Preparing meals for non-dieting significant other

For us, I make my healthy meal and then he makes whatever he feels like making himself. We go grocery shopping together and we get my healthy food and his crappy food! Most of the time he eats a late lunch so he's not real hungry when I make my super anyways. This works for us. I try to get my husband to eat better but its a no go for him.

I just cook food and we eat the amount we want to eat. We often have leftovers. It's not terribly complex.

While my fiance is dieting, somewhat, he has a much smaller goal than myself and a much higher calorie count. Sometimes what I'll do is make enough of the healthy meal, but make enough so that he can have a better portion. Like tonight we made veggie burgers with a side of cucumbers and steamed cheesy veggies. I made sure that he had two of the burgers rather than one, and that he got the higher calorie bread. We were still able to eat the same meal and still able to consumer a good amount of calories for our bodies.

We eat the same meal. I may make my boys an extra side depending on the meal.

Since we adopted "clean eating" awhile back, my husband and 3 kids eat what I eat. They do have more snacks and have syrup on pancakes when I do not... things like that but it is generally the same food I eat. We all have one meal. When I adopted this lifestyle, I didn't do a "diet" mentality. I want to eat more healthily and why would I shove crap into my kids mouths that I wouldn't eat myself? We still go to fast food about once a month... they still get treats... but we eat well. My kids know WHY we eat this way and they have become very fond of my homemade desserts (carrot cake protein bars, pumpkin protein bars, banana muffins, etc).

I cook the same way I always did, I just watch my portion size and substitute things like mac&cheese w/more veggies...

I would never tell my significant other what he could or could not have in our house. It is my choice if I do not want to eat something and I do not have the right to make that choice for another adult.

For me, meals are about portion control and having healthy options. If we have tacos (for example) I eat fewer of them with little (or no) cheese and sour cream. Spaghetti? I make sure to limit myself to a serving and then fill the rest of my plate with broccoli. Not hard at all.

We shop together and try to make good choices. There are some things that he buys that I don't eat (meat on 4 feet) and things that I buy that he doesn't eat (much of the stuff grown on a plant and not frozen or in a can). We eat a lot of poultry when we cook for each other and make compromises with the rest. We agreed to divide a plate into 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch and 1/2 non-starchy/low starchy veg. I personally don't see the big deal in him grilling up a steak while I grill up some tofu or chicken for myself, so long as the veggies are on the plate as well. What's one more pan other than just something that makes both of us happy?

We try to keep the crap - like chips - to a minimum, as one of us is a mindless, boredom eater and the other binges when she's stressed. When we buy ice cream, we pay more to get the single serve cups, since it's less damning to the scale than a seemingly bottomless 1/2 gallon, but it's seriously curbed our ice cream consumption without having to give it up completely.

For the majority of the time, I make us both the same meals.

E.g.

Breakfasts, unless specifically stated otherwise, I make us both toast and spreads of choice, or both of us porridge or both of us a cooked breakfast of the same thing (different quantities if desired). If cereal is being had, then it's cereal of choice. If I'm leaving for work first, and well before my partner wants to eat, then I just make myself food and leave her to her own devices. I've also been known to pack her off with an Up & Go for her drive to work in the car rather than make her breakfast. If we go out to eat for breakfast on the weekend or on a day off, we order what we want.

Lunches - I pack the same or similar foods for lunches. Sometimes I just pack her off with snacks and she gets her own lunch at work. Usually she has whatever she wants for lunch! lol

Dinner - I cook one meal and we both eat it. If we go out for dinner, we often order two separate dishes and share so we get to experience the different flavours.

She has been a fantastic support to me the whole way and if she cooks then she always writes down the weights of everything and always asks how many calories I have left for the meal and then she either makes a dinner within my calorie goal or we make a plan to walk off the excess after dinner together. I know. I'm extremely lucky.

I don't see the point in making two separate meals. If you want something different to what I'm eating, there's the kitchen. Make it yourself.

He eats what I eat, but he's always welcome to eat more than one serving. He put on about 20 pounds in the last year, so he's trying to get that off. So far, he's down 10.

I also suspect he eats candy and soda at work!

I make my husband and kiddies the same as me, only larger portion for the hubstar. When I go food shopping I buy the normal full fat versions usually mixed with some lower fat (Refuse to buy low fat cheese, mayo). With the full fat items I just weigh them and have a smaller portion :0)

We eat the same foods. He benefits from the healthier recipes and has lost a few pounds, but he generally eats what I eat, just more servings. He is not a picky eater and has benefited from my new way of eating as have I. Win/win situation for us.

I have a really hard time with this! I cook foods for my husband and two kids that I choose not to eat. Not always the case, but about half the time. I try to prepare something different for myself, but sometimes there's not time or energy left over for cooking one more thing. Knowing this, I try to keep raw veggies ready to go in a salad, or with a low cal hummus for myself. There have even been times when I just grab an apple and some almond butter at the last minute for myself!

I'm sort of an improvisational cook, and so sometimes I don't have a clue what the calorie content in the food I make really is. Who has time for all that calculating and measuring out servings and doing the long division? People who like to eat cold food I guess.

My SO is a picky eater so it can be a little difficult. The only meat he really likes is chicken or ground beef and I like a lot of variety. So If I'm making a chicken or ground beef dish, we'll have the same thing. If not I'll either make him something else or if I'm too tired will ask if he minds cooking for himself.

The worst is when he's in the mood for pizza, which is far too often for my liking and it can be a real struggle because the place we get it from, we have to order 2 pizzas or they wont deliver and I very very rarely want to fit pizza into my day. It's very hard to stop at just a few slices and you still have it left over the next day (I don't want pizza twice in a row! hard enough the first time)

As for groceries, I don't mind buying him the stuff he wants. He has white bread and chocolates and crisps for lunch and I buy them. I don't buy particular brands of crisps because I'm not sure if I can be trusted with them (I've been known to eat packet after packet of certain types). I work from home so they would always be there tempting me so I figure its easier to buy the stuff I don't have an issue with. The chocolate I'm not really fussed about. If I really want some chocolate I will usually chop off 1/3 of a bar and have that, quite easy to fit into my day and I enjoy it.

Overall it isn't too hard. I'm sure some people will say I should just let him cook for himself if he wont eat what I eat, but if I did that all he would ever eat is pasta and cheese and I don't want that for him.

Both of us tend to worry that our own picky eating habits are bothering the other. I worry that he is annoyed that I cook myself all the nice food and just let him eat pasta or oven food, he's worried that I'm annoyed at having to cook 2 meals. Neither is the case and we both understand we have different needs

As long as it's simple healthy eating, I don't see why you wouldn't just eat the same thing. People who aren't trying to lose weight still benefit from eating healthily. Hubby and I eat the same meals but he has some extra (healthy) snacks because his requirements are higher. If I were doing something extreme like cutting whole food groups out (not that I ever would), then perhaps I would feel it wasn't appropriate for my family.