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Old 07-26-2008, 12:19 PM   #1  
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Question low calorie food that even a picky eater will like

i have a problem. i do fine counting my calories during the day until i get home and have to eat dinner. my boyfriend is an EXTREMELY picky eater (he loves frozen pizza, mac and cheese, etc.) i need recipes, etc. that i can make for dinner that even the pickiest eater will eat. if you have any advice i would appreciate it!
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Old 07-26-2008, 01:15 PM   #2  
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Do you have a Trader Joes near you? They have frozen pizzas that are a little better for you than the average grocery store product. We sometimes have one with a big salad for dinner and I can keep my dinner under 600 calories.
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Old 07-26-2008, 01:26 PM   #3  
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Honestly I think you should tell your boyfriend that he needs to fend for himself, and you can concentrate on fixing yourself healthy meals.

One thing I learned from dieting around my husband is that I cannot let his refusal to learn how to eat healthy rule my life. If he wants to fix himself a frozen pizza or eat McDonalds or Popeye's every night of the week, he has my blessing. I will cook yummy, healthy meals and he is welcome to join me or welcome to go find his own food.

And honestly, what has happened is that probably well over 1/2 the time, he eats what I eat. In fact recently he's begun cooking things more healthily himself. Of course it helps that it's summer and we can grill - for him that's a "manly" way of cooking and so he's all about grilling anything he can get his hands on. Men and open flame, you know.

But seriously ... I don't have patience for "picky eaters" - especially picky eaters who are picky in the way that means "all I eat is processed american crap food" and get all squeamish around veggies and fruits and various ethnic dishes. It's one thing to have a genuine dislike for something. And I agree that every now and then a heaping helping of mac n cheese is just something that hits the spot - total comfort food - but refusing to eat anything but that is (IMO) bordering on childish.

Fix good food for yourself. Either your b/f will come along or he won't.

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Old 07-26-2008, 01:45 PM   #4  
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I completely understand your plight: My husband is naturally thin, and he doesn't like vegetables or fruits. Also, he likes red meat and sausage, and I don't, so even if I weren't dieting, I'd have to make some allowances so that he can occasionally have those things. It's a pain, but I often have to prepare different dishes for us. However, I do have three strategies that I've used and have found helpful:

1) I lightly cook (al dente) a batch of veggies and leave them in the refridgerator. I can then easily throw them in a pan to heat them up and have with my dinner.

2) I eat what he's having, but I eat a much smaller portion (1/3 or 1/4). Also, I eat some of what he's having and substitute veggies (see #1 above) for the other part. So, for instance, if we're having Chicken Franchaise and pasta aioli, I will have a small piece of the chicken, but I will have the veggies rather than the pasta.

3) I'll prepare a big batch of some dish and freeze portions of it. When I cook my husband's dinner, I just defrost mine. I like doing this for eggplant parmesan, chicken soup, a lower-fat version of chicken pot pie, etc.

Good luck to you!

Last edited by lynnm39; 07-26-2008 at 01:47 PM.
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Old 07-26-2008, 02:03 PM   #5  
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My husband has finally taken up a healthier lifestyle, but it was like you described for years (which means there IS hope!). What did I do? I took my own food wherever I went. BUT, I did not prepare unhealthy meals for him (unless I was off the wagon, which was a lot too!). Now, I always have Lean Cuisine & Weight Watchers meals in the freezer, in case I feel like having something tempting, but usually, we eat similar things. If I have a salad w/ chicken, I'll have mine with no dressing and he'll have his with dressing. Those kind of changes make a big difference. Good luck!
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Old 07-26-2008, 04:05 PM   #6  
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Thank you for saying it, PhotoChick. You are a stronger woman than I. Vblizard, I know you did not come here for relationship advice, but you cannot cater to him like that. Picture yourself in 10 years as if you had kept trying to cook his picky meals.
If he insists on eating crap food. he has to provide it for himself. You DESERVE to nourish yourself (and any future children) in a healthful way. You could compromise the way LynnM39 does, that would at least get you your nutritious food.
You have a difficult time ahead of you, unless you give in and do as he wants. Good luck in finding the right path for you.
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Old 07-26-2008, 04:34 PM   #7  
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There are some pizzas that are better for you than others, as ShrinkingShrink pointed out. Personally, I love the American Flatbread frozen pizzas that Whole Foods and similar upscale/specialty grocery stores carry.

As far as recipes goes, I'd suggest a frittata. I make mine with eggwhites, although if cholesterol isn't an issue, whole eggs are great. Preheat your broiler, as you start the eggs on your stovetop. Let them get a bit set, and add in your other ingredients–pretty much anything goes. I use various herbs, and I sometimes used cooked risotto, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, really-pretty much anything. Then, once it's really set, sprinkle some healthy cheese on top (I use shredded Parmesan-Reggiano, and sometimes add a little mozzarella, but really, anything works), and stick it under the broiler for about 3 minutes or so or until it really starts to fluff up.

