Calling all MEN who eat REAL food!

ashlinmarie
ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Or women who have picky husbands ;)

Well, my husband and I have made a little deal for the month of April. If I cook more, he will eat it. Right now he eats a lot of processed garbage (like meals you pop in a microwave or candy) and drinks tons of soda. We aren't looking to just eat clean...but better in a maintainable way. I bet him that at the end of the month he would have more energy and feel better while eating better foods than he currently does. I also think it would help him lose the 20ish pounds that he's gained. He loses pretty quickly anyway.

I'd be really interested to hear some foods or meal ideas from men, especially men that may have been pickier eaters or found that they liked foods they previously didn't. Our biggest obstacle is that we live in Japan and even though we can shop at the commissary, certain meats (like turkey) or fruits and veggies aren't always available. Fish/shellfish/seafood of any kind is also out of the question as I am highly allergic. Right now we cycle through grilled chicken and lean beef and it can get pretty dull.

I look forward to hearing your input. :)

Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Cook whatever he likes. Everyone is different. I like big hunks of meat alongside vegetables. I like beans, too. Tacos, burgers, chicken breast, etc.
  • freekat
    freekat Posts: 71 Member
    I'd try some fish if he likes it. Heaps of protein and less calories. Win win!
  • chessgeekdavidb
    chessgeekdavidb Posts: 208 Member
    I see no problem with cycling through the chicken and lean beef, just have to jazz it up and not make it the same way every time. I'd start with looking at different chicken and beef recipes, different types of spices and veggies that can be added to the dishes. Since you are in Japan have you tried lotus root? That is my favorite starch plus my favorite beer is Asahi black, anything served with that is a win.
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    Hi. This deal with your hubby is totally awesome. it's hard to give advice when not knowing the kinds of food you like. There are tons of recipe sites and many that are low cal so do some internet searching. Try to fix the meats you are familiar with in new ways to stop the boredom. Have some meatless meals once in a while. When dishing up dinner think of the plate divided into quarters. One section will have meat, another a starch (bread, pasta, corn, potatoes). the last 2 will be veggies. Fruit with a little hard cheese or low fat yogurt makes a nice dessert.

    I've recently learned that roasted and grilled veggies have a lot more flavor than steamed ones. If you can't get fresh ones, go to frozen...they are often as high in nutrients and take less prep time.

    I grew up eating meat and potatoes pretty often. Probably because that was what my father liked best. But we had spaghetti and other pasta dishes too. Anyway, mashed poatotoes and gravy are a favorite of mine. Now I just keep the portion smaller.

    Good luck. Ani
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I'd try some fish if he likes it. Heaps of protein and less calories. Win win!

    Did you even read her post? She is allergic to fish and seafood.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    I will eat anything but fish as I'm allergic...cooking it for him isn't an option as the smell makes me sick and if I get it on my skin I break out in a rash.

    He did however tell me that he will eat anything I put in front of him so that is my plan.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    In Japan and you can't eat fish, that's a bummer. My journey toward healthy eating started with me realizing I love vegetables. I don't know if your hubby will suddenly discover a love for vegetables. Start with things he likes, just concentrate on making them healthier. More veggies, more fruit, try to eat as much fresh food as you can and cut back on or eliminate processed foods as much as possible.
  • toddreichel
    toddreichel Posts: 1
    Not sure if it is available or not but roast duck is awesome when cooked properly. Lamb chops can be a nice change I just cooked some tonight with greek seasoning and lemon on them.

    I am following a Paleo style diet lately and it really suits my food likes and I am slowly losing weight without hunger or exercise. Seasoning and proper cooking is important.
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
    Orignally I was not a big fan of vegetables. I ate fast food, soda, etc. I started improving my diet by reducing these products and by adding a bag of frozen vegetables into my diet each week. I added them into dishes that I already liked. I have no meat meals several times a week. I contine to add more vegetables into my diet by finding combinations that are enjoyable. I also have more fruit in my diet. Cutting back on the overly sugared and salted processed foods will make one crave those foods less and therfore one
    will eat less. I also have energy to run on a regular basis.

    I now consume appropriately sized portions instead of the package contents. Vegetables and fruits can be prepared so they are enjoyable...Most people do not over eat fruits and vegetables....
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Or women who have picky husbands ;)

    Well, my husband and I have made a little deal for the month of April. If I cook more, he will eat it. Right now he eats a lot of processed garbage (like meals you pop in a microwave or candy) and drinks tons of soda. We aren't looking to just eat clean...but better in a maintainable way. I bet him that at the end of the month he would have more energy and feel better while eating better foods than he currently does. I also think it would help him lose the 20ish pounds that he's gained. He loses pretty quickly anyway.

