him I am willing to help but only if he gives it his all....so far nothing. mine works 12 hour shifts and that does not help either

    One thing he does like and helps: I cook up between 1 and 2 dozen hard boiled eggs and put them in a container so he has a quick snack instead of junk food...

    Good luck

    Mine is an everything-aholic.....fast food, chips, pop, pizza and is at least 75 lbs over weight. I've lost nearly 20 lbs in the last year and I'm very close to goal but I know it would be more if I had a little better support at home. Eggs tear up his stomach :( I eat them on my salads a lot. Good luck to you too!!
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
    My boyfriend has loved everything I have cooked from this website: http://www.skinnytaste.com/
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks for the ideas!! Will definitely check out the website - hopefully our kiddos will like it to. I get so tired of making separate meals!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I've got some chinese food recipes in my blog on here. I think you can see it. General Tso (230 calories a serving!) and Orange chicken! and a few I haven't updated yet.. Plus a ton of salad recieps and a killer protein shake that's easy and quick to make.

    Check out skinnytaste.com

    Make homemade chips (sliced potatoes real thin and bake until crispy) or kale chips (so good!) to help him with the crunch craving

    He can still eat steak (lean steak!) with a large side of veggies ..

    Soda.. hmm.. maybe just dont' buy it? If it's not there he can't have it right? lol idk..

    I dip my own strawberries in Chocolate for a quick sweet snack. Pineapple tastes like candy too. (for that sweet craving)

    Like fried food? Get an oil less fryer and have at them!

    Put squash in spaghetti sauce, to lighten it up and make it healthy.

    use spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti (you almost can't tell the difference) and top it with lots of veggies, some basil and some oil.

    Mix black beans with brownie mix and bake..

    I use avocado instead of mayo.

    Serve salad with every meal. to help fill up

    like ice cream? Do this. nonfat plain greek yogurt, pureed with fresh fruit of choice, schoop choclate whey protein powder (or coco powder I guess, never tried it with that though) and a squeeze of honey. Blend and freeze (I freezze them in an ince cube tray for a quick pick me up) tastes like frozen yogurt and no fat.

    I love dips.. one of my faves is greek yogurt, avacado, salsa, spicy seasoning of choice all mixed together. Great on my homemade chips OR veggies! yum! Or yogurt honey fruit.. good for a sweet dip for fruit.

    Quick snack?? Tortilla, shredded cheese fold in half, pop in microwave, Viola! A quesadilla. can top with salsa and avocado if you want

    Apple chips: slice apple very thin, sprinkle with cinnamon bake (like 45 minutes per side) until crisp. mmmmmmm

    Make homemade strawberry jam.. there are tons of low cal/low fat recipes if you google it. I cut the sugar way down and add lemon to mine.

    Make homemade apple sauce.. cuts the calories way down.. i do mine with a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon.

    Buy smaller lean cuts of meat and pile on the healthy sides.

    And this is weird but it works.. get smaller plates to eat off of.. so they look fuller when you put the food on them..mind over matter

    Don't make seperate meals. Just make everyone eat the same thing. My son eats whatever I do. It's the rule of the house. Eat what is offered or starve. He's only chosen starve twice, then he realized I meant it. LOL
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    I've got some chinese food recipes in my blog on here. I think you can see it. General Tso (230 calories a serving!) and Orange chicken! and a few I haven't updated yet.. Plus a ton of salad recieps and a killer protein shake that's easy and quick to make.

    Check out skinnytaste.com

    Make homemade chips (sliced potatoes real thin and bake until crispy) or kale chips (so good!) to help him with the crunch craving

    He can still eat steak (lean steak!) with a large side of veggies ..

    Soda.. hmm.. maybe just dont' buy it? If it's not there he can't have it right? lol idk..

    I dip my own strawberries in Chocolate for a quick sweet snack. Pineapple tastes like candy too. (for that sweet craving)

    Like fried food? Get an oil less fryer and have at them!

    Put squash in spaghetti sauce, to lighten it up and make it healthy.

    use spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti (you almost can't tell the difference) and top it with lots of veggies, some basil and some oil.

    Mix black beans with brownie mix and bake..

    I use avocado instead of mayo.

    Serve salad with every meal. to help fill up

    like ice cream? Do this. nonfat plain greek yogurt, pureed with fresh fruit of choice, schoop choclate whey protein powder (or coco powder I guess, never tried it with that though) and a squeeze of honey. Blend and freeze (I freezze them in an ince cube tray for a quick pick me up) tastes like frozen yogurt and no fat.

