Making "two" dinners?

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thatonegirl0619
thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
in Motivation and Support
I really want to try to start eating healthier by substituting certain things out, ex. ground turkey over ground beef, spaghetti squash or zucchini over spaghetti noodles, greek yogurt on potatoes instead of sour cream, etc. My husband wants to eat healthier too, but won't even try the spaghetti substitution and says he doesn't like ground turkey at all. Some of the things, like the Greek yogurt, isn't such a huge deal because it's easy for my husband to still use sour cream, but other things aren't so easy unless I wanted to make 2 different kinds of spaghetti or 2 different meatloafs or 2 different whatever I use the ground turkey in. And I definitely don't have the time to be making 2 different dinners for us. Does anybody else have this problem with their significant other, and how do you guys handle it?
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  • KMacMcK
    KMacMcK Posts: 1 Member
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    I would tell him to make his own dinner. My husband came froma very "meat and potatoes" type of family. But for the most part he doesnt mind the subs I have made because he is getting someone to cook for him. I have done the spaghetti squash, i have replaced beef with turkey or chicken, even buying weight watchers bread (this is not going over well but he just buys the kind he likes)
    If he was to complain or not eat it, then tough luck, make your own GD dinner.
  • FancyFang
    FancyFang Posts: 1
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    Tomorrow I am making meatloaf for dinner. I make it in cupcake tins to make serving sizes. I will make 2 mixes. Mine will contain chopped veggies and such. His mix will have egg, bread crumbs, cheese etc. It's not hard to make 2 different mixes.
  • cmurphy252
    cmurphy252 Posts: 279 Member
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    No - I dont have that problem because I refuse to cook 2 dinners (dont even like cooking ONE). With that being said, my husband can either eat what I cook (which he does), cook his own dinner or dont eat at all.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I make two dinners sometimes, when my husband can't eat something that I really want to eat. For example, he can't eat any Mexican food. So I might make him a burger and make tacos for me and the kiddos.

    For the record, I agree with your husband that ground turkey is disgusting. And I tried the spaghetti squash thing and it was atrocious.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I would tell him to make his own dinner. My husband came froma very "meat and potatoes" type of family. But for the most part he doesnt mind the subs I have made because he is getting someone to cook for him. I have done the spaghetti squash, i have replaced beef with turkey or chicken, even buying weight watchers bread (this is not going over well but he just buys the kind he likes)
    If he was to complain or not eat it, then tough luck, make your own GD dinner.

    ^^ I have done this too when it was something that my husband could eat (within his dietary restrictions; he has Crohn's). The other night we had BBQ pulled pork, and he decided he didn't want that, so he made himself a burger.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    He can eat what you make, or he can cook his own damn dinner!
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Nope. Eat what I make or don't eat/grab your own cereal.
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    Yep I have the same issues and it has been hard for me. I did research on line didn't really think it was worth it to substitute ground turkey - I just pay the extra mone for the 93% lean hamburger. So like for spaghetti, I keep aside my sauce and I only add a couple of tablespoons of meat and its mostly just sauce. I don't use any cheese and I don't eat the garlic bread. I buy the smart taste spaghetti and I just measure mine out and count it in my calories. He likes enchileadas so I make him his dish with all the cheese and I keep a little of the meat out for me and I have black bean and meat tacos so I get way less calories. When I do make things like potatoes I do use the greek yogart and he has never even noticed - I will make a salad and I eat a big salad and little helping of the "regular food" making sure to measure and count mine in my log. I make a point to log my calories before I eat that way I'm not as tempted to eat more because I can see what the calories read. Sometimes I tell him I'll make him whatever he wants and I just have a big salad. The key to this is you have go to have good will power to not eat what you shouldn't and some days I am better at that than others - lol.
  • crisbabe81
    crisbabe81 Posts: 170
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    Has he ever tired turkey to know he doesn't like it? I substituted it once and didn't tell my now ex-husband. He ate it no issues. Asked him later and he said it was good. I don't suggest blindly forcing him to eat turkey, I just knew my husband and he was full of crap that he didn't like it.

