I was just wondering how those of you with families who are not dieting work meals. I have raised very picky eaters so the children often eat there own thing but before I started eating better, my hubby and I ate the same thing. Most of the time now, he makes his own dinner and I piece something together for me. Tonight, I decided I wanted some of the chili and cornbread. I had 2/3 of a cup of chili, one piece of cornbread and then I couldn't have anymore. I am hungry!!

I would like to be able to all eat together but it seems like I will have to cut down the volume of my food dramatically in order to make that happen. Anyone have any ideas?

Turkey sausages are pretty tasty and low calorie. My one year old niece loves them, my sister has grown to enjoy them, and I can't get enough of them.

Who does the cooking?

The way I see it you have a few options.

1. You eat what I cook or you don't eat at all (harsh I know)

2. You cook for yourself and your children and hubby cooks for himself (I do this some of the time)

3. You cook for yourself and make a modified version for the fam (extra cheese, more meat, pasta for them none for you, bread for them none for you, etc. etc.) This is what I do frequently and it works pretty well for me. I have a DH and DS who are pretty picky and don't like most of what I like so I have to alter there versions. There are some things that I make that everyone likes so those are staples, because double and triple cooking sucks!

It's a hard thing to conquer, but it's doable. Good luck!

It's funny... I was just talking about this with some of my mommy friends. My son is just under two. Despite my best efforts, he is a usual, picky eating toddler. Now that he is pushing two, hubby and I have started being a little more "strick" with whats for dinner. The other night, we gave him salmon and asparagus for dinner and told him it was that or nothing. (I would like to say, that he has had asparagus before and loved it.) That night, he opted for nothing. So the left overs went to daycare for lunch... were he ate "some".

Hubby eats what I cook. Or I eat what he cooks. We do have the occasional night were we fend for ourselves... but as I try more and more healthy recipes, we are eating more and more the same.

I am going to start planning a little better. I want to plan on the weekend what to make for the week... so I can heat up left overs and we can all eat together... or prep dinner in the crock pot.

I would never cook something for myself and then cook something separate for my hubby (my poor hubby!). If he doesn't want what I cook - he makes himself a sammich or something. But I he almost always eats what I cook.

(sorry, that was way longer than I planned!)

I don't have kids, but I do have a boyfriend and parents.

With the boyfriend, if I cook, he's eating the same thing I am eating.

With my parents, I'm slowly working on my mother and my "requirements". They eat pretty healthy, but just not the same things that I eat, so we end up compromising. Part of their problem is that they serve TOO MUCH FOOD. Lack of portion control! So, I'm learning to say no to their portions and have half of what they serve me (or return food).

Maybe you can add a big salad or some low-calorie vegetable soup for yourself - it could have supplemented that small portion of chili and cornbread and helped round out a satisfying, filling meal.

I don't have kids or picky eaters in my household, so I can't offer any advice from my own experience. I cook dinner for me and my partner, and we pretty much eat the same things. If my calorie budget is tight that day, I might eat a little less than I give her.

I went on South Beach and everyone in the house did it too. Why? Because they wanted to eat HAHA.

As a result, the hunny has lost 20 lbs, the son has lost almost 30, the daughter 15 and me 23. The eldest two at home work and they can eat or pay for their own food!

Sounded mean, but we all needed to lose some pounds, SO that was the way to do it.

My husband is trying to eat healthier as well so I usually just make us the same thing and if he wants he adds a little extra cheese or whatever to his. He's also working nights right now, 3 on 3 off, so when he has to work I don't mind making him his own dinner that he takes with him, if it's something I shouldn't eat then it's out of the house anyway. Our 4 year old is a picky eater so I usually end up making her something different anyway.

i am trying to make even healthier stuff. less/no oil, pasta, rice less often. i often make different for myself, but what i make is super fast. like heating up a veggie burger. i often make dh's meals, packed for work too. just enough for him. then i can't eat it. he needs to be healthy, but not lose.

I'm having to figure this one out. My fiance was in Iraq for a year, so I was just cooking for me. I could eat when and what I wanted. To keep me happiest and most satisfied, this meant eating nothing for breakfast, a tiny lunch, a huge dinner, and a huge evening snack. That's fairly unconventional, but it worked great for me. I'm also content eating the same few foods day after day after day...in fact, I prefer it that way. I lost and them maintained the weight and was perfectly content on my plan.

Then my wonderful fiance came home. And as thrilled about it as I am, it has definitely been an adjustment. In addition to having candy, chips, and other snacks in my apartment, all of a sudden I have a very hungry soldier coming home every evening who wants to eat hearty pastas, meats, potatoes, etc...and won't gain a pound for eating such.

I've made a few of his favorite dishes like enchiladas and baked ziti and whatnot. The times when I have eaten a small portion of the regular dinner, even a modified portion (with no cheese or less noodles or something), I find I'm starving the whole night. I'd SO much rather make him whatever he wants to eat and then make a separate Megan-safe dinner for myself. Yes, it's a hassle to cook that much, do twice the dishes, etc. But in my opinion, that's the best option. He gets to eat food that's exactly what he wants and so do I. I've made separate meals a few times now, but I know it kind of annoys him. He just wants me to "be normal" and "eat normal food." He doesn't understand that if I eat a Megan-appropriate portion of "normal food," I will still be hungry. If I eat enough "normal food" to fill me up, I'll gain weight.

I cook mostly healthy alternatives (often my DH does not realize the difference) OR I have to use portion control. There are no alternatives - I refuse to cook different meals but I also don't expect him to adhere to the same diet rules as I do. My son is only 4 months so no problem there

This is my greatest fear about coming home.

Unless it's a combination of things I shouldn't be eating, I eat dinner with my family, I just eat on a smaller plate with smaller portions.

I almost never eat with my family... what we eat and when we eat is just completely incompatible. I'm the daughter in the house and my parents eat all junk, all the time, usually from fast food places. As for me? I eat healthy, vegan, home-cooked meals. Occasionally they'll eat something I cook, but that tends to be limited to dessert! So, at the thought of eating together with them? No thanks.

Honestly, eating together with my family has never really been all that important to me. I've seen a lot of emphasis on it in regards to family bonding, but I see plenty other bonding opportunities that don't involve eating.

I usually cook a main course that everyone will like and that will work into my plan. Then I just adjust side dishes. Last night we had baked pork chops. We all had one of those, I threw in an acorn squash for myself, threw in couple twice baked potatos I got from Market Day for hubs and kiddo, and we all had steamed broccoli and carrots. Lily got a little melted cheese on her veggies. If I make tacos, I use super lean beef (and rinse it after it's cooked), I buy the kind of shells they like, and I'll either have a big ol' taco salad with a little of the meat, or I buy some whole wheat tortillas to have one along with them. Rarely, I will make a chicken noodle casserole or something like that which Lily likes, and then I will have one serving and round out the meal with a huge salad. And also occasionally I will make something she doesn't care for, like an eggplant and tomato dish. When I do that, I'll throw in a chicken patty or something for her and request that she at least try what I've made.

My daughter is 9, and while she doesn't have a weight problem, I am very determined that she will see moderate eating, portion control, and lots of fruits and veggies. Last night she ate 4 pieces of candy she got from dance class and she had a tummy ache afterward. She actually said, "Mom, I must not be used to eating so much candy since we eat healthy now!"