General healthy eating help

[s_gosney]

Hey, ladies. I need a little help, please. I have been blessed with a great metabolism, so I don't really need to lose weight, but there are definitely some areas where big improvement is needed. My DH does have some weight to lose, so I'm looking to make some changes to our eating patterns. He's terrible about portion control, eating sweets, and such. He was griping this weekend about "being fat", so I told him that all he has to do is say the word and we'd start working on it. I told him that I know he would have a tough time doing without carbs (he loves sweets, pasta, basically everything unhealthy), but he actually said that he would try it. The problem is that although he would never admit it, he's a picky eater. The only veggies he likes are potatoes, green beans, corn, and lettuce...and sometimes carrots. He doesn't like dry food, so we usually eat a lot of pasta/meat/sauce dishes (hamburger helper to be honest...<hanging head in shame>). My family doesn't eat saucy dishes, so I'm clueless how to make them. Really I'm just not a very good cook in general. I'm not bad, just clueless, if that makes sense. Anyway, can anyone offer some basic advice? He has a real sweet tooth, so ideas for treats as well as main dishes would be appreciated. Oh yeah, I'm a full time student too, so simple is key. Otherwise, we'll just keep supporting McDonalds.
Also, if anyone has any advice on how to be supportive without being pushy, that would be great. I want to help him eat better, but I don't want it to become a sore spot.
I'm just clueless. I've just always eaten what I want to, but we need to make a change as a family. Are there any resources I should use?
Thanks for reading this far and for any advice you can give!

[COElizabeth]

I'm sure others will have more suggestions, and goodness knows I am really no one to give advice on this topic, but here are a couple of ideas:

Does your DH like fish? We buy big bags of salmon and halibut filets at Costco, and they are so easy to prepare. You can literally spray a pan with Pam and bake the frozen fish straight out of the freezer, and in 20 minutes or so it's done. You can add whatever herbs or sauce you like. Also, the pasta/meat/sauce dishes can be healthful if you use lean cuts of meat and whole grains. If it's difficult to switch to whole grain pasta immediately, try a brand like Healthy Harvest that is part whole wheat, part white flour and make the transition gradually to all whole wheat. Whole wheat couscous is extremely fast to prepare, and in a casserole my DH didn't even notice the difference until I pointed it out to him.

If you have a crock-pot, I can recommend a great chicken-corn chili recipe that is pretty low in fat and high in fiber. Lots of fiber and drinking lots of water can really help fill you up more quickly and keep you full longer. Also, try having some fat (preferably a good fat) at each meal. Having a piece of cheese with toast in the AM should keep him full a lot longer than just having toast, for example.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

[egoldber]

What you describe is pretty similar to how we used to eat (sans hamburger helper, LOL!), basically lots of breads and pasta based meals. We now still eat breads and pastas, but not as much. DH has lost 28 pounds since the beginning of November and I lost 23 pounds.

We are following the South Beach Diet, which a lot of people think is a fad diet, but the basic principles are just common sense. I think that just by doing three things, he could see a BIG difference.

1) Eat your full daily 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit (per the USDA food pyramid). I thought I ate a lot of fruits and veggies and then REALLY started eating that amount and you will be amazed what a difference it makes.

2) Reduce your intake of refined carbs to be whole grain/multi- grain carbs and measure your portion sizes (I don't measure anything else, but I do measure grains). You can still eat pasta, just only eat 1/2 cup at any one meal. The food pyramid says 6-11 servings a day and I would do the minimum for awhile.

3) Have small, high protein protein snacks (nuts, lowfat cheese sticks) between meals to even out his blood sugar so that he doesn't get so hungry before a meal and overindulge.

