Food Choices w/ 3 young boys & 1 Very Active Husband

Eat smaller portions of normal foods. You don't need to make special meals for yourself or overly complicate it. Easier said than done, but just cut your portion size.

I started by buying healthier versions of what we already ate - the biggest transition was bread (from white to whole wheat), but now my kids enjoy the wheat bread and even get wheat bread when eating out at sandwich shops. If they like pasta, get the Smart Taste by Ronzoni - they won't be able to taste the difference and it is healthier.

Then as another posted mentioned - just eat smaller portions of regular food.

Since we like "hamburgers", I went & bought "turkey burgers" w/out telling anyone. I seasoned them well & after everyone said they really liked them, I told them what they were. no complaints. I also bought "turkey" bacon. it's pretty good. I still make everyone else the same foods, I just don't eat as much of the same. I substitute some things for myself. I buy certain "healthier" foods for myself.

I don't consider healthier foods that much more expensive. I think the misconception is processed healthy foods might be more expensive. Try adding more produce into the meals.

I agree with simply making a few subsitutions: Turkey burgers vs. Hamburgers, Baked Fries vs. French Fries, Cauliflower Mash vs. mashed Potatoes, etc...

I have never understood the concept of healthier = more expensive. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but whenever I buy processed stuff and junk food, my food bill about triples. I purchase a lot of food at Costco (huge bag of romaine =$3, huge bag of broccoli=$3, bananas=$1.30, etc...). What gets expensive are my $10 containers of peanut butter filled pretzels and any special prepared frozen food (which I only buy with their coupons).

For "treats" (snacks around here), I do buy Costco trail mix, pistachios, the aforementioned pretzels and we make popcorn. Oh, and I always seem to buy the black licorice...love that stuff. Sometimes, I'll get dried mangoes, veggie chips or granola bars. However, I try to use coupons or do not buy them too often.

So I'm a Dad with three busy kids and an active wife (they are all like stick people), and I am a total newbie this site. Down from 220 to 175 and trying to get to 160. I love to cook (and obviously like to eat just as much). We never had soda or junk food in the house and rarely eat out…I was just eating WAY too much! Little exercise and a lot of self control go a long way. IT’S ALL ABOUT PORTION CONTROL.
When I started watching my weight the kids were all freaked out about Dad's "diet" in large part because I was making WAY too much out of Dad's "special food". Much better if you don't think of it as a diet, which is temporary; rather, MAKE it a lifestyle change within your household which is permanent. Like others have mentioned, watch the portion size and (my big thing) stop finishing what is on the kids plates when their done! Keep it simple and don't over think your common sense otherwise you find yourself becoming frustrated with "all the work and cost" it takes to make the special food and you'll just give up! I know, been there done that! One thing I did when I started on portion control was to fill my plate as I was accustomed to and then put half of it back......guess what, it was ALWAYS more than enough. If my wife served dinner I only ate half of it for dinner and took the remainder to work the next day. Talk about cutting the food bill down. Only took a week or so to retrain the mind and belly what it "needed" instead of what it expected! Portion control is an important part of the puzzle, also start meal planning too that way you know when the "fun" food days are and you can plan not to partake if you so choose. I use an iPad/iPhone app called Paprika that is awesome for meal planning and grocery list preparation.
My wife is an RN with a crazy schedule so I do a fair amount of the cooking and meal planning, and here is what I have found works for me for those time you want to make the kids "fun" food that is just not on the smart food choice list...and every once in a while is fine it is not going to kill them. Make yourself some Already Been Cooked (ABC) chicken breasts. These are great for busy work day lunches too. Just cook several chicken breast, poaching is fine and then put them in the fridge (or freeze if you want to). When you want something quick and healthy pull out an ABC Chicken breast, heat it (if you want), season it , munch as desired! I'll slice it and throw it on some spinach and call it a day. Couple of pieces of wheat bread, some mustard, POOF instant meal! Very flexible, very fast, not a hassle. I tell the kids I'm the "waiter" for the night so I don't even have to sit down near the tempting "FUN" food, eat my ABC Chix in the kitchen while "waiting" on them, no big deal for either of us.
If you don't believe me about the effect portion size has, try this. Grab you favorite cereal and bowl and fill it up as you usually do by pouring it out of the box into the bowl. Then read the nutrition label and see what a serving size is. Then measure out what is in you bowl.....you'll be amazed! I've had friends do this and they realize that they are eating 3 -4 servings. Depending on the cereal this can add mega cals to the diet and you don't even know you’re doing it!
GOOD LUCK AND KEEP YOUR GOAL A PRIORITY!

Drifting off topic, but I don't understand the love people have with ground turkey......

Compare the stats of ground turkey with 85/15 ground beef-they're almost identical.

My Sams club sells fresh 90/10 for 2.99/lb- it's lower in calories, tastes better(IMO), AND cheaper than ground turkey at the grocery store.

Feed them real red meat and they won't feel like they're sacrificing too much. Try to reduce the simple carbs on the table but give them a big hunk of meat. Get rid of the gratuitous use of bread. My bet is they'll eat fewer total calories and have a higher level of satiation.

So, I just started tracking my nutrition and exercise a couple of weeks ago. I am doing ok so far. No weight loss, but it has only been a short while. I am just getting back into the routine. What I am struggling with though is finding foods that all of my family can eat that is healthy for them, but yet give them some "special" items to divulge themselves in without breaking the bank. Healthier foods seem to be so much more expensive and with a family of 5, that adds up to a lot especially if I have to buy 2 kinds of the same item. Is anyone dealing with this too and have some advice?

Thanks.....

Preachin to the choir sista! I have 3 stick man boys and a stick man husband (who declares he is not a stick as he is 5 pounds above his favorite weight). He works construction, and never stops moving even when not working. The kids are very active, and walk a minimum of an hour a day plus gym time and regular other activities. They eat constantly. It costs me a fortune. And our grocery bill is higher in the winter here, because everything is out of season, so the prices are up. Seriously, $1.89 for a single green pepper?

I buy meat in bulk at costco, but their produce prices are rediculous. Same for their breads.

My only tip is to clip coupons, stock up on sale stuff, and as much as possible, make it at home. (Muffins etc)

Skinnytaste.com is a wonderful website with a lot of delicious recipes.