At least dinner FEELS like a curse! Its a constant sabotage to keeping me on track. I need some major help. I have scoured the web for HOURS searching for recipes and I'm not finding much luck. Here's the deal:

My boyfriend and I have lived together for 3 years. He is the pickiest eater on the planet. That is not an exaggeration either. We were recently talking about taking the New Year as an opportunity to revamp our eating habits. We've agreed to cut out all diet soda and our nightly cup of nonfat frozen yogurt after dinner. But to me, those arent the biggest issue... its dinner.

I eat very well during the day at work, basically vegetarian. All organic, fresh fruits and vegetables, quinoa, etc. But when I come home I have to cook dinner for the two of us. It is brutal. Our cupboards are full of pasta, white rice and instant mashed potatoes. Our freezer is overflowing with pork, beef, and chicken. Our refrigerator is bare... except for the hundreds of half empty condiment bottles and chicken broth.

He REFUSES to eat any vegetables... except for potatoes and corn which I dont count. And OCCASIONALLY he'll have some romaine lettuce if its drenched in croutons and ceasar dressing. He also refuses to eat most fruit. And he's suggesting that I make myself a nice light meal for dinner.... and he'll sit next to me at the table with his giant hunk of meat and heaping, steaming, buttery mountain of mashed potatoes.

This is diet sabotage at its worst. I've tried tricking him into eating more vegetables... but he's worse than a child and will start gagging and spitting and making himself throw up. He gets mad and says he cant help it that it all tastes disgusting.

I am dying for some recipes that I can make that is easy for both of us. I love ALL food! And its really hard for me to resist those buttery potatoes while I'm munching on my less-than-exciting-carrots. My parents always made us clear our plates and you eat what is made (I come from a family with a lot of children). So I find it extremely difficult to be making TWO separate meals every single night after I come home from working hard all day.

Any ideas!? HELP!!!

I can't imagine how hard that is for you! I actually watched a TV show about adult picky eaters and it was very interesting - there are theories that it is related to OCD and some scientists who think there could be a genetic reason for it. This article talks about it: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/boos...o-chew-on.html

I feel for you...

I sympathise, because my clusband is an unadventuraous eater and we've had to deal with this.

Honestly, we cook separate meals and eat them together, or I eat first so I'm not starving and eating his.

I'm more concerned about when we have children - I really believe in making your kids eat whats on their plate, whatever small bit there is. I got forced to, and in the end, I learned not to be picky and how to eat a healthy variety of foods.

He's been getting better with more exposure, as he realises more and more that all my family an friends old and new eat differently then he is accustommed to...

Sometimes he buys me cookbooks with different foods he thinks sound good. He bought me Rose Reisman's 'Complete Light Kitchen', complete with caloric info, which we found a few faves in.

Quite frankly, if he doesn't want to eat your lovely veggies and whole grains and fresh foods, he can make his own dinner. If he doesn't want to make his own, he can be hungry. He's an adult, he can feed himself. From there on, it's a mental thing: that is HIS food. So it's off limits.

I agree! You are not a short order cook and he needs to act like an adult (spitting/throwing up veggies? really??? very childish!) Make what you want and tell him he can eat it or he's on his own.

I can sympathize with both of you...with you, cause I've had trouble sticking to a diet while I was dating someone, but with your boyfriend because it sounds like we have exactly the same tastes. I also only like potatoes and corn as far as veggies go, and don't like any fruits. The only way I'll eat other veggies is if they're HIGHLY seasoned/spiced, i.e. at Indian or Ethiopian restaurants.

I agree w/ the idea of each cooking your own dinner and eating together...that way neither of you is forced to cook/eat foods you don't want to.

I can relate a little bit, because my bf is trying to gain while I am trying to lose weight. I think first he needs to gain some respect for you, but if that is out of the question you could try preparing one healthy main protein such as grilled chicken, and prepare his own sides and your own sides separately. It might take a lot of work and determination not to eat the things you serve him, but this is part of developing a healthy life style. I watch my bf eat the meals I make, and on top of that he will have another meal or snack. It can be hard sometimes, but I try to keep in mind that I need to become healthier and leave the room.

I have to give him credit. He has always done his best to be supportive. He is the kind of guy where if there is nothing he likes to eat, he'll just not eat. He is more than fine going hungry! Or, he'll wait until I leave the house for a while before he indulges. But today, I cleaned out our fridge and cupboards and asked him to go grocery shopping with me. He suggested that we try Trader Joe's instead of our regular Stop N Shop.

He agreed to buy soft wheat bread, put bananas in the cart, agreed to try Low-Sodium Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato soup, and walked up and down each aisle inspecting everything! We ended up buying more groceries than we buy at Stop N Shop, and it was was at least $50 cheaper! He was excited, saying that he was finding healthier alternatives to some of his favorite foods and we were getting more for our money. Trader Joe's has some really great prices!

So. Baby steps. I cant fault him for being an only child that survived off of dining out/take out his whole life to living with me and my anti pizza/chicken nuggets/burgers every night diet

I think he's starting to get the idea. I even got a little massage tonight after dinner when I mentioned I was starting to feel sore from this morning's strength training session at the gym! I'm very smitten with him right now!

I have to say that was my first thought too! What about if you both cook dinner together? He can cook what he is willing to eat, and you can cook what you need to be healthy. And it gets to be a bonding experience!