What do you feed your healthy FI/H?

danieliza1127 · November 2009

My H is a really unhealthy eater. We have both gained a lot of weight since the wedding and I'm really wanting to start eating healthier and buying better food. The problem is, it's easy for me to eat better but it's hard to get him to do it. For example, right now for lunch I'm eating a turkey sandwich with no cheese on 100% whole wheat bread and an apple with a little bit of cheddar cheese. I had a yogurt for breakfast. If I sent him to work with that, he would not eat the yogurt and he would eat the sandwich and cheese for breakfast and end up going to the cafeteria in his building and buying lunch. If I don't pack him anything, he ends up eating a breakfast that will include some sort of bacon or sausage and eggs and a bad lunch.He's agreed to start making healthier choices, but I know him and I know I need to send him to work with good food. I know what works for me but not for a big eating guy. If you have a healthy FI/H, what does he eat?

AlexiaANDRobert · November 2009

Grilled chicken, sandwiches with stuff (lettuce, tomato, turkey bacon), salads. He loads the salads up on dressing, but it's okay if that's the only high-calorie part of the salad. He really likes meat (steak, pork, chicken) so he'll eat a lot of lean protein, and then steamed broccoli or carrots. Robert is actually a very healthy eater now that I think about it... although, he does love his oreos!

SwedishChick2011 · November 2009

This might sound dumb, but what about those Hungry Man meals? I think they put some vegetables and stuff in there, and at least it's a set portion (albeit a rather large one).

pinkpinot · November 2009

He eats a lot of lean protein to keep him full. I know egg whites with fruit, cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese for breakfast. We grill a lot of chicken breast and fish. I usually add veggies & brown rice or whole wheat pasta with the chicken to add more substance. For snacks I got him hooked on "pita pizza" you spread hummus on a whole wheat pita bread, I cut up cucumbers put it on the top and toast it in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes. It's so good. We also take cheddar rice cakes and put a little tomato sauce on them and sprinkle cheese and bake those until the cheese it melted.

vallyhoo · November 2009

We swap beef burgers for Turkey burgersIf we do have beef we choose Ground Sirloin instead of Ground Chuck or Ground RoundI buy fresh fruit like honeycrisp apples and bananasHe loves most veggies though so we constantly have squash, zucchini, asparagus, corn, cauliflower, etc.He has actually helped ME to eat healthier.

Nebb · November 2009

Can you get him stuff to make more hearty breakfasts - home made egg mcmuffin type of thing (turkey bacon instead of pork bacon to cut down on fat), oatmeal, something filling. Then give him something heartier but still healthy for lunch (sandwich and a hearty soup?), with other things he likes. Find out what he likes and would be willing to eat and build on that. My husband is stick thin and doesnt remember to eat most of the time. Ive given up on breakfast, he normally takes left overs or pb sandwiches for lunch and I dictate what is for dinner and he eats what I make heh.

kdcwedding · November 2009

H lost 50 lbs this past year on WW, this is what he did to eat more healthy - - Fiber-full breakfast - fiber cereals with skim milk, fiberone poptarts, Yogurt (clearly not a help there)- Switch to reduced-fat cheeses - they taste just as good, but cut 25% to 50% of the fat from regular cheese- Lots of WW dinners that became lunch leftovers - leaner meats (ie, ground turkey instead of beef), reduced fat cheese, whole wheat pasta, lots of veggiesIs he a fruit/veggie lover? If not, a good idea is to find ways to make them more palatable - H never ate eggplant, but I made a casserole with ground turkey that was kind of like a lasagna, and now he eats it many other ways because of that "gentle" intro to the veg.

lyndausvi · November 2009

I have no control over DH's eatting. He as access to any food he wants at work. I'm not kidding. If he wants mussels he just has them flown in the next day. He normally eats 2/3 meals a day there. :-(I try and get is work wife to get on him. but that does not work as well as it should. I think he bribes her with food also.

britne28 · November 2009

Make sure you have a little fat in your food as it helps a lot of nutrients absorb. My FI is definitely on the healthy side. He has a broad palette so we eat a lot of fresh food. If you cook enough healthy meals he likes for dinner then would your H eat the leftovers for lunch? I know a lot of guys are into the meat and potatoes route. We started gaining weight after we got together but we've since done the portion control and that has helped. So we still eat what we like but don't go without. Does your H like veg? That should help fill him up with all the fiber. That and fresh fruit.

