How to cook for 4 people when I am the only one that wants to be healthy.

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wretchedeinstein
wretchedeinstein Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My boyfriend, his dad, and his uncle all work at the same jobsite (oil/gas refinery workers). They burn off plenty of calories because their work is insanely hard. Naturally these roughneck boys only want meat, potatoes, and more meat. They want grease, grease, grease. So, it's a little hard to cook for 4 adults as it is. But I want to eat healthier so I can lose weight. I can either eat the frozen health food crap or I can cook separate meals for myself and for them. Also, as hard as I try these guys will not eat anything healthy. The only vegetables they like are potatoes, corn, and green beans. So anything other than that, for them, is out of the question. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, how did you deal with it.
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Replies

  • unigirl143
    unigirl143 Posts: 126 Member
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    I have a similar problem at my house with my husband working at a bakery. All he wants to eat are the bad things and I started eating either smaller portions of what he eats or a salad for me and the meat and potatoes stuff for him. Its hard, but eventually cooking separate will be easier or the smaller portions will help. I have also ampped up my excercize with my friends and my son to try to offset any backslides.
  • melissaulmen
    melissaulmen Posts: 123 Member
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    I have this issue with my fiance. He likes the same veggies as your group. It is hard, most times i have a salad or frozen stuff for dinner so I don't have to cook twice. I like fajitas, I can do veggies and chicken and make him steak with rice and beans. It is easy to make for them and I have time to prepare my stuff.
    The biggest thing is probably portion control, you can still have the other stuff, but if you add in a salad, veggies (love the steam bags) and have those for the largest portion of your meal you can eat the part of the other meal so you are still involved in their dinner.
    not sure where you are at but costco has Tyson panko crusted chicken that you bake. I do pasta and sauce for him with the chicken (sometimes I top it with mozzarella cheese) and then I chop my chicken up and use it in a salad or wrap. Add some veggies and good dressing and it is really good. I do the same idea with fish, but I usually use cabbage, it is like a fish taco salad.
    Good luck, you can add me as a friend if you want. I can always use more accountability.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,426 Member
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    Is it really such problem? Fry meat in a pan, maybe a barbecue pan with ripples so that you can cook with less fat. Put your smaller serving in last as it'll need less time to cook. Then make a heavy gravy next to it that the boys can pour over their food. Cook potatoes (hey, potatoes are not bad for you!) as usual. If the guys want something else over their potatoes they can put it over after cooking. Make a big serving of veggies for you. If the boys like it they'll eat along, if not then not. You can prepare veggies very quickly in a wok or deep pan with a little bit of oil. No need to cook them for a long period of time. You could also put peeled potatoes in an oven dish with some oil, spices and salt and let the oven do the cooking for you. Or buy huge potatoes with peal, microwave them and serve with a mayonnaise/yoghurt dip with some garlic. It's all very simple, fast dishes that don't mean masses of time in the kitchen. You cook, thus you know what goes in there. Thus you can just eat along and take the amount that fits your calorie goal.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    My husband only eats potato carrot and peas, my solution is to cook those veg for him, add extra veg for me, we have the same meat but mine is smaller and I have less of the carb side (rice, potato whatever). I make mash with light laughing cow cheese and light sour cream, he's never noticed the difference.
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
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    Here's what I would do. Cook the meat, potatoes and green beans for the men. Also have a bag of salad in the fridge, even if the men won't eat it. Serve yourself a small portion of the meat, as many green beans as you want and dump a nice helping of salad on your plate with a bit of dressing. You're pretty much eating the same things as the men, minus the potatoes and with salad added. Not much extra effort if you keep it simple.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    Hang on.

    Why are meat, potatoes and more meat not 'healthy'?

    - Cook the food you choose as well as theirs.
    - Eat what everyone else is eating within your daily goals

    I can't really see an issue here.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    If it is their home/budget, they decide what they buy and what they eat. If there is an agreement that cooking is your responsibility, then yes, you cook what they wish to eat, and either adapt it to your preferences or buy separate ingredients and cook a second meal. Most probably just adding a side dish or a salad will be enough to transform the meal, and simple.
    If this is your home/budget and they are guests, then a talk with them is needed, as they cannot dictate what you buy and cook. They could just buy and prepare their own meals.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Plan your day such that you can fit in a small portion of what you cook for their dinner.
    Consider "pre-ccoking" your dinners so that you do not feel like you are doing so much work. For example, when you cook a side dish for yourself, make enough for three or four meals that you can reheat in in the future.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    Cook things that are easy to modify. Cook a simple meat first, remove your portion, and then add whatever sauces or high calorie items you may be having. Even "meat and potato" boys tend to like grilled meat. Grill up a big, lean steak for all of you. If you make a carb (like pasta or potato) just take a reasonable portion. Again, if you want Mac and cheese either take your noodles out when it's still plain or have a small portion.