    I love dips.. one of my faves is greek yogurt, avacado, salsa, spicy seasoning of choice all mixed together. Great on my homemade chips OR veggies! yum! Or yogurt honey fruit.. good for a sweet dip for fruit.

    Quick snack?? Tortilla, shredded cheese fold in half, pop in microwave, Viola! A quesadilla. can top with salsa and avocado if you want

    Apple chips: slice apple very thin, sprinkle with cinnamon bake (like 45 minutes per side) until crisp. mmmmmmm

    Make homemade strawberry jam.. there are tons of low cal/low fat recipes if you google it. I cut the sugar way down and add lemon to mine.

    Make homemade apple sauce.. cuts the calories way down.. i do mine with a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon.

    Buy smaller lean cuts of meat and pile on the healthy sides.

    And this is weird but it works.. get smaller plates to eat off of.. so they look fuller when you put the food on them..mind over matter

    Don't make seperate meals. Just make everyone eat the same thing. My son eats whatever I do. It's the rule of the house. Eat what is offered or starve. He's only chosen starve twice, then he realized I meant it. LOL

    Thank you for taking the time to give me all these tips! I will definitely check out your chinese recipes, we really like it and I know it's so bad for us.

    I have been making the kids put their plate in the micro - if they are hungry at the end of the night, that's what they are eating!!

    Thank you again :)
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I found a szcheuan chicken recipe too, that I haven't tried yet. I really want to. It's one of my favorite!

    Stil looking for kung pow chicken recipe too.

    Chinese food is great.. but i can't handle the msg and usually there is way to much sauce on them for my liking.

    :~)
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    2 copyrighted words: Crock Pot!

    Chicken/Turkey Chili
    Pulled pork with hot peppers
    Poached chicken breasts

    Anything!
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    Definitely will be tracking this thread. Mine will not eat veggies, is a salt aholic and is about 30 lbs overweight. I have told him I am willing to help but only if he gives it his all....so far nothing. mine works 12 hour shifts and that does not help either

    One thing he does like and helps: I cook up between 1 and 2 dozen hard boiled eggs and put them in a container so he has a quick snack instead of junk food...

    Good luck

    Mine is an everything-aholic.....fast food, chips, pop, pizza and is at least 75 lbs over weight. I've lost nearly 20 lbs in the last year and I'm very close to goal but I know it would be more if I had a little better support at home. Eggs tear up his stomach :( I eat them on my salads a lot. Good luck to you too!!

    My guy is exactly the same as you- Wont eat it unless it came from a cow, a drive thru window or its in a bag that makes a lot of noise! I unfortunately have succomb to his ways and put some pounds on since we started dating 2 years ago. Living with him has pretty much hinder any weight loss Ive tried. Annoyed but going to try and try again until I lose this teenage girl Ive been carrying around my belly hips and thighs!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Why not just have him start by tracking his intake - regardless of what he eats?

    Then, when he realizes that he will have trouble meeting his calorie goal without somewhat changing his food choices, he can decide what he would like to substitute.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    I'd take a stir fry or curry I'd already cooked earlier to microwave at work
    Or a salad.

    Plus a sandwich/soup and some snacks.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    Mine is the sort that will grab a package of premade food. One of the more successful things I did was buy and also make my own frozen burrito. And found a yogurt he liked when we switched to greek yogurt. He was skipping meals, so I got him Cliff builder bars 22 g protein, by the box. I weaned him down to skim milk. I found Marie's cole slaw dressing (yogurt based) is great and made him broccoli slaw cole slaw (vegetables). I premake him things and put them in the fridge. I made a nearly meatless chili and freeze it in batches. We have nacho's and chili out of that and it's very low sodium, high fiber, low calorie. The boiled eggs idea isn't being touched at my house except if I pressure him, but he'll eat a mustard and olive oil mayo egg salad. I keep trying. If it's easy and it's there, he is more likely to eat it. If it's frozen and microwavable, also even more likely. I found a whole wheat white bread bagel (Thomas plain whole grain) and he's having breakfast now. He liked MFP once he realized he can control all the dials and buttons and win the losing weight between the both of us. The biggest of all factor is him doing it on MFP and seeing for himself what he's putting into his mouth. I have suggested he track certain things, like sugar, fiber, whatever I notice at the time. But if he's in control instead of me nagging, it's a whole lot easier!
  • Not sure where in the world you are, but you should try and get hold of the Hairy Dieters cookbook. The recipes are very 'man friendly' and totally delicious. We are making the recipes and splitting the portions between dinner and lunch the next day (or couple of days). The chilli con carne and the paprika chicken are brilliant and reheat really well.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Two quick and cheap meals that I love.

