Cooking for a family

I cook for my husband, 4 year old and 10 month old. Everybody eats the same thing at the same time. I just watch my portions. I'll usually plate my food at the stove with my scale. Or I'll even bring my scale to the table. I'm cooking so I can control how much oil or butter goes into the meal. With the protein, I'll usually pre portion a set amount for myself, according to how many calories I have left.

Keep at it and soon you'll find you would rather eat your home cooked food over going out

jessjess210 wrote: »

I cook for my husband, 4 year old and 10 month old. Everybody eats the same thing at the same time. I just watch my portions. I'll usually plate my food at the stove with my scale. Or I'll even bring my scale to the table. I'm cooking so I can control how much oil or butter goes into the meal. With the protein, I'll usually pre portion a set amount for myself, according to how many calories I have left.

Keep at it and soon you'll find you would rather eat your home cooked food over going out

This is me, except change 4 year old to 2.

I pretty much eat the same food my family eats. I might have smaller portions or skip a side dish sometimes. It hasn't really been a big deal.

I just put 50% non starchy vegetables into everything. That way we cut calories while eating the same foods. Burgers, nuggets, meatloaf, meatballs are 1/2 veg, chili is 1/2 veg, enchiladas/burritos/quesadillas are 1/2 veg and so on. I do choose lower calorie bread/tortilla/pita/flatbread options for those in my house, and serve vegetables on the side (sometimes several in one meal). Common meals I serve are cauliflower macaroni and cheese, yellow squash/chicken nuggets and a roasted vegetable, or a bean/veg quesadilla, tomato salad and corn on the cob, or a spinach/mushroom turkey burger with rutabaga or turnip fries, or a zucchini noodle lasagna, or a pita pizza covered with veggies. It doesn't have to be weird food. My kid knows nothing different after almost 8 years of life.

jemhh wrote: »

We eat the same meals. Husband eats larger carb portions. I eat larger protein portions. Daughter eats whatever she is served.

We aren't into casseroles or many sauces. Our meals are usually grilled or baked meat, mashed potatoes or rice, and raw veggies and/or fruit. The only "all mixed together" meal we eat is spaghetti and meatballs. It makes it super easy for us each to eat more/less of what we like/dislike.

Same here. I cook for DH+3 teenagers. For meals I serve on rice or pasta (red beans, lentils, stir fry, ragouts, stews, meatballs& marinara, etc.), I'll usually sub a bed of spinach for the rice/pasta, mostly because I prefer that, but it does give me more carbs to eat at other times.

Get people to help. They can prep too. Unless they're babies. but anyone over 6 should be pitching in imo. Ever see that Gordon Ramsey show? They can handle it, and it's not a bad way for them to learn.

I helped when I was a kid. (No kids now, single. But I did cook ELABORATE meals for two for years and rest assured, that division of labour isn't happening again.)

There are some brilliant prep ahead ideas people on the boards use. Lots of precooking & freezing on Sunday's. My favorite was someone who cooks double portions Sat & Sun to have ready to go Mon & Tue. She does the same Wed, so she is only cooking one night during the work week.

We generally eat the same thing, but my husband might eat slightly more and my kids will eat a smaller portion (they're just 4, nearly 6 and just 1). They love simple things like chicken with vegetables, or fish with vegetables. I'm really busy so I don't have time for elaborate meals, so that suits me fine, and it's healthy.
Occasionally I make spaghetti bolognaise, and my husband does a good chicken stew (also great meals to purée for our baby).

Everyone eats the same... I just weigh out my portions.

If someone doesn't want what I've cooked, they're on their own.

Usually, I will eat the same thing as husband (I do the cooking), but when something has sauce that needs to go over rice or pasta or whatnot, I have a carb substitute pasta that is low cal and low in carbs (only 2 servings in a package will get you 30 cals if you eat the whole 2 serving with 6 total grams of carbs and 2 grams protein). It is either made from mushrooms or tofu and depends on what brand the store has. Both are good and low in carb/calories.

I will echo the I do most of the cooking for an active husband and 20 yo son...I eat the same thing just smaller portions.

I always make "extra" as they might be hungrier than normal and to have lunch the next day as well.

Nothing in my house is "diet" anything...those boys need their calories.

I look for my partner and two sons, who all eat like horses!! We have sausages and mash and veg, pie, mash and veg, curries, fish & chips from the chip shop on Fridays. I cook the same for everyone but have smaller portions of the sausages and pies and load up on veg and have a tiny bit of mash. I use cauliflower rice for me and normal for them. I stick to about 1350 a day and we all eat the same thing together... It can be done but you have to plan and eat lots of veg...

No need for special foods, as everyone's mentioned. I fix all the same things I made before, modify where I can, and enter my recipes under the recipe tab to get an accurate count on calories and see what a reasonable serving should be. I tend to only cook a main course- whether that be a meat, casserole, or whatever- and serve a simple veggie and fruit with it (I'm lazy too ) I also am constantly on the lookout for, and have a large collection of, fast, easy recipes since I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It can totally be done!

I lost weight 3 years ago by eating differently than my now-husband. But of course that got old, I fell into old habits and gained it back. Now that I've lost the weight again I make the same meal for both of us, and I take a smaller portion.

One thing that has helped me is not letting myself be starving when I get home. Have a snack an hour before you leave work so that you aren't looking for the quickest/easiest option all the time. I used to snack on chips or crackers while cooking. Foolishness.

I also eat less than half my calories for the day while at work, and save the other half (or more) for supper/dessert/night time snack. Usually I've eaten around 700 calories when I leave work, and eat 800-1000 calories while at home. This way I don't have to worry as much about calorie content. If I happen to eat 700+ calories for supper I just won't have a snack later, or I'll skip dessert.