    I do this with my boyfriend all the time. He is picky like a five year old. I make him a lot of cheesy, saucy items that I simply do not have room for. I take a tiny portion, and then a huge serving of vegetables and we usually eat the same protein. Burritos (if they like them) are an easy item to modify to the person. Big pasta skillets. Roasts and stews are healthy and guys like em.
  • hollyrayburn
    hollyrayburn Posts: 905 Member
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    If they don't participate in the shopping/cooking, then I'd say they can eat it, or not.

    "back in my day" I had two choices when others prepared meals for me. Take it or leave it.

    No, just take it, because momma said we don't waste food.

    If they wish to be particular about the meals, they can purchase and make their own meals.
  • kazminchu
    kazminchu Posts: 250 Member
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    Before my boyfriend was so into eating healthily, I used to make the same thing for both of us, but his portion would have the majority of the carbs, and mine would have the majority of the veg. It shouldn't be too difficult to amend a meal so you can all have it with variations after plating up.
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
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    cityruss wrote: »
    Hang on.

    Why are meat, potatoes and more meat not 'healthy'?

    - Cook the food you choose as well as theirs.
    - Eat what everyone else is eating within your daily goals

    I can't really see an issue here.

    Maybe meat and potatoes are not what she wants to eat...what constitutes "healthy" is very different for people.

    I batch cook some meat and vegetables that I want to eat over the weekend and cook things that my family likes daily. Sometimes, the protein that I make for them is suitable for me and I will eat that with vegetables and leave the other sides to them.
  • kpodaru
    kpodaru Posts: 133 Member
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    yes: i just cook what i want to eat because I AM THE ONE THAT'S COOKING. i'm not a short order cook! but that's just me :)

    that said, meat and potatoes can totally be healthy. we are heavy meat and potato eaters but i buy lean meats (chicken, some beef, turkey) and bake them with herbs/spices - no sauces. bbq is also a great option to cook your meats. as for potatoes - sweet potatoes are amazing baked as wedges with a little paprika, sea salt and pepper. you can include squashes if you like. perhaps they won't eat because they've never tried!

  • dalem48
    dalem48 Posts: 86 Member
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    hollyrayburn wrote: »
    If they don't participate in the shopping/cooking, then I'd say they can eat it, or not.

    "back in my day" I had two choices when others prepared meals for me. Take it or leave it.

    No, just take it, because momma said we don't waste food.

    If they wish to be particular about the meals, they can purchase and make their own meals.

    Now this I like!
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    Why can't you eat less of the meat and potatoes or swap out some of the items with a salad?
    I'm not a short order cook, but it is also one of my household "duties" and think its a little ridiculous if they're out there working to be told "tough" when they are served a meal you know they don't like because it fits your goals, not theirs. If they are active all day, they will be needing more calories than you do.
    I have a husband, teenage stepson, and a toddler at home. We all have different tastes/needs. I make roughly the same things for everyone. I might skip a side for myself or add in one for others. If I make homemade pizza, as an example, I know my stepson dislikes a lot of dairy so I'll go very light on the cheese on a portion of his pizza. Sometimes after cooking the meat portion of the meal I'll take some out for myself and put it on a salad before I add in the sauce/noodles.
  • marilandica
    marilandica Posts: 88 Member
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    Either they eat what you put on the table or they cook for themselves.
  • krystianhowe
    krystianhowe Posts: 1 Member
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    At our house we use a website, www.allrecipes.com , and they have some really good recipes and it won't kill your waistline 9 times out of ten. With that said, if my husband cooks he can have whatever he wants and I will just either make my own healthy separate food or eat small portions of his depending on the dish. I ALWAYS nutrient check the meals that were making now since I want to be healthier. I have acid reflux as well so if it's a meal that strictly does not fit within the contents of keeping my body healthy and strong and not having pain, bloat, or irritation later then the meal is off my list. With that in mind, I feed my family of 3 sometimes 4-6 if company comes over with no issues and have list 90 pounds over the last year.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I have two men in my life...son and husband.

    Husband is a power engineer who works 12hour shifts and works hard....son is a welder who is on his feet all day and works hard.

    I cook food. Meat/potatoes and veggies (usually green beans actually) for all of our meals and I still lose weight...why because I eat within my calories.

    Roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes, sheppards pie, pasta, roasted chicken with all the fixins, bbq'd everything including burgers, hotdogs etc.

    These men are working hard and burning a lot of calories...I bet they are working 12-18 hour days and they need that fuel. Feed them. You can eat what they eat in a small portion. *unless you are one of those people who is eating 1200 or lower* if that's the case re-evaluate your definition of healthy.
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    Eat smaller portions than them.
  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,908 Member
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    My kids are kind of picky and it's not their fault that I have certain goals. Many times what I will do to compromise is turn whatever protein I have cooked into a big salad for myself and just have a smaller portion of whatever they are having on the side. That makes them happy because I make the best macaroni and cheese on the planet and they get to eat even more of it.

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