    Meal 1
    I like pasta with just a bit of plain sauce and a packet of tuna stirred in.

    Meal 2
    Hormel veggie chile(in a can) heated,
    add a packet of tuna.
    Thaw a block of spinach(microwave for a few minutes). Put that in a bowl next to the chile.

    mmmmmmmmm
  • BigDave1050
    BigDave1050 Posts: 854 Member
    I cook a whole lot of chicken on Sundays for the week and measure out what I want for lunch every morning. Add some fruit and a Protein shake for a snack.
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
    My boyfriend has loved everything I have cooked from this website: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

    replace boyfriend with wife and the same is true for me.

    in fact, i'm currently eating 2 spinach lasagna roll-ups for lunch. so tasty.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Why not just have him start by tracking his intake - regardless of what he eats?

    Then, when he realizes that he will have trouble meeting his calorie goal without somewhat changing his food choices, he can decide what he would like to substitute.


    What? Take accountability for himself? Seriously?

    I keed, I keed.

    Yes - that's the best place to start. It won't matter too much what he eats, if he's eating too much of it.
  • This is what I eat everyday. It's boring but I have lost a lot of fat eating this way while maintaining a lean mass of over 250lbs and most of my strength.

    Breakfast: 5 eggs
    1tbsp coconut oil (for frying eggs)
    1 pot of coffee
    1/2 cup of coconut milk (used as creamer in the coffee)
    Lunch: 3 cans of tuna
    4tbsp of mayo
    1 stick of celery
    some spices 'n such since tuna tastes like ****
    Dinner: 4 large pork chops
    1 tbsp coconut oil
    Post Training: 12 oz cooked weight hamburger meat (not lean, I eat the cheap stuff in a tube)
    spices, maybe a little worcestershire sauce or something similar

    It's an easy, cheap ketogenic diet to follow. I lift 4 days a week using Westside Barbell principles and do 20min of cardio before I lift (when I have time). One day a week I will pig out on carbs with dinner to keep my metabolism up.
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    Why not just have him start by tracking his intake - regardless of what he eats?

    Then, when he realizes that he will have trouble meeting his calorie goal without somewhat changing his food choices, he can decide what he would like to substitute.


    What? Take accountability for himself? Seriously?

    I keed, I keed.

    Yes - that's the best place to start. It won't matter too much what he eats, if he's eating too much of it.

    I would LOVE for him to take accountability for himself and log his food.

    But at this point, I want to help him and make it as painless as possible. I don't want to him to give up immediately.

    I'm cooking lunches for myself so I just wanted to find some ideas of things to make for him at the same time. I just know he won't eat like me everyday, I'm boring in his eyes - salad with chicken and veggies.
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    This is what I eat everyday. It's boring but I have lost a lot of fat eating this way while maintaining a lean mass of over 250lbs and most of my strength.

    Breakfast: 5 eggs
    1tbsp coconut oil (for frying eggs)
    1 pot of coffee
    1/2 cup of coconut milk (used as creamer in the coffee)
    Lunch: 3 cans of tuna
    4tbsp of mayo
    1 stick of celery
    some spices 'n such since tuna tastes like ****
    Dinner: 4 large pork chops
    1 tbsp coconut oil
    Post Training: 12 oz cooked weight hamburger meat (not lean, I eat the cheap stuff in a tube)
    spices, maybe a little worcestershire sauce or something similar

    It's an easy, cheap ketogenic diet to follow. I lift 4 days a week using Westside Barbell principles and do 20min of cardio before I lift (when I have time). One day a week I will pig out on carbs with dinner to keep my metabolism up.

