Preparing separate meals for you and your family difficulty

I don't do separate meals, for the most part. I portion mine out to stay on track. I also don't tend to cook super high calorie meals, for the most part. I already have cut most rice and pasta because my husband cuts those things out. We do eat a lot of the same things over and over, but it works for us. Plus, I'm the one cooking, so if they want something else, they can cook!

When I make meal plans I sit with the family to do it.
This week we did shepherd's pie, two kinds of broiled chicken wings, quesadillas, sofrito chicken zucchini boats, bbq jalapeno chicken meatballs. Next week we have sausage/zucchini lasagna, Thai peanut chicken, burgers and fries.

I may make some swaps here and there, but these are all pretty much in the 300-400 calorie range (some even lower).

i'm the cook in my home...people eat what i cook or they go hungry.

also, i don't really believe in the notion of "diet food"...i eat food in quantities that are appropriate for me...my wife eats food in quantities that are appropriate for her.

generally dinner is some kind of protein, a grain or starch, and a veg unless i'm doing a soup or stew. that can be as hearty or non hearty as you like depending on portions.

Smaller portions of what they are having and load up on the veggies. Last night I made turkey burgers - my husband had cheese on his along with tater tots and broccoli (one of the few veggies he will eat). Mine was plain with squash and broccoli - I cooked the squash at the same time I cooked the tots.

If I'm making a casserole or something similar, I just take a smaller portion and fill up my plate with whatever veggies I want.

It takes a little practice but you can do it.

I make the 1 meal and eat a smaller portion, or just not eat the starch I make. I also don't look at any food as "off limits".

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Sorry I can't help. Dinner was the one meal I never changed because it's the one my husband and I eat together. I just adjusted my portion sizes for dinner and continued to eat the same things. I eat breakfast alone and my lunch at work. Those are the meals I made most of my changes to because they only affect me. Good luck!

This is the same for me for the most part, although sometimes I will make an easy modification such as having a baked potato when husband and kids are having fries, or add a salad or extra veggie so that I eat less of the high calorie stuff. Adjusting portion sizes (and not eating off the kids' plates) is key!

I took a picture of hubby and my dinner this week, a pasta dish with salad on the side. The only difference between our two meals was the portion size. He had more pasta, I had more salad. But I also pumped mine up with parmesan and sunflower seeds.

We don't eat separately, we just eat differently.

We eat the same things, I just measure out my portions. Sometimes my husband will add something else (like bread or cheese) since he needs more calories than I do. But our menu hasn't really changed much.

Healthy food can be hearty
look together and find recipes you both can enjoy

I'm having the same issue as my wife don't want to follow my diet plan and she's hesitating to make two separate meals for us as she's fit and I'm over weight.

The best thing to do is to eat the same food but smaller portion. Wish me luck.

burtisfamily7 wrote: »

I will not, do not separate meals! LOL It is too much! I am not a short order cook! I have a family of 7, 5kids. I sometimes i modify for me, but my family eats the same thing i do. (Notice i dont eat the same as them) If i want a vegetarian meal, family comes along. lol Even meat and potato Husband. I make good food, so I dont get complaints. Sometimes hubby rebels and has to have prime rib, great! I want to promote, a healthy, Organic, good food lifestyle, I want kids to practice portion control, and to broaden their palates. I am the one cooking (most of the time) so its up to me My kids are 12-19. 4 girls, one boy. So they alternate meals and Im teaching them to prepare healthy foods, so i just eat smaller portions if necessary (like loaded homemade mac and cheese) . But when its their turn to cook, i am proud of their choices! So I dont usually have to worry! Last time i tried to lose weight and separated meals, I failed, i was overwhelmed. Its a lifestyle change not a quick weight loss tool.

Thank you! You said what I was trying to, but so much better. (I also have 5 kids, age 1-17). It's really more an issue of portion size than kinds of foods, at least for us. And I want my kids to learn to make and enjoy the healthy meals, just like my grandma taught me.

My parents only ever made one meal. There was always plenty of salad to have on the side if you didn't like/didn't want a big helping of the main dish. Nothing wrong with hearty foods, just learn to eat less and if you need to add in bulk a vegetable side is great.

I always have options available for example, say tonight I'm having quinoa, chicken and roasted veggies. My hubby isn't a fan of roasted veggies so he'll heat up a different veggie (frozen or canned) and we'll both pick our own seasonings for the chicken. He may have BBQ sauce for example while I do cajun style dry rub.

I still make homemade mac and cheese, I buy the smart taste pasta because hubby doesn't care for whole wheat use a reduced fat cheese mixed with regular and on my half of the pan I add broccoli.

If you're running the oven to bake something toss in a few extra potatoes, regular or sweet potato, those will become options for another night.

Making spaghetti and meatballs? while the pasta is cooking toss some chopped zucchini or broccoli in the steamer portion and have that either in place of pasta or to cut back on the amount of pasta you eat.

Often times we think their food vs our food and it's really not like that, we all have different tastebuds so work with that. Kids want chicken nuggets for dinner, ok fine the whole family has chicken nuggets but mom eats them on top of a big salad while the kids and dad maybe prefer fries.

Hopefully the examples help a little and you feel a little less overwhelmed in the kitchen.

moyer566 wrote: »

Healthy food can be hearty
look together and find recipes you both can enjoy

just belaboring this point...there seems to be this perception by many that healthy means bland and boring and/or eating nothing but dry salad...nothing could be further from the truth.

The most important part of my diet is the veggies I eat, so I get those ready the night before. I put all the veggies I'm going to eat (454g of non-starchy veggies) in a dish in the fridge.
The next important thing to have is some easy-to-make protein sources:
individually frozen fish (cod, salmon, tilapia)
frozen chicken breast tenders (unseasoned, uncooked, frozen)
already -cooked beef roast, sliced
protein drink mix

This will make your own meals easy and filling.

Actually my family all copied my way of eating, even though I didn't ask them to. Literally even my 9 and 11yo make salads and stir-fry's for breakfast, and my husband makes a big salad for breakfast. I seriously never expected that, but you may find that your family copies your healthy eating, because what you are fixing smells so good! The roasting meats and sauteing veggies.
I get out the knives and cutting boards and all the colorful veggies, and they think it's fun and interesting to make their own meals.