Calypso1977 · November 2009

i'm fortunate. my husband will eat pretty much anything i feed him, with the exception of shell fish and cous cous. i'm doubly fortunate that he also goes home for lunch everyday. i try to keep the fridge stocked with low sodium deli-meats, salad fixings, and it helps immensely if i chop up the veggies for him ahead of time so he can make the salad faster and easier. that takes care of lunch.breakfast he usually makes oatmeal and i try to keep hard boiled eggs in teh fridge for him.dinner time is much harder. when i'm home, i always make a nice meal. however, 2-3 nights per week i have meetings so he's on his own for dinner. that's when the pizza and sub demons come out.we eat a lot of fish, we eat primarly sweet potatoes now versus white potatoes, and all sorts of greens (asparagus, broccoli, etc.) we eat the veggies plain, with the exception of spuds. H will salt his veggies, but he is on reduced sodium fake salt.even after all of that, i've still put on 10 pounds, and he's put on some weight too. i chalk alot of it up to high stress and no time for exercise.if you only buy good stuff, taht ensures he'll eat good at home. but, as i've learned quickly, i cant "monitor" or "control" what he does when i'm not around (see pizza and sub demons above).

danieliza1127 · November 2009

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Nebb, I was thinking of making him some homemade breakfast sandwiches that way I could use whole wheat english muffins and canadian bacon instead of the junk he would buy at work. Pinot, the pita pizza sounds good! We love hummus.

Nebb · November 2009

That would be great dani - the protein he will get in the eggs and bacon will help keep him full, along with the fiber in the whole wheat. Could he also bring snacks with him to work? nuts, trailmix, babybell cheeses, bars to keep him from going to the cafeteria?

danieliza1127 · November 2009

Calypso - good call on chopping up salad parts ahead of time. That would definitely make us eat more salads if I did that.

singing_sea · November 2009

DH is such a picky eater. The only thing that works with him is leading by example. Last year I went on weight watchers and lost 16lbs. Soon he was eating salads and packing his lunch for work. Now if I could only get him to hit the gym with me.

Emeraldeyed315 · November 2009

For lunches he likes the healthy choice pastas (whole wheat pasta) as well as smart ones panini's and such...just watch out for high sodium.

singing_sea · November 2009

Another thing is I buy low fat versions of everything. When I buy meat I only buy really lean cuts.

pinkpinot · November 2009

I'm glad you posted this. I just got a lot of good food suggestions and even ways to make healthy food quickly. But someone just said babybell cheese...mmmmmm

goheels05 · November 2009

Ok, keep in mind my husband lifts weights every day and needs a lot of protein to fuel up, but here's what he eats during the day:1. 3 peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast on high-fiber, low calorie bread (it's something owl fiber plus?)2. 2 yogurts (I know your husband won't eat that, so maybe some string cheese as a substitute?)3. 2 servings of whatever leftovers we have from various dinners4. a sandwich bag full of cookies--low calorie ones like animal crackers or vanilla wafers5. a handful of dry roasted peanuts or cashewsHere are some of his favorite healthy dinners that he also takes for lunch:1. tacos made with lean ground beef, lettuce, tomato, avocado, shredded cheese, and salsa2. Chef salad or cobb salad3. Chili made with lean ground beef, stewed tomatoes, chili beans, peppers, etc. sprinkled with cheese4. semi-homemade pizza--we buy pilsbury pizza dough, add tomato sauce, cheese, peppers, canadian bacon, really whatever we have in the fridge that's at risk for going bad.I realize these things don't sound super-healthy, but they probably meet nutritional needs better than whatever crap he's eating, and they are tasty enough to keep him out of the vending machine or work cafeteria, so it's a good step in the right direction.

mandysmear · November 2009

My husband eats at work. But, for me, I started snacking. I keep stuff in my drawers. Lots of 100 cal packs, fibre 1 bars, crackers. Then I bring fruit in to eat as a snack or with my lunch. I am big on leftovers for lunch. So as long as your dinner is healthy the night before all you have to worry about is portion control. I sub ground turkey for beef in everything. That makes things a little bit leaner and better for your heart.

aMrsin09 · November 2009

I'm no help, H has a chef that cooks them 3 squares a day. I do know that he started losing weight once she made him start eating breakfast. And she does cook with all fresh ingredients. I think a big key is eating homemade vs. takeout/pre-prepared stuff.

sarahmk5 · November 2009

This is kind of random, but I've also found that limiting our portions of white starches to one a day really helps. We only have a serving of pasta/white rice/potatoes once a day. I gained a few pounds, and I was surprised how much just doing this helped the excess weight melt off.

vallyhoo · November 2009

Baby bell cheese. NOM NOM NOM.

