DH hates heathy cooking

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 10:32 am

The last 2 years or so, I have been trying to make changes in what we eat as a family. I cook mostly from scratch and have pretty much stopped buying packaged snacks, save for a few select cereals. We still have plenty to splurge on if we feel the need for a treat, as I bake cookies and granola bars and such. I also make healthy (or at least healthier) versions of favorite comfort foods- like, I still make schnitzel, but using my own breadcrumbs and baked instead of fried, for example. DH went along with it at first, but now he's starting to complain. He wants real mac and cheese, not the kind I make where I put squash in the sauce (you can barely taste the squash!). He wants real mashed potatoes, not the kind I make where I substitute half the potatoes with cauliflower. He wants no more whole wheat pancakes or baked goods with any whole wheat. No more whole wheat crust when I make homemade pizza. No more half mushroom/half meat meatballs. No more quinoa or beans ever. Now, he's welcome to eat whatever he wants outside the house. I suppose he's welcome to eat what he wants inside too- SO LONG AS HE MAKES IT HIMSELF. I cannot prepare two dinners every night. And I am NOT going back to the old ways for everyone for the sake of just DH. BTW, my healthy cooking tastes delicious- not just according to me, but according to the kids and according to other people who have eaten here. Friends and family looking to eat healthier are constantly contacting me for tips and yummy healthy recipes, because they know I have succeeded in making healthy food taste good. I do not need a tutorial on how to make healthy food taste as good as unhealthy food. But DH is making a stink about what we as a family eat and I don't know what to do.

vicki

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:03 am

It sounds like you really invest thought and time into amazing healthy dishes. My mouth is watering just reading your descriptions.

I'm sorry dh is not able to go along anymore. I can't think of any ideas that don't involve at least some double dinners on your part or healthy eating on his part.

Is he willing to eat healthy sometimes, less healthy sometimes? Are you willing to serve less healthy sometimes. (what a shame to even have to consider that.)

2gether

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:51 am

amother wrote:

. I cannot prepare two dinners every night. And I am NOT going back to the old ways for everyone for the sake of just DH.

your menu sounds delish and soo healthy,
but... your his wife he doesn't have who else to cook for him, what's it his fault that you got into being healthy, cooking for him is your job and priority as a wife ,and it doesn't matter if everyone else likes your cooking.
you have to cook double or only how he likes, if he's a junky that's not so hard Wink

, cheese and mac take 5 min., buy some frozen dinner stuff or pastrami, cook chicken and starch ( potato and rice are o.k., just not white noodles) even easier in crockpot, or make just a seperate side dish. and buy him unhealthy cakes.

BTW,real mashed potatos and squashless sause isn't so bad, ,especially if your willing to eat the other half in the same dish ..., or maybe serve goatsmilk cheese and mac

vintagebknyc

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:55 am

2gether wrote:

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 12:13 pm

My situation is the reverse - my dh is super health conscious and my kids want 'junk' food. And though I work very hard at trying to win them over, I have not succeeded as of yet. My solution to the two meal dilemma is leftovers... One night is tofu/quinoa/beans/roasted veggies etc. and kids eating leftovers. The other night is fried chicken and potatoes with my dh eating yesterday's leftovers.

P.S. I would love to have your healthy recipes.

gmgv

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 12:57 pm

I have the same problem except I don't bother cooking healthy for him, rather I'll make an added veggie or salad etc for myself.
However if someone has a good idea how to convince unhealthy husbands to care a bit about their health, I'd love to hear!
my dh will do a bit of basic cooking especially when it comes to his lunch which I'm not around to make for him. I stock up on ingredients he needs and I allow him to do his own thing. can ur dh do a bit a basic cooking? If so, maybe he can make pasta or grilled cheese or wtvr other simple foods he likes.

Btw plz can u share some recipes?? Your menus sound amazing!

FranticFrummie

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 9:41 pm

I'm in the same boat. I have to hide veggies in things or else he'd never eat anything but meat and white rice.

DH likes my cooking, but the second he leaves the house he's buying cookies, pastries, and potato chips. I keep telling him I don't want nosh in the house because of DD, but he never listens!

oliveoil

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 9:44 pm

amother wrote:

That's actually a really good idea.

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 10:30 pm

Quote:

cooking for him is your job and priority as a wife

How about preserving his health?

My DH would be happy to eat healthier. The problem is I am not feeling well enough to cook from scratch most of the time.

OP, is your DH by any chance overweight? Has he lost weight since you started cooking more healthy?

I like the alternating nights idea as far as keeping people happy, but one would feel very disappointed if it caused those people making poor food choices to gain weight, become pre-diabetic, have high blood pressure, etc.

spring13

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:28 pm

Why after two years is he balking? Is he in good health? Was he healthy before you made these changes? Did something set him off, or is he really just tired of not eating junk all the time? Because if you don't prevent him from eating as he pleases when you're not the one responsible for the food prep, then my instinct is to wait it out and hope he'll get over it. You're not keeping him on some crazy limited diet, and frankly I think what you're doing for the kids is HUGELY important. I don't understand when people say to give up on making efforts to be healthy just because people would rather eat potato chips, it really makes no sense.

I try to cook the way you do, I wish I could rely less on certain packaged items. And my husband, who was not used to whole wheat bread or grilled chicken salad for Shabbos lunch, adapted really well. I don't know what I'd do if he put his foot down or started whining about my attempt to keep us healthier: I'm lucky that so far he appreciates my efforts. This probably isn't helpful, because if he kvetched that he wanted me to stop trying, I'd probably freak out on him.

What if you made a less-thoroughly-healthy version of something he likes once a week, or on special occasions for a treat?

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:35 pm

One, eliminate the whole wheat, it has a sharp taste not everybody likes.

Two, forget the quinoa. Forget anything he can see or tell is there.

Three, you can go on with the mushroom meatballs if you feel like it, he can't tell. That isn't a big deal anyway.

Four, concede on the mac and cheese, he will be so happy and it's very visible.

As for the mashed potatoes, maybe you can transition into just chunks of potato pure and simple, no mashed. Except sometimes as a treat.

You were too obvious and too visible. Say yes, eliminate the whole wheat, and you will be fine. To get fiber into your diet without the wheat bran, just start having brown rice, lots of it. Flavor it your way, onions or whatever.

But mainly stop talking so healthy.

It's the talking that got you into trouble.

Certainly don't make two meals for one meal.

Olive oil is very healthy.

Being happy is healthy. There are some people who just want their mac and cheese.

You can't solve everything.

If you fill people up with soup to start the meal - home made chicken soup is like diamonds - they eat less.

No, no beans. At least not ones he can see. If you puree a bean soup, that's another matter.

Try to get a fresh fruit into him, cut up on a nice plate.

But don't talk about it.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:40 pm

I agree with dolly that he might be tired of hearing you talk healthy more than he's tired of eating healthy. It may also be that he plain and simple misses good old regular food. Honestly, I would try to accommodate his requests at least part of the time. It doesn't take that much extra work to boil a pot of plain pasta, for example. And if you can keep some stuff in the freezer that would be helpful too. But yeah, keep the healthy talk on the DL.

chani8

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 5:15 am

The way we do it is, the health freaks make a healthy late lunch, and someone else makes the not-so-healthy dinner.

The health freaks rarely want any of that dinner, but everyone seems to want to sample the healthy lunch.

I agree with Dolly about dropping the whole wheat shtick. You don't gain much anyway by using whole wheat vs fine white, unless maybe if it's organic. A little fiber? Not worth it.