Food

[Elgama]

To be fair he has come on some since we were married and now eats rice (he never had rice before he was 20 as his mum saw that as 'exotic and foreign' and they only ate british based meals).

I think it will take some time, but guess I should persevere, be more firm, and when the kids come along use them as an excuse!!!!

what about making healthy versions of his takeaway food? or good British Classics - I make stews etc Ham and Lentil soup, yummy and whilst not very healthy not unhealthy either

-Charley

[ViolinGirl]

My theory is...she (or he) who does the cooking, makes the food choices for the family. Maybe DH should consider making dinner a few nights a week for you. My husband is somewhat picky when it comes to dinner. It used to really bother me and I used to try really hard to please him, but now...if he doesn't like what I make, he can feel free to fix something different for himself.

[Dravin]

what about making healthy versions of his takeaway food? or good British Classics - I make stews etc Ham and Lentil soup, yummy and whilst not very healthy not unhealthy either

-Charley

The recipe for lentil soup I've used definitely qualifies as healthy. Of course its just onions, celery, garlic, a little olive oil, some (lean) ham and chicken stock (oh and a couple bay leaves) oh and lentils of course. Well, okay, I suppose there is a huge amount of sodium in it (you could use reduced sodium stock to help with that), but it was pretty good stuff.

[Wingnut]

Why ruin brownies?

I actually agree. And I think that kids need to learn to eat their veggies as veggies, not get them slipped in the back door.

[Soul_Searcher]

Great suggestions everyone. Seeing as I do the cooking, my choice will be final unless he decides to cook (fat chance lol!!). Me:1-DH:0!!!!!

On a serious note we will go and buy a recipe book together with meals in that we both like.

[Misshalfway]

I actually agree. And I think that kids need to learn to eat their veggies as veggies, not get them slipped in the back door.

I don't do it for my kids. I do it for me. It is a way to still eat something sweet without as much fat and calories.

[PreparednessPro]

Interesting discussion so far. I ate so much healthier before I married my husband! He's a meat-and-potatoes-with-no-veggies-thank-you-very-much kinda guy, and I admit that over the last ten years I have begun cooking and eating similarly. He however eats no sugar whatsoever. So it's interesting. Usually I find a common ground with our cooking.

[Dravin]

Great suggestions everyone. Seeing as I do the cooking, my choice will be final unless he decides to cook (fat chance lol!!). Me:1-DH:0!!!!!

On a serious note we will go and buy a recipe book together with meals in that we both like.

Instead of buying a book another option is to go to some place like All recipes: complete resource for recipes and cooking tips and pour through it for recipes you both like. You'll get a wider selection that way. Also I find this website: Recipe Calculator handy for figuring out just what any one particular recipes has going on in it, its not perfect but its still handy.

[Moksha]

I see the husband in the OP being stuck in a rut and refusing to listen to healthy and helpful advise from his wife. If he insists on beef and pork, then buy the leanest cuts possible and (such as london broil steaks and 93% lean burger) cut off the remaining fat when possible. Maybe practice portion control too.

:)

[Guest]

Wow... this is like my husband and I!

He is the health-nut. I'm Asian. It is not a meal for me unless it comes with white rice. White rice is taboo in his diet. I love fried foods, it's taboo for him. His favorite meal is spinach. If spinach is the only food left on the planet, I will die the next day. He likes hot - can chomp down an entire jalapeno like a carrot stick. I think mild salsa is too hot. We both like tuna - but I can only eat mine over rice.

Anyway, we've been married 12 years so we finally got the drill down. We found things we can both eat. It is an adjustment to both of us.

I have found some of his health-nut foods that I don't mind eating - like steamed broccolli (I don't like any veggies), I found that if I put melted cheese on top of it and salt it real good, it actually tastes okay. So, when we have broccolli, he gets his plain, I add cheese and salt to mine. And I found I can eat celery if I dip it in peanut butter. Then when we have tuna, his goes inside a pita, mine goes with white rice. I found a way to bake eggrolls instead of frying them. I also found out I can grill anything I used to fry and it would still taste okay. My husband found some marinades I use that he doesn't mind.

The kids came and they have their own preferrences as well. They will eat their meat only if it is not spiced with anything and then chopped up to tiny pieces. So, before I marinade the meat, I just set aside the kids' portion to leave plain. Then I just grill them all together. One kid likes apple sauce with everything, the other kid will not touch apple sauce. So, I just scoop up apple sauce on one plate. Then the other kid likes mashed potatoes, the other one doesn't. So, I scoop him up mashed potatoes and not the other kid.

So, we all compromise but within reason. I will not cook something entirely different for somebody. But I can adjust the meal according to everyone's taste. Then, of course, there are things that are just not open for compromise - like my husband will NEVER EVER eat anything from Hamburger Helper - I love those! And I still will not eat spinach. So, those stuff we save for when one of us is out and about and will not make it to dinner.

Anyway, try this compromise technique. It worked for us!

[ploomf]

We have similar battles in our house. I'm the one with weird food issues though. I’m also, since my mothers health went downhill, the one who does the cooking. I'm the most adventurous one in our household, I love to try new recipes and dishes, right now I'm on an Indian food kick and according to my brother he's going to die of starvation if I make another curry.

But there are also foods I have issues with, take vegetables for instance. I can't eat most vegetables plain, I just can't make myself do it. For instance broccoli, I love broccoli in stir fries or things like cheddar and broccoli soup but I can't eat it by itself. All vegetables I eat have to be in another dish or covered by a sauce. I hate pork but it is one of my brother and fathers favorite meats. I also love pasta and all the wonderful things you can do with it but all I get from my family is a sad sigh and a round of more pasta?

So we have to compromise. I make them pork chops sometimes but make the sides something that I like and can eat. I try to do a meat and potato night at least once a week and they rest of time they get to eat my "weird" food and if they don't like it they can make themselves a sandwich or cook for themselves (and I don't see that happening, I think they would let themselves starve to death first).