Very picky husband!

heather3879
heather3879 Posts: 26 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
I love lots of healthy foods, but I have gotten into a dinner rut because my husband is extremely picky! I often cook two different version of food, mine with more veggies, because he won't eat any vegetable except corn (which barely counts). I want to make healthier meals for both of us! Any suggestions? Here's what he eats:

Cheese pizza
Plain hamburgers or turkey burgers
French fries
Fish sticks
Plain grilled chicken
Steak
Mashed potatoes
Corn
Pork chops or pork tenderloin, plain
Plain pasta with butter

That's SERIOUSLY about all in terms of dinner foods. Lunch is PB&J and chips. No breakfast unless I make pancakes.

Help!

Replies

  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Sounds like my brother! Don't know what to tell you, because my husband and I eat healthier and my brother (we all live together) eats whatever he makes. I think you're going to have to talk to him about this, because what you've listed is indeed very plain, I doubt you could even "hide" veggies in there.

    Does he not like veggies because he's only ever had them very plain or overcooked? I used to hate alot of veggies because my mom made them steamed or just boiled and just salt on them. Not too good (no offense, mom!). We now stir fry them, roast them, grill them and they have lots of flavor!
  • Schwarzeaugen
    Schwarzeaugen Posts: 129 Member
    If he's going to be picky, make him cook his own food; actually, make him cook anyway.
  • anna_b1
    anna_b1 Posts: 588 Member
    You need to visit www.skinnytaste.com. I have a very very picky son who eats and loves everything I ever make from this recipe blog. I'm not kidding. Try going through her (Gina's) site. Awesome.
  • amorgan101187
    amorgan101187 Posts: 129
    i feel your pain my husband is picky too and all he ever wants is junk! he's 6 ft and 150 lbs so he feels like he can eat whatever since it doesnt effect him.. but hellloooo!! it effects me obviously since i gained all this weight! lol. try homemade pizza my husband actually likes mine more than ordering in plus its a lot less calories. Also im lucky that he likes fish because thats what i tend to make a lot to eat healthy fish, baked potato, and corn on the cob - a filling and healthy meal.
  • VRoseDuda
    VRoseDuda Posts: 129 Member
    sweet potato fries (baked)?
    make your own pizza so you can add what you like...we like using pitas

    It is kind of like feeding a toddler (sorry)...baby carrots in a bit of butter with nutmeg and cinnamon taste like candied carrots
    good luck! I have a 6 and 8 yr old and we eat fruit a lot as a side with dinner over veggies like melon or pineapple
  • Melaniemarie86
    Melaniemarie86 Posts: 57 Member
    That sounds like my boyfriend! But fortunately, most of the stuff he eats can just be popped in the microwave, so we usually eat separate meals. When we do make things together though, I always eat less and pair mine with veggies or fruits. Can't get him to even attempt to try any of that stuff though. Good luck!
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    Wow....don't know what to tell you......that sucks he is that picky...I could see how easy it is to fall in a rut.....I just cook what I want to cook and he eats it....however when he makes unhealthy requests...I will eat with him...but will just have smaller portions.

    When he makes too many unhealthy requests in one week...I tell him to cook for himself! LOL Then he just eats what I eat...cuz he doesn't want to cook!

    Good luck :)
  • midwesthiker
    midwesthiker Posts: 144
    My husband is picky too. I just tell him "I am making x. If you don't want x, make yourself something else." At first he made something else, then he got sick of that so now he is eating what I make. Took awhile but he didn't want to cook for himself and he says that what I make is good. I blame his mom who overcooked everything and never used any seasonings or spice. We use lots of both and have healthy flavorful food. :)
  • Shrinking_Xtina
    Shrinking_Xtina Posts: 478 Member
    If he's going to be picky, make him cook his own food; actually, make him cook anyway.

    Yep.
  • wonnder1
    wonnder1 Posts: 460
    My husband is picky too. I just tell him "I am making x. If you don't want x, make yourself something else." At first he made something else, then he got sick of that so now he is eating what I make. Took awhile but he didn't want to cook for himself and he says that what I make is good. I blame his mom who overcooked everything and never used any seasonings or spice. We use lots of both and have healthy flavorful food. :)


    THIS!
  • FrauHausMaus
    FrauHausMaus Posts: 194
    My husband is picky too. I just tell him "I am making x. If you don't want x, make yourself something else." At first he made something else, then he got sick of that so now he is eating what I make. Took awhile but he didn't want to cook for himself and he says that what I make is good. I blame his mom who overcooked everything and never used any seasonings or spice. We use lots of both and have healthy flavorful food. :)

    Haha! Love this! I don't have this problem, but my friend does. I tell her to fix what she wants and let him do his own thing. Of course, her husband threatened to bankrupt them with delivery pizzas :ohwell:
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    So fix the main portion of the meal and let him cook his own sides. Honestly, if you're cooking, he really has no business complaining. As my husband tells me all the time. I do the cooking. If he doesn't like it, he'll fix something for himself.
  • GremlinJenny
    GremlinJenny Posts: 151
    aw!!!! i agree with nowornever3. www.skinnytaste.com is pretty amazing.

    he may be more than just a picky eater. have you looked into adult Selective Eating Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder? that might at least help you understand where it's coming from and ease some of your frustrations?

    or maybe he's just a picky eater. ;)
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    My hubby became a vegetarian after we got married. So on Sunday's I'll make a large pot of veggie soup or a vegetarian casserole/crockpot meal he can have for the rest of the week.