    Good stuff, he actually likes tuna!! Working out is the next thing he will need to work on. He had back surgery in August, so it's slow and steady. Thought food may be the best starting point. Thank you!
  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 411 Member
    Most of my lunches are just left overs from dinner. If you're cooking healthy dinners for yourself, make extra and pack it for him the next day. I also pac a lot of chicken breasts or salmon with Green Giant frozen vegetables (the kind with sauces) and mix them together. Turkey meatloaf, turkey sausage are good too. I'm also a big fan of hearty broth based soups. There's a chicken tomato chowder recipe from Weight watchers that is really good, especially if you bump up the seasonings.
  • I keep telling everyone that it's about making changes one at a time. Don't overwhelm him with all kind of new foods and changes. Very slowly introduce him to new veggies. He might only like something a little the first time he tries it but each time he eats it again he'll start to like it more and more. It takes, what, 5-6 times of eating something before we really like it, I think? I couldn't stand the taste of Greek yogurt at first and now I love it. I'm super picky when it comes to veggies and my husband is even worse. I'm slowly introducing new veggies into my life and my tastes are FINALLY expanding after being picky for 46 years. We can change no matter how old we are. :wink:
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    I keep telling everyone that it's about making changes one at a time. Don't overwhelm him with all kind of new foods and changes. Very slowly introduce him to new veggies. He might only like something a little the first time he tries it but each time he eats it again he'll start to like it more and more. It takes, what, 5-6 times of eating something before we really like it, I think? I couldn't stand the taste of Greek yogurt at first and now I love it. I'm super picky when it comes to veggies and my husband is even worse. I'm slowly introducing new veggies into my life and my tastes are FINALLY expanding after being picky for 46 years. We can change no matter how old we are. :wink:

    I completely understand!! I just tried steamed broccoli and cucumbers last summer and I'm 31 :)
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Our salads for work (adjust according to calorie needs)
    Two cups mixed greens
    Two large flowerets cauliflower
    One oz. feta
    Five olives
    Three oz. deli sliced peppercorn turkey or one single serving can tuna fish

    The peppercorn and the olive brine are our flavoring, but this is a good place to add healthy fats, like olive oil. We do it our way because the salad keeps longer than putting the dressing on the greens. And I figure if olive oil is good, olives are better :)

    My man also packs two pieces of fruit and a Kashi go lean bar every day. I usually have one piece of fruit and pistachios or if my fruit is apple, maybe some peanut butter. Veggies and cheese make another good snack.

    Off day sandwiches:
    Sandwich thins
    Hummus spread on the thins
    Mixed greens
    Sliced turkey, ham or even leftover turkey burgers
    Cheese
    Salsa


    I also have a stash of Lean Cuisines that I sometimes take to work with an additional veggie, but a man might need two veggies or an additional source of protein.
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
    Why not just have him start by tracking his intake - regardless of what he eats?

    Then, when he realizes that he will have trouble meeting his calorie goal without somewhat changing his food choices, he can decide what he would like to substitute.

    ^^^^^ THIS!!! My husband was the same thing. He started to track and after seeing the number asked for help. More salads, lean meats, wraps, and measuring everything. I try not to be the food police and give him what he likes in smaller portions. I measure everything for him, find better alternatives, introduce new foods (yes just like a toddler), and pack his snacks for the day. As of today he has lost twice of my number and he started after me. Guys, most of the time, have to see to believe (specially if the information comes out of the wife's mouth....)
  • Lisapayne76
    Lisapayne76 Posts: 157 Member
    Bump
  • johnny059qn
    johnny059qn Posts: 163 Member
    I make a huge taco salad.

    4-6 C favorite bag salad
    1/2 C Wolf canned turkey chili
    1 oz baked Tostitos Scooped
    fresh salsa
    pico de gallo
    sometimes a dollop of guac
    chopped jalepenos
    plain non-fat greek yogurt as sour cream

    314 Clories 44 Carbs 4 Fat 23 protein 889 sodium 7 fiber
  • dkoroschetz
    dkoroschetz Posts: 67 Member
    Why not just have him start by tracking his intake - regardless of what he eats?

    Then, when he realizes that he will have trouble meeting his calorie goal without somewhat changing his food choices, he can decide what he would like to substitute.

    ^^^^^ THIS!!! My husband was the same thing. He started to track and after seeing the number asked for help. More salads, lean meats, wraps, and measuring everything. I try not to be the food police and give him what he likes in smaller portions. I measure everything for him, find better alternatives, introduce new foods (yes just like a toddler), and pack his snacks for the day. As of today he has lost twice of my number and he started after me. Guys, most of the time, have to see to believe (specially if the information comes out of the wife's mouth....)

    I keep telling him that he will lose a lot quickly since he's a guy!! I will have to mention this to him about your husband. Thank you!
  • I am pretty much this guy. If he likes salads I will share one of my favorites. About 350-450 calories or so.

    grilled chicken breast,
    salad greens,
    Mandarin oranges,
    dried cranberries,
    blue cheese crumbles,
    sliced almonds
    & balsamic vinaigrette