    I've been cooking healthy now for 3 months, in the beginning my new husband would just cook his own dinner. But lately I've been finding a middle ground. And making things that are healthy but can easily be modified to be a little naughty for him. He works outside and moving wood all day, he needs the calories.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I really want to try to start eating healthier by substituting certain things out, ex. ground turkey over ground beef, spaghetti squash or zucchini over spaghetti noodles, greek yogurt on potatoes instead of sour cream, etc. My husband wants to eat healthier too, but won't even try the spaghetti substitution and says he doesn't like ground turkey at all. Some of the things, like the Greek yogurt, isn't such a huge deal because it's easy for my husband to still use sour cream, but other things aren't so easy unless I wanted to make 2 different kinds of spaghetti or 2 different meatloafs or 2 different whatever I use the ground turkey in. And I definitely don't have the time to be making 2 different dinners for us. Does anybody else have this problem with their significant other, and how do you guys handle it?

    Ground turkey has nothing over really lean ground beef (well, except maybe cost IMO) ...... look for "ground sirloin." Make your meatloaf with extra veggies....sneak in some shredded carrots, they don't change the flavor but bump up the fiber.

    Ground turkey can be hidden in many spicy foods .... tacos, chili, burittos .... no need to mention that it's ground turkey.

    Spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce ..... I'm not a fan .... maybe you won't be a fan either. I do like whole wheat pasta though..... maybe that's a compromise he can live with.
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
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    I don't make two dinners, and I'm not going to stop making my husband food that he loves. I just pick and choose which parts of supper I eat. For example when I make mashed potatoes I take mine out before I add the butter and milk, I cook my chicken without bbq sauce, I have my burger on salad instead of on a bun. I do make spaghetti squash, it's pretty easy. I put it in the microwave while his pasta is cooking and then use the same sauce as he's using. You really can eat all the same foods, just in moderation. Instead of making two separate meatloafs I would probably just add extra vegetables into the one meatloaf, if you sauté them first he probably won't notice too much, and they'll make it extra juicy.
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
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    I really want to try to start eating healthier by substituting certain things out, ex. ground turkey over ground beef, spaghetti squash or zucchini over spaghetti noodles, greek yogurt on potatoes instead of sour cream, etc. My husband wants to eat healthier too, but won't even try the spaghetti substitution and says he doesn't like ground turkey at all. Some of the things, like the Greek yogurt, isn't such a huge deal because it's easy for my husband to still use sour cream, but other things aren't so easy unless I wanted to make 2 different kinds of spaghetti or 2 different meatloafs or 2 different whatever I use the ground turkey in. And I definitely don't have the time to be making 2 different dinners for us. Does anybody else have this problem with their significant other, and how do you guys handle it?

    Ground turkey has nothing over really lean ground beef (well, except maybe cost IMO) ...... look for "ground sirloin." Make your meatloaf with extra veggies....sneak in some shredded carrots, they don't change the flavor but bump up the fiber.

    Ground turkey can be hidden in many spicy foods .... tacos, chili, burittos .... no need to mention that it's ground turkey.

    Spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce ..... I'm not a fan .... maybe you won't be a fan either. I do like whole wheat pasta though..... maybe that's a compromise he can live with.

    Thanks! I do use whole wheat pasta about 75% of the time and he's fine with that. He doesn't like ground turkey at all, I've tried it in a few different things. As for the hamburger, we get our hamburger from my dad. He's a cattle farmer, and butchers his own beef. Every time he butchers a cow, he gives us half of it. I have no idea what % fat it is, but it's free!
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
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    Make this, he won't know it's not beef.
    Allrecipes.Com - Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