    Otherwise, he's on his own as far as dinner goes.

    We also eat out a lot. :laugh: :tongue:
  • TTHdred
    TTHdred Posts: 380 Member
    He still eats more than my hubby!! Some ideas

    Cheese pizza – use low fat cheese. Pizza squares. Or make half and half pizza with one side for you. Calzone and sneak some pepperoni in there.
    Plain hamburgers or turkey burgers- meatloaf? My hubby hates all the extra stuff so I simply shape the burger meat in the shape of a meatloaf and call it a day.
    French fries – sweet potatoes fries. French fries from scratch. Hash browns
    Fish sticks – Sorry..my hubby doesn’t eat fish, lol
    Plain grilled chicken – Ok, chicken quesadilla (with not much on it), grilled chicken Caesar wrap, chicken tacos, grilled chicken tenders (I make fries for him and asparagus for me),
    Steak – all the same as the chicken recipes.
    Mashed potatoes – can’t really change this up. But sometimes I boil cubes of potatoes then serve with cheese. So it is sort of mash potatoes but healthier than the mix cuz of less sodium.
    Corn – cream corn soup? This is a guess, my hubby will prolly not eat this, but I hear it is good.
    Pork chops or pork tenderloin, plain
    Plain pasta with butter – add ground beef and a little pasta sauce to make homemade chef-boy-arde (if he likes cheese pizza…it’s technically the same), add the grilled chicken to the plain pasta, add a little garlic powder and soy sauce then the steak. Yummy. Lasanga? My hubby only eats it when I make it cuz I basically put nothing in it, so its pasta, ground beef, pasta sauce and cheese
  • Terri_39
    Terri_39 Posts: 122
    I read somewhere you can sneak cauliflower into mashed potatoes. Other than that I have no idea...sorry!!
  • jamja
    jamja Posts: 190
    Well from a guys point of view....

    Not everyone can transition to a healthy lifestyle and no one can force others to adopt the change.
    So I suggest help educate him on the benefits of eating healthy and exercising.

    But in the meantime if he wants to eat like crap make him fix his own food!!
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
    Well from a guys point of view....

    Not everyone can transition to a healthy lifestyle and no one can force others to adopt the change.
    So I suggest help educate him on the benefits of eating healthy and exercising.

    But in the meantime if he wants to eat like crap make him fix his own food!!

    I totally agree!! He won't change until he decides that he needs to... but in the meantime you need to keep motivated and keep going. He might come around to the idea if he's heating up the same leftovers night after night and you're eating gorgeous food.

    He might also be perfectly happy eating what he is eating - so if he's happy to cook it I'd leave it alone.
  • heather3879
    heather3879 Posts: 26 Member
    aw!!!! i agree with nowornever3. www.skinnytaste.com is pretty amazing.

    he may be more than just a picky eater. have you looked into adult Selective Eating Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder? that might at least help you understand where it's coming from and ease some of your frustrations?

    or maybe he's just a picky eater. ;)

    I am actually a speech-language pathologist and work with kids with sensory processing disorders for feeding. I have long thought that this is his issue, but I don't know how to help him. His father was very forceful when he was a kid in terms of making him eat everything, to the point he would vomit at the table multiple times. I can't very well set up some kind of reward system like I might with kids for each bite he takes! I'm just going to take it one recipe at a time.
  • heather3879
    heather3879 Posts: 26 Member
    All great suggestions, if he was willing to try ANYTHING! It is far beyond any ideas I have had. Even with things he likes, he won't try combinations of them. Like, he will eat cheese pizza and he will eat hamburger, but not hamburger on his pizza. He likes sauce on pizza but not on pasta. It's out of control. I have actually succeeded in expanding his repertoire A LOT...but we just have so far to go!
  • ETsambouris
    ETsambouris Posts: 51
    You need to visit www.skinnytaste.com. I have a very very picky son who eats and loves everything I ever make from this recipe blog. I'm not kidding. Try going through her (Gina's) site. Awesome.


    Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!! This website is amazing! I have a very picky son as well and this site just made his diet so much healthier!!!!!
  • ETsambouris
    ETsambouris Posts: 51
    The cookbook Deceptively Delicious is pretty good too. It helps you hide vegetables in your recipes. I have found a great number of them a bit high in fat and salt, but you can tweak the recipes to make them healthier still. I don't cook with salt and change up some of the oils used. But it has some great ideas. Plus, him being an adult, you could tell him what is hidden in it after he has had it a few times and maybe he'll decide he likes it too :D
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    If he's going to be picky, make him cook his own food; actually, make him cook anyway.

    I concur.
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    I read somewhere you can sneak cauliflower into mashed potatoes. Other than that I have no idea...sorry!!

    You can.....I do it all the time.....my bf loves it!
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