cooking for family AND me

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hoffmierr
hoffmierr Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So this a.m. I am reflecting on dieting and living in the real world with poor food choices abundant and few healthy choices offered. When alone my diet is amazing but once visiting family for a meal it seems difficult to maintain. Not due to will power, but due to not wanting to be "that person " who doesn't join a meal with everyone due to dietary restrictions. I suppose balance is necessary and if a meal with family is unhealthy i need to be aware of that when exercising that day and when creating the others meals of that day. That's my current strategy because my diet is mine and shouldn't be so much as a thought of anyone else just because i am eating with them.

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  • debsdoingthis
    debsdoingthis Posts: 454 Member
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    Eat what they eat. Just smaller portions. Weigh it out and stay within your calories for the day.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    Cooking and eating together is a bonding experience. It can be harder to maintain a relationship when someone finds the other person's food to be unappetizing or revolting. This is true when a vegan eats with a carnivore, or a "healthy" eater sits with a "junk food" eater. Try to keep an open mind and a sense of humor, don't judge, and try to remember that your relationship with people you care about is more important than diet.
  • hoffmierr
    hoffmierr Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks! the theory I wentWith was... just eat the foods they have prepared and watch my portion size! I greatly appreciate your input thanks guys
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    my husband prefers comfort food. pasta, fried chicken, roasts, mashed potatoes ect i eat it all just a pre logged amount and i weight it out.
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
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    I try to make some meals that my family and I can eat, but sometimes that's not always the case. So I keep stuff on hand that's easy to nuke if they want to have a pasta night. Usually though, I just skip the carbs and just eat the protein I'm serving with a side of veggies. Like burger night, I skip the bun and fries and add broccoli to the side.
  • hoffmierr
    hoffmierr Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes fishshark mine too! he loves comfort food. He is though supportive of my endeavors...but the past week (my first week on the app) I've made meals for him and me separately.
  • hoffmierr
    hoffmierr Posts: 8 Member
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    I may need to get a food scale to cut back on making meals for us separately every meal...not sure.
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 775 Member
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    I do most of the above and also have some go-to "comfort" foods that fit my macros. Make your own burrito night happens a lot, with grilled chicken, cheese, sour cream as the high calorie ingredients. There's also grilled bell peppers, corn, diced tomatoes, and other vegetables.

    I load up on the veggies and chicken, the kids get a bit of everything, and my husband (who is way more active than I am) covers everything in sour cream.

    That principle applies to other meals as well.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    hoffmierr wrote: »
    I may need to get a food scale to cut back on making meals for us separately every meal...not sure.

    food scale will really make a difference. if i cook soups stews and chilis i weigh all the ingredients in the pot and make the total weight the number of servings. So if I eat 200 grams of chili its so easy. I do the same with mashed potatoes casseroles and lasagna. Things like pasta i will boil my weighed amount in a different pot. Everything else i pre cut/weigh my ingredients and set it to the side. Once you get used to it it really doesnt add that much extra time.
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 775 Member
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    fishshark wrote: »
    hoffmierr wrote: »
    I may need to get a food scale to cut back on making meals for us separately every meal...not sure.

    food scale will really make a difference. if i cook soups stews and chilis i weigh all the ingredients in the pot and make the total weight the number of servings. So if I eat 200 grams of chili its so easy. I do the same with mashed potatoes casseroles and lasagna. Things like pasta i will boil my weighed amount in a different pot. Everything else i pre cut/weigh my ingredients and set it to the side. Once you get used to it it really doesnt add that much extra time.

    What kind of scale do you use? The base weight for my crock pot is too high for my food scale to register and tare out. I'd love one that could do that.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    this is the one i use and i love it. Weighs up to 11 pounds. ive never had anything be too heavy.

    http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BDS2X2G/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1460923730&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=taylor+food+scale&dpPl=1&dpID=4196qrnjzGL&ref=plSrch
  • hoffmierr
    hoffmierr Posts: 8 Member
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    Great fish thank you !!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I pretty much eat what my family eats. I might have a smaller portion of something and fill my plate with more vegetables.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    @fishshark - I always used a separate pot for pasta, but someone recommended using a strainer and cooking the pasta separately in one pot. I haven't done it since I really can't eat pasta, but it struck me as very smart!
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    @fishshark - I always used a separate pot for pasta, but someone recommended using a strainer and cooking the pasta separately in one pot. I haven't done it since I really can't eat pasta, but it struck me as very smart!

    i have a traditional pasta pot so it has a basket in it!

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