    Or, perhaps you can serve just one or two things a week on his "NO, ME NO LIKE THAT! IT'S STUPID! I'M GONNA HOLD MY BREATH IF I HAVE TO EAT THAT!" list, and see if he just might like them after all. I did that with my husband, who despises tomatoes, by making a green bean, tomato, feta salad. Tomatoes were a main component, and he loved it! Said we should even make it again. Of course, brussel sprouts are still on his no likey list, even if I make them with bacon. So, no brussel sprouts in our house.
  • Erica262
    Erica262 Posts: 226 Member
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    We compromise. I'm a vegetarian and my husband is not. I'm good at making dinners that have "toppers," like spaghetti. I'll make the noodles and sauce like normal, and I'll prep meat balls for him and a vegetarian version for me. Or big salad with vegetarian protein for me and meat for him. Taco nights, I'll make beans for me and meat for him. It's not a lot of extra work because it's like making two side dishes. Meat is a side, not a main course. Summer is easy because I can grill or roast tons of veggies then have a veggie burger and a regular burger option. Most nights I'll make something vegetarian and it's so delicious he doesn't notice. Last night I made pasta with a light alfredo sauce and broccoli. Vegetarian-friendly and one of his favorites. Win win. We go out to eat about once a week, so that's when he can get his big meat and potatoes fix if he wants it.
  • Cgirlish
    Cgirlish Posts: 263 Member
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    So far hubby has liked the healthier dinners and while he wasn't a fan of ground turkey he ate it , I have since started using lean ground beef, 93/7 and eat smaller portions with a salad when making something geared more to his liking
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
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    Make this, he won't know it's not beef.
    Allrecipes.Com - Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

    Or, perhaps you can serve just one or two things a week on his "NO, ME NO LIKE THAT! IT'S STUPID! I'M GONNA HOLD MY BREATH IF I HAVE TO EAT THAT!" list, and see if he just might like them after all. I did that with my husband, who despises tomatoes, by making a green bean, tomato, feta salad. Tomatoes were a main component, and he loved it! Said we should even make it again. Of course, brussel sprouts are still on his no likey list, even if I make them with bacon. So, no brussel sprouts in our house.

    Thanks for the recipe idea! Yea I definitely don't want to do something he doesn't like all of the time... Maybe I could make something I want to try when I know we have enough leftovers for him to heat up if he doesn't like what I made! Then it's kind of a win win situation, plus, the leftovers don't go bad in the fridge :happy:
  • indiawastaken
    indiawastaken Posts: 47 Member
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    My BF is pretty 'particular', but I definitely don't make 2 dinners. I try to modify dishes to be healthier. Reduce oil, cheese, use lower fat ingredients, etc. I also 'hide' veggies in dishes. My BF hates vegetables, but tonight I'm making crock pot lasagna that contains spinach.
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
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    I used to just make healthier versions of foods and didn't tell him. Most of the time he liked them. Now they're normal and he's happy with them. If not, there is always PB&J or grilled cheese ingredients around the house.

    Right now I'm making a lasagna dish where I use roasted eggplant instead of lasagna noodles. At first, he was like WTF?? when I made it. Now he requests it. I have found that a lot of Italian foods are easy to make healthier. Bake/broil instead of fry and we've got awesome eggplant, chicken or veal parmesan. Roasted veggies get a good meaty taste to them. I can't handle turkey burgers, but make a turkey meatloaf to die for. It's a big learning process...but well worth it.

    Mostly, I make "healthy substitution" meals a couple times a week....regular meals that we can either make healthy or not so much (grilled meat where we pick our individual sides--veggies, potato, chips, whatever) a couple times a week....and we either fend for ourselves or go out a couple nights. It works for us.
  • Cloud9Momma
    Cloud9Momma Posts: 11 Member
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    Lower fat beef would keep you from having to make 2 and it would taste like the beef they like. There are some things I do for myself just because I really like it and no one else does, like my salad dressing. When they don't like a veggie I like I just make sure they like the other food I made that night. It is too hard to cook 2 dinners. There are so many ways to work it out to be healthy and palatable for your whole family. Throw extra veggies in soup, use whole wheat pastas, go for smaller portions for yourself and maybe make a vegetable you like on the side roasted(shich is easy) to make up for smaller portions of main course. Making spaghetti squash could be something you do and eat it all yourself that week with different things than just the spaghetti sauce. Anything extra you cook, make sure it will save you time later on in the week in your lunches or to go with the meal for the next night too. Just figure out what he will eat that is healthier and make that.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
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    It took some time but my husband eats the ground turkey and oven fried chicken. Even before I stared changing our meals there were food he liked or ones I didn't like that he did. For example, last night he didn't want the full turkey wing. He only likes the v portion turkey wing. I said no problem I will take the drum stick and cut the meat of the bone and put it on my salad. I he doesn't like what I cook I can whip up a Bowl of Tina fish and he is happy. If all else fails he eats cereal or makes a sandwhich.

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