Here are some typical dinners:

grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup brown rice, steamed broccoli and a small side salad

baked salmon served over 1/2 cup couscous, steamed cauliflower and a side salad

Typical lunches:

large chefs salad with egg and ham and 2T of a low sugar dressing

half turkey sandwich with a piece of fruit and a cup of lowfat yogurt

Typical breakfasts:

2 egg omelette with red peppers and a 6 oz glass of tomato juice

1 cup of cooked oatmeal (made with lowfat milk) with chopped apricots and a 6 oz glass of tomato juice

1 cup of high fiber cereal with 1 cup lowfat milk, an orange and a 6 oz glass of tomato juice

All of these meals are quick and easy. I am admittedly an experienced cook, but I can make all these meals in 30 minutes (the brown rice takes 45 minutes start to finish) or less. I buy prechopped broccoli from Costco. I buy lettuce at Costco and 2-3 times a week, chop lettuce and keep it in the refrigerator in a salad spinner so that salads are quick to make. Frozen cauliflower is as good as fresh, keeps longer and steams in 5 minutes. The frozen slamon and chicken breasts at Costco are also very good and easy!

For sweets, keep a supply of fatfree, sugarfree jello around (I buy that at Costco too). It can really hit the spot when you just want a sweet little something and a serving only has 10 calories. If you go hog wild and eat the whole box, its only 60 calories. ;) We also really like fatfree, sugarfree pudding. DH eats one every night! You can still have REAL sweets, but they should be a once week kind of indulgence, not an everyday thing.

I would also encourage him to start working out. I have started working out 2-3 times a week. Not an Olympian schedule, LOL, but its better than the 0 times I was working out before. DH has not lifted a finger to start exercising and he has still lost 28 pounds!

It takes a real commitment and also a big attitude change. The first couple weeks I wasn't sure I could keep up with the additional food prep involved, but honestly, its now almost second nature. I have totally changed my buying and eating habits and it is very easy now. But it DOES take an adjustment period and you have to work through that.

Good luck!

[Annette_C]

You've received great advice so far so I just wanted to add that...
"If there's a will, there's a way!"
You DH will never get "healthier" unless he wants to be!!
Elizabeth and Beth have given you good ideas. I, too, try to reinvent my recipes so that they're a healthier version than they used to be. Like tonight, I made veal and peas stew with a side of tomato and whole-wheat cuscous salad. It was out of this world (if I do say so myself!LOL)
My family and I are also trying to follow the South Beach Diet but, really, just eating better and exercising (as Beth said), will bring on great results!
Good luck!!
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

[pritchettzoo]

The key is planning! It will also cut down on your stress and expenses, so a triple bonus! Encourage DH to start measuring out his portions. It was really startling to me--1/2 cup of cereal is not a lot!

Here are some good, easy cookbooks that you should be able to find at the library:
Desperation Dinners (by Mills & Ross)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/076110481X/qid=1081442669/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-8773241-3330203?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

And my new favorite:
The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767914236/qid=1081442695/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-8773241-3330203

Cooking Light has great dessert recipes, but their main dish recipes are sometimes a bit on the adventurous side. You may want to flip through the library copy to see if you'd like it.

Then, once you cook, divide it into portions immediately. Put leftovers in containers and refrigerate for lunches (or you can freeze them depending on the meal). DH & I are bad about splitting a meal that is 4 servings between us--YIKES! What really helped us (and we need to get back into this) was to have a salad before we ate the "real food"--use a dark green lettuce (iceberg has no nutrients essentially) and at least 2 other veggies (our favorites are carrots and grape tomatoes because they're easy). Then watch your salad dressing of course. If we ate a salad beforehand, the serving size of the entree was more likely to be satisfying.

Another tip that was helpful to me was to make sure your plate is 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 carb or starch. We're guilty of having 1/2 starch and 1/2 protein and a dab of veggies for color (or rationalizing that the orange of the Kraft Mac & Cheese counts... ;) ).

If you eat well during the week, splurge and make his favorite dinner and dessert on the weekend, but invite people over so there isn't a whole cake that you "need" to eat before it goes bad!

Good luck!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[s_gosney]

These are great tips, ladies! I hate that it's so hard to start eating healthy. Not hard I guess...but in a way it is. Not sure if that makes sense. I'm starting to think about DD eating food, and I know that if we don't change our eating habits, she'll fall into the exact same things. Making a serious change is important to me, but it's going to be tough. I feel like we're finally starting to get the hang of this whole parenting thing, but school is kicking my butt right now. :P Only a few more weeks to go though! :) Thanks for the ideas and feel free to keep 'em coming. I'll have to visit this forum more frequently for support!