So here is my dilemma :
Currently I live at home with my parents. I can't move away because I have no money/job/still working on my degree.

The biggest problem I have to contend with is the fact that I have no say in the weekly dinner menus. My mom is a stickler for empty calorie foods and lots of Mexican food (I'm Hispanic) which means a lot of ground beef (she refuses to buy lean) and grease. Also, almost NO veggies : (

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can create more healthy meals? Or perhaps have a web site for some quick and easy recipes? Perhaps a way to start showing her how to cook more healthy? (she and my dad need to lose weight as well.)

Maybe ask your mom if she could leave you plain ground beef so you can dry some of the grease and add some garlic powder or seasoning wihout lots of salt in it. Food network has a lot of good receipes. Or maybe google ground beef receipes.

I would google healthy mexican food.Is that an oxymoron?LOL.I bet you will find lots of information.I love GOOGLE!!

Maybe you can convince her to rinse the beef like my mom always did. Once the ground beef is browned, you drain it in a colander, and when the grease stops dripping out, you rinse briefly in really hot tap water. It removes a whole lot more oil and fat out of it, and the flavors of the seasonings come through better.

Hmmm, other than strict portion control for yourself when you eat what Mom cooks, or maybe staging an elaborate intervention/tantrum, I don't really know what to tell you. She won't let you cook or make special requests on the grocery list?

If you can't afford to move out, can you afford to buy your own groceries? Cook your own meals, it's good practice for living on your own anyway.

Would it work for you to add a salad? Often, I just have a bed of lettuce and throw whatever else is on the menu on top--beans, tomatoes, peppers. It helps me avoid lots of calories in bread, pasta and tortillas. You could also sneak a snack before dinner--like a small pack of carrots--to get some veggies in and fill you up.

Could you eat less amounts of high-fatty meats in your diet? Like have beans instead a couple times a week instead of the high beef?

The other thing you could do is ask to cook some Mexican meals with a couple side dishes that are more healthier for you to eat?

The other thing you can keep in mind, is its all basically "calories in, calories out"

Definitely look into some cookbooks too and see if your mom would be more inclined to try a variety of different Mexican dishes.

The other thing you could explain is you're trying to lose weight for health reasons and that if you could make a few side dishes that are more healthier to eat, maybe that'd help her in being a bit more flexible in preparing meals?

good luck!

~ tea

I would get open with your mom and tell her "Look, I'm overweight, unhealthy, and I need to get in shape and eat healthy. I really need you to do this for me since I can't buy my own groceries. I want to be healthy, I want to get in shape." something like that. I don't think it would be unreasonable of her to deny you the request to eat healthier. If you have to, beg. She's your mom, and she should be doing the best for you. And if she won't, then get a part-time job and buy your own groceries and cook your own meals, and if she gets offended, just tell her that she wouldn't cook healthy for you so you took it into your own hands.

Maybe you could offer to cook a few nights a week so that you have control over what's going into dinner?

I agree with tea- i think the best approach would be to talk to your family about your reasons for wanting to eat healthier...

Good luck- I know how difficult it can be to say no to your family!

I'm in the same situation living at home. Although my family lets me pick and choose my own food, they still buy other food so the temptation is always just there...so I'll be eating my healthy meals but all day I'm trying to resist whats right on the counter or in the fridge. my mom isn't the easiest to talk to and she isn't feeling well now, so I don't argue with her..she'll just say if I don't want it - don't eat it. and then I go through the binge cycle and not wanting things to go to waste... sigh.

Gosh, maybe I got up on the wrong side of the bed--but it sounds like your parents are pretty much supporting you, right? So complaining about the food, I don't know...

There is always portion control. That's where you measure out what you eat. So, you have one tortilla. Half cup beans, half cup rice (or just skip it). 2 ounces of the meat. Like that! If you're calorie counting, you can figure out how much you have eaten for every meal.

As for the vegetable problem, have you considered cooking meals with your mom instead of her doing it all? You could cook up some vegetables, not just for you but for everyone else as well--and if they don't want to eat it, hey, you've got leftovers.

Jay

This is a great idea. But don't go all no-fat gastapo on them. Rather cook their favourites but in a low-fat version that is just as tasty. You may find they like it

Apart from telling your family that you need their support (which is also a great idea), dinner is just one meal out of the day. You can portion control dinner it if they still don't support you and make sure you get what you need during the other meals that you have control over.

I don't think offering suggestions about switching up the food in your home is "complaining". I really don't. You want to be healthy. And I'm sure you'd like your parents & whom ever else is living in the household to be healthy as well. No one should be eating that stuff 7 days a week. And that's how I would approach it. I would speak to Mom about making EVERYone in the household healthier foods. Not just you. Because quite frankly, sounds like everyone could use a menu overhaul. I would gently point out that eating like that on a steady basis is benefiting no one and could in fact be harmful.

Try and work together with Mom to find tasty and healthier fare that everyone can enjoy. Do some scrounging around for healthier recipes. Experiment. Make it a whole family venture.

Could you get a doctor's note saying you aren't allowed to eat grease anymore?

Assuming the ground beef is also served with beans and rice, I'd personally just stick to the beans and rice... you get plenty of protein just from that. Tortilla's are deceptively high in calories, so I try to avoid those... especially the delicious traditional ones that are so full of lard you can see through them.

But I've had a bowl of beans, rice, cheese, and salsa for dinner plenty of times, and it's a totally reasonable dinner with lots of good nutrition. Add in some sort of green vegetable (frozen broccoli, yay!) and you don't get much more nutritious than that. You'd still be mostly eating what your mom was cooking, just in a bowl... and if you tell her this is something you have to do for your health, how can she argue with that?

Can you go grocery shopping either with your mom or instead of her and buy more veggies? You can always fix a big salad for yourself (even if your parents don't want to eat it) so that you eat less of the main course.