Pirata13 · November 2009

FI will eat basically anything I make for him. But his big problem is snacking. He is a midnight snacker and likes chips, pretzels etc. actually, if your H is eating eggs for breakfast, it's not so bad. Eggs are actually good to eat--they keep you full long. I have often made egg muffins at home. I get whole wheat english muffins, scramble an egg with a little cheese, then put a slice of cheese on the toasted muffin when I add the egg. Wrap it in foil and instant breakfast to go. Watch your labels. Seriously. Look at your sodium, trans fat and carbs. Avoid things that have high fructose corn syrup. Make sure if you are getting ground turkey that it is all ground white meat--dark turkey meat has as much fat as anything else. Compare labels on bacon--sometimes there isn't much difference in fat & salt with turkey and pork. Trade up whole grain for white rice, white bread etc. Good snacks include hard boiled eggs, cheese, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, fruit & veggies. Cook with olive oil instead of butter. Also I use either smart balance or Olivio instead of butter or margarine for most things. I haven't looked into baking with those yet though. I do a lot of pastas using whole grain pasta and veggies. I just saute veggies in olive oil with some herbs, then add some white wine. Maybe a little goat or parmesan and toss the pasta in and stir.

pinkpinot · November 2009

I also make turkey tacos but we use whole wheat soft tortillas and fat free sour cream (tastes like crap but oh well).I also make a taco bake - it's so good. 1 pound of ground turkey - cooked - then add 1 can of fat free tomato soup, 1/4 cup skim milk, 1 cup of salsa and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Add 6 or 8 tortilla shells (either soft or hard) broken up in small pieces and you bake it for 30 minutes in a casserole dish. So good. I got the recipe from Campbell's.

lyndausvi · November 2009

I'm so jealous of your girls. Not only to you have an opportunity to get your FI/DH healther. You actually get to eat with them. (we only eat 2 or 3 meals together a week - breakfast, lunch and dinner combined) My DH is 270+ pounds and his office is 8 feet from a pizza oven. Within 75 feet of his office is everything and anything he needs to eat and the oven/stoves to cook it on.I wish there was a way I could encourage him not to eat junk. But it's so easy for him, since it's right there.

mandysmear · November 2009

Buy a plastic salad knife and your lettuce won't brown as quickly. Or tear the leaves with your hands.

danieliza1127 · November 2009

Great suggestions everyone! Thank you!

squirrly · November 2009

I also prep lots of salad fixings on Sunday. FI loves yogurt, though, so that's helpful. Maybe experiment with flavors until you find one he likes? I've also switched to low carb or whole grain pasta & tortillas. SmartBlends for butter - better than regular butter and tastes/cooks better than margerine. I try to keep a lot of fruit around the house. My FI is REALLY picky, though, so a lot of snacks that would work for others he won't touch.The other thing that I think is important is to make sure food still tastes good. I find that a lot of people over-eat by volume because they're craving a taste & their "diet" food just doesn't have as much flavor. Smaller servings of full-flavor stuff is better, in my opinion.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · November 2009

Another thing is I buy low fat versions of everything.This. I don't buy "fake" stuff (like diet drinks or anything with splenda or aspartame), but I try to cook with very little oil, buy baked tortilla chips instead of regular, buy low fat dairy, etc. I send FI to work with leftovers a lot. So if we have stir fry one night, I'll just make a lot and have it for lunch the next day too. Bean burritos are pretty filling but also pretty low fat (throw in a little cheese and whatever toppings he likes - olives, tomatoes, peppers). You can send some baked chips and salsa to make a really satisfying meal. Whole wheat pasta with red sauce and a lean protein (and maybe veggies too) would also be really satisfying.

mandysmear · November 2009

My husband used to eat really well. He'd make himself a lot of salad or have fish for dinner. The place where he works now, they make 2 staff meals a day so whatever some of the guys feel like making/eating is what they eat. H chooses quite often but he caters to what most of the guys will want and eat. Very often it turns into rich meals.

pinkpinot · November 2009

I wish my desk was 8FT from a pizza oven....jealous

What do you feed your healthy FI/H?

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