    I'd be really interested to hear some foods or meal ideas from men, especially men that may have been pickier eaters or found that they liked foods they previously didn't. Our biggest obstacle is that we live in Japan and even though we can shop at the commissary, certain meats (like turkey) or fruits and veggies aren't always available. Fish/shellfish/seafood of any kind is also out of the question as I am highly allergic. Right now we cycle through grilled chicken and lean beef and it can get pretty dull.

    I look forward to hearing your input. :)

    Holy hell, as a coeliac who used to pig out on cookies/biscuits/bread/other stuff and had to transition away, this post is pretty much made for me.

    I would recommend getting organ meats - yes, organ meats - in bulk. Why? They're cheap, very nutritious, high in protein and you get to brag you eat the heart of an Ox. Hearts, by the way, can be cooked at eaten just like a steak - I kid you not, and they're as lean as chicken. You can also disguise the fact you're eating offal by dicing and grinding it up with veggies and making a stir fry or chilli mx - I've served friends plates of nachos with organ meat mince and they were none the wiser, it's delicious.
    Eggs, can you get eggs? Cheap, great source of fat and protein and it's almost ridiculous the amount of stuff you can do with them - fried, poached, omelettes, etc.
    Rice, I'm assuming there's rice, is a great source of carbs, is cheap and can be bought in bulk - great with stir fried veggies and offal.
    Fatty cuts of meat, ie, 80/20 ground beef, lamb, etc
    And potatoes.

    I dunno. This is all the stuff I came to rely on (minus the rice... thought I was allergic to that, too :P) after I was diagnosed. As for enjoying stuff like fruit and veggies, I guess all you can do is implement them more into your meals - fruit as dessert, veggies as bulk of your meals.
    I'm not 100% certain my post is useful because I don't know all that much of what's on sale and is affordable in Japan, so yeah, hope this helps at least a little.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    Orignally I was not a big fan of vegetables. I ate fast food, soda, etc. I started improving my diet by reducing these products and by adding a bag of frozen vegetables into my diet each week. I added them into dishes that I already liked. I have no meat meals several times a week. I contine to add more vegetables into my diet by finding combinations that are enjoyable. I also have more fruit in my diet. Cutting back on the overly sugared and salted processed foods will make one crave those foods less and therfore one
    will eat less. I also have energy to run on a regular basis.

    I now consume appropriately sized portions instead of the package contents. Vegetables and fruits can be prepared so they are enjoyable...Most people do not over eat fruits and vegetables....

    You sound exactly like how my husband is now. The frozen veggies is something we are going to try. He really only likes green beans, corn, and carrots, but if I mix in peppers or zucchini he'll eat it. He says he's always hungry but I know a lot of it is because he eats very little nutritional food besides dinner when I cook it, which I usually do 4 -6 times a week. He did tell me he will eat just about whatever I put in front of him with a few exceptions so I'm hoping to sneak some stuff in.

    @ Howl: Yeah, organ meat won't really work for us. The commissary doesn't sell it and I don't really know what I'm buying at Japanese super markets... Even farmer's markets here don't carry meat other than seafood because there isn't enough land on Okinawa for anything but plant based foods. We do plan to check em out for more fruits and veggies that the commissary won't have. Meat is rarely on sale so we recognize it is one of those things we have to pay extra for. Luckily he gets 300$ a month from the military as a food budget for himself which covers most of our food costs and since this month we plan to try to not eat out as much as possible, it will be easier to invest in real food. He does eat eggs for breakfast and I'm thinking of getting greek yogurt and seeing what frozen fruits are available for shakes to add more protein as well. It did help though because I totally forgot about rice and they have it in bulk here...I just need to figure out how to cook it.
  • PaleoChocolateBear
    PaleoChocolateBear Posts: 2,844 Member
    I cook all the time, fish chicken beef love fresh veggies, grilled veggies with olive oil salt pepper and lemon are delicious
  • onehurt
    onehurt Posts: 143 Member
    I haven't seen anybody mention pork...... You can keep fairly low on calories with the lean cuts of pork and that would give you some more variety. What I have done is try to eat things that won't hit the calories too hard and fill me up. Like others have said I eat more veggies then I used (Grew up on a farm and a meat & potatoes guy)

    Mark
  • blue_cow
    blue_cow Posts: 4
    To cook rice
    * rinse rice under cold water until water isn't cloudy
    * 2 parts rice/3 parts water (1/2 uncooked rice is a serving for 1, so, for 2 ppl 1 cup rice and 1 1/2 cups water)
    * bring to a boil, with the lid on (typically I forget to keep track and when it boils over)
    * turn heat to very low for about 20 min, keep lid on (until soft through the whole grain)
    * eat.
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
    Beef strips, steak, lamb , chicken with any available greens, as long as one of his meals is just that, he'll be able to eat a lot of what he likes. I eat a lot of Cauliflower and Mushrooms with my main meal, so I can eat my starches earlier in the day when I actually need them for a boost.

    You can keep the starches with your main meals if you want but anything over a handful is probably too much.

    And if he just has to eat, cardio is your friend!

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