Remove, and serve!
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Old 07-26-2008, 05:45 PM   #8  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhotoChick View Post
Honestly I think you should tell your boyfriend that he needs to fend for himself, and you can concentrate on fixing yourself healthy meals.

One thing I learned from dieting around my husband is that I cannot let his refusal to learn how to eat healthy rule my life. If he wants to fix himself a frozen pizza or eat McDonalds or Popeye's every night of the week, he has my blessing. I will cook yummy, healthy meals and he is welcome to join me or welcome to go find his own food.

And honestly, what has happened is that probably well over 1/2 the time, he eats what I eat. In fact recently he's begun cooking things more healthily himself. Of course it helps that it's summer and we can grill - for him that's a "manly" way of cooking and so he's all about grilling anything he can get his hands on. Men and open flame, you know.

But seriously ... I don't have patience for "picky eaters" - especially picky eaters who are picky in the way that means "all I eat is processed american crap food" and get all squeamish around veggies and fruits and various ethnic dishes. It's one thing to have a genuine dislike for something. And I agree that every now and then a heaping helping of mac n cheese is just something that hits the spot - total comfort food - but refusing to eat anything but that is (IMO) bordering on childish.

Fix good food for yourself. Either your b/f will come along or he won't.

.

Amen, Sistah!

I do the same thing. I eat what I eat. If my husband and son are interested, I share. If not, they cook what they want. I don't get paid to be a short order cook in my own house. They don't have broken arms and are perfectly capable of fixing their own food.
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Old 07-26-2008, 06:07 PM   #9  
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I count myself as a very progressive, feminist woman (in an age when many are afraid to use that term!) aand I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that men and older children can fend for themselves, and if they insist on eating crap then they can figure it out themselves...

However, I also really value my role as the one who takes the time to make a decent meal for myself and my husband. Granted, he will generally eat whatever I cook (with a few exceptions) but it's taken a little time to figure out what works for both of us. I think the best way to please both of you is to try making modified versions of those traditional foods. Like my pizza suggestion... or you can make mac n cheese with whole wheat pasta, and add in stuff that makes it a more nutritious meal. I like mine with cut up veggie dogs, or soyrizo. Or, how about baked potatoes topped with veggie chili?
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Old 07-26-2008, 06:14 PM   #10  
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Does he like chinese food?

I make this stir-fry 3-4 times a week!

Chop or slice a handful of each: (or your favorites veggies)
Onions
2-3 Garlic cloves
Carrots
Celery
Green Beens (fresh)
Zuccinni
Cabbage
Bean Sprouts
Pumpkin Seeds or unsalted cashews or nuts

Cook garlic, onion, celery, carrots on med heat with a little Olive oil and soy sauce for about 10 mins. Add the rest of the veggies and seeds with a little more soy sauce and cook on med hi till the carrots are done. Serve over rice.

Hope this helps!
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Old 07-26-2008, 08:49 PM   #11  
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I totally love being able to cook healthy meals for my family and my friends. But I am NOT going to limit what I fix just because my husband or b/f or whoever cannot be bothered to eat something other than processed crap out of a box or from a delivery service.

I will fix meals that include protein and veggies and healthy carbs. Sometimes that's pot roast and veggies and brown rice. Sometimes that quinoa and black beans and zucchini. Sometimes that's fish with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and spinach all sauteed together. If hubby doesn't want to eat them because they're not pizza, that's *his* problem, not mine.

Now, I also do try to fix things that he particularly likes - I mean heck, *I* like pizza so I make a homemade wheat crust and we grill pizza and he makes his with pepperoni and I put artichoke hearts and spinach and mushrooms on mine. And we make hamburgers all the time - 1/2 lean ground beef and 1/2 ground turkey on whole grain buns with lots of veggies and no mayo for me. We make fish tacos with grilled fish and corn tortillas - he puts sour cream and cheese on his and I put avocado and shredded cabbage and salsa on mine.

I"m not saying never make his favorite foods. I'm saying that you can't limit your entire meal planning process to "whatever the pickiest eater might eat" (in the OP's words) for the rest of your life.

Picky eaters can learn to not be picky. And in my opinion a grown man who won't eat anything that's not pizza or mac-n-cheese or food like that is simply being spoiled and childish and needs to grow up.

Sorry if some people feel that's harsh. I think it's reality. Teenagers get to eat pizza and Coke for every meal and whine about what they eat. Grownups expand their tastes and eat like adults.

.
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