"Guy food"??

mom2doublej
mom2doublej Posts: 4 Member
in Recipes
My husband I are trying to lose weight together. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, beer, BBQ, etc He does not like any all veggie foods unless they are side dishes. Anyone have any good lower calorie recipes that are "guy friendly".

Thanks!

Replies

  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    My husband is completely the opposite. While I've never disliked vegetables, I would say that he has had to get me more on board with adding veggies to everything. While I used to enjoy manicotti or chicken/cheese quesadillas he's helped me switch to layered vegetable lasagna and fajita quesadillas made with tons of sauteed peppers, zucchini, onions & mushrooms, and maybe some black beans.

    Also, while there's probably no need to cut out meat - something I have done for years is having at least a couple of meatless meals each week. Some things that seem to be popular with almost everyone are various hearty soups, lentils, fish or shrimp dishes, loaded baked potatoes (in addition to things like cheese & sour cream, we add broccoli and other veggies), and brown beans (you could always add bacon or ham for flavor but we don't since my husband doesn't eat those...we use spices).

    Sorry I didn't really share any recipes. My main idea is just to incorporate a lot more vegetables into your cooking so it becomes a natural thing. Good luck!
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    I lost 50 pounds eating chicken, fish and steak. It's about moderate.

    Just watch your calories and cut down on the beer.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    My hubby is kind of the same way. He's ok with casseroles and soup occassionally but prefers a more traditional meat, veggie side, starch side type meal. Plus he's all about box mac & cheese, white bread, white rice, white potato, etc. I blame his mother...

    If you're talking about those meat and potato type meals, the only thing you can really do is try to go with leaner cuts of meat (sirloin vs chuck, skinless chicken, etc) and keep portions as small as you can manage. For beer, cut down and/or switch to light. For casseroles and soups, again go with leaner cuts of meat, use a bit less pasta/rice and load up on veggies instead.

    My husband was hesitant about some of these changes initially so I actually hid some packages so he couldn't tell (for things like turkey sausage, whole wheat pasta) and just let him know later so he'd realize the difference was all in his head. He's fully on board now - even wants me to start using brown rice instead of white!

    Check out skinnytaste.com and emilybites.com for low cal/low fat recipe ideas that are mostly family friendly.
  • Cardio4Cupcakes
    Cardio4Cupcakes Posts: 289 Member
    My boyfriends hates vegetables and fruit of all kind. So I just make myself a single serving for myself, and he eats noodles or whatever I made.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    lean meat instead of fatty
    bbq rubs instead of bbq sauce (preferable low sugar rubs with lots of spices)
    less butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon on the taters

    i eat chickn and taters almost every day. bison burgers are good but pricey meat. If money is no problem there are a vast amount of lean meats.

    lunch meat is fine, its the bread and condiments that add up.

    chck out my diary if you like.
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
    I think most guys would eat kabobs off the grill. Good way to get in lean meat and some veggies that taste great.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    My husband I are trying to lose weight together. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, beer, BBQ, etc He does not like any all veggie foods unless they are side dishes. Anyone have any good lower calorie recipes that are "guy friendly".

    Thanks!

    Take any recipe he likes, have him eat it less of it. Boom lower calories
  • sparklefrogz
    sparklefrogz Posts: 281 Member
    My husband was hesitant about some of these changes initially so I actually hid some packages so he couldn't tell (for things like turkey sausage, whole wheat pasta) and just let him know later so he'd realize the difference was all in his head.

    I wouldn't do this unless you have a discussion with him first where he says it's ok to "hide" the food on him. My mother used to try this when I was a kid, we always could tell the difference -- and when my husband saw her try this, he let me know in no uncertain terms he appreciated her behaviour even less than I did.

    If he is okay with you hiding vegetables, start pureeing them into everything you can think of. Soups, sauces, etc.

    If he has only had canned/frozen and thinks that's why he doesn't like vegetables, try roasting or grilling them. And serve with moderate portions of fat and seasoning to juice up the taste a bit further.

    If he likes them as side dishes, is there a reason you can't just make them as side dishes? You can each take however much (or little) veg you want then.

    Finally, is he open to trying new food and are you open to culinary experimentation? If so, get thee to a farmer's market and start picking up the weirdest looking stuff you can find. Be sure to ask the vendor what to do with it and how to prepare it. Just be prepared for the occasional flop when working an unfamiliar ingredient or technique.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I am very glad that I like almost all foods.
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  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    My husband I are trying to lose weight together. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, beer, BBQ, etc He does not like any all veggie foods unless they are side dishes. Anyone have any good lower calorie recipes that are "guy friendly".

    Thanks!

    What's wrong with veggies as a side dish? I eat a lot of carbs/starches because my boyfriend likes them. Control your portions and you'll still lose.
  • mom2doublej
    mom2doublej Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you all for the input. We have lowered our portions and used leaner cuts of meat. He will eat veggies in or on the side of main dishes.
  • barbaratdodge9
    barbaratdodge9 Posts: 3
    I have made my digital scale my favorite tool in in the kitchen. I have been weighing pretty much everything, unless it is already considered a single serving. I am still eating some of the "bad" foods that I love, but I am actually taking the recommended portion and have lost 15lbs since I started on July 2nd. :drinker:

    That being said, he can have just about anything. Just make it a reasonable amount.
  • gromithere
    gromithere Posts: 172 Member
    I know it's a tough transitions, but I have to say it...

    Light. Beer.
  • hallo_spacedog
    hallo_spacedog Posts: 40 Member
    I know it's a tough transitions, but I have to say it...

    Light. Beer.
    Uhhggghhh no it's better to not drink beer than subject yourself to that..

    You can completely drink beer and lose weight... just, do it moderately, like with everything else.
  • paruls86
    paruls86 Posts: 188 Member
    I don't eat meat but I do cook for my husband and do have a few suggestions.
    1. Reduce the amount of oil/grease you use (helped me a lot) from what I have heard most meats can be cooked in their own fat my friend actually cooks chicken without any oil.
    2. Grilling and barbeque is a great asset and can really *kitten* to the texture and flavour of the veggies esp if you cook it with meat, kebobs are great too.
    3. I have found cutting veggies really small or making a past and adding it to other dishes like a patty or casserole helps and so does making wraps.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    lean meats in the proper portion sizes are the key to my husband's stomach. I forego the potatoe or pasta side most days and give us two vegies instead of one too. If I do make a potatoe I don't add butter or milk and measure it out for our plates. Baking potatoes with carrots as "fries" are good to eat too. I like to have a dessert preplanned too. and I also pair our dinners with a salad., I like to keep it basic unless I am trying a new recipe.
  • skinnyEmilijah
    skinnyEmilijah Posts: 61 Member
    I have a book by Men's Health called "Cook this, not that." and it has a lot of good recipes that are "guy foods". But everything has calorie counts and is pretty healthy.

    It looks like you can get a used copy pretty cheap if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Cook-This-Awesome-350-Calorie-Meals/dp/1605291471/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405825892&sr=8-3&keywords=cook+this+and+not+that

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