Cooking for the family

[kealoha]

Being Hawaiian and Japanese, rice is a staple at every single meal, and usually snacks in between. My kids also LOVE pasta. Since being on Atkins, I've found that I've been having to cook two seperate meals at each mealtime. One for me, and one for my family because the food I cook to go on top of the rice or pasta is just too rich without the rice or pasta to balance it out. What I've been trying to do is just cook the meat first, take out a portion for me, then use the rest of the meat to finish the meal I was preparing for my family (a husband and four kids that actually eat food...one is too young for food ) but by the time I'm done making the meal for my family, I'm too tired/hot/exhausted to prepare an entirely different meal for me, so I end up just eating the meat, with some veggies on the side, which is getting really boring.

The kids won't eat a meal that doesn't include rice or pasta and I don't want to force them to change just because I'm trying to change, but I'm worried that I'm going to cave in and just eat what I make for the family because I'm getting so tired of cooking two seperate meals or eating just plain meat because I didn't want to cook two meals.

Has anyone else run into this problem? What do you do for your family that isn't following this WOE?

[BabyDreamer]

Kealoha,

Well, my husband's favorite food is rice (he was stationed in Japan for over five years) and he loves pasta so I can feel your pain. However, my post is about this...if you are overweight, then your children probably have a tendency to go that way too so now might be a good time to help them learn to enjoy less starchy food. Try some of the recipes that have you use cauliflower to make "mock rice" and see if that will help the family.

Deb

Originally Posted by kealoha

Being Hawaiian and Japanese, rice is a staple at every single meal, and usually snacks in between. My kids also LOVE pasta. Since being on Atkins, I've found that I've been having to cook two seperate meals at each mealtime. One for me, and one for my family because the food I cook to go on top of the rice or pasta is just too rich without the rice or pasta to balance it out. What I've been trying to do is just cook the meat first, take out a portion for me, then use the rest of the meat to finish the meal I was preparing for my family (a husband and four kids that actually eat food...one is too young for food ) but by the time I'm done making the meal for my family, I'm too tired/hot/exhausted to prepare an entirely different meal for me, so I end up just eating the meat, with some veggies on the side, which is getting really boring.

The kids won't eat a meal that doesn't include rice or pasta and I don't want to force them to change just because I'm trying to change, but I'm worried that I'm going to cave in and just eat what I make for the family because I'm getting so tired of cooking two seperate meals or eating just plain meat because I didn't want to cook two meals.

Has anyone else run into this problem? What do you do for your family that isn't following this WOE?

[Momtofour]

I make seperate meals sometimes. Usually I just make them a carb side dish if they haven't had much that week. I am trying to change their eating very gradually to a lower carb without them realizing it. There have been some complaints, but one of them will complain no matter what I make. I do have a daughter that strugggles with her weight, but I don't want to hurt her self image by pointing it out, so I just serve low carb meals and don't have many snacks in the house. They can snack on fruit and cheese sticks.

[womanpraised]

Agree with MTF... I AM changing the way my family eats, because I believe it is healthier. I will make the occasional pasta or rice side dish for the kids, but not all the time, and never as the center of the meal anymore (spagetti, hamburger pie)...

This sounds like something you and DH are going to have to agree on... be it cooking two meals, or everyone sharing something that everyone can enjoy in different parts.

You could do a cooking day for you, like some do on SUndays, and prepare the whole weeks worth of meals ahead and fridge/freeze them just for you.

Let us know what you decide.

[sadie147]

I only make rice or pasta for my dh once a week, the remainder of the week i cook a meat, veggies, and for him a 'carb' side ie: potatoes etc. we have the exact same meal with exception of that one side. the one night a week that he has pasta or rice i just make myself something different.

I don't think it's necesary to have rice or pasta every single night...

[soon2bslim]

I usually make meat or chicken or fish for everyone (some of my picky eaters want things a certain way so they might get leftovers) I make salad for all, soup for all, mushrooms and onions or peppers and onions (or some other veggie but these are my favorites) for me and rice, pasta or couscous for everyone else. So whoever wants starchy foods,get them as a side dish and if there's desert, whoever doesn't eat the protein, doesn't get desert!

[Elsie150]

I cook separate meals. I was doing that even before low carbing. My son has a very sensitive stomach so he loves plain stuff...rice..chicken...spaghetti with no sauce. Boring Boring Boring. DD is just about the same except she will eat any vegie but also doesn't like spice, hamburger or pasta much. DH is not big on spices either but he is slowly changing. I like to have flavor to my food. And it does not bother me to serve them rice, pasta or potatoes. None of them have a weight problem...except DH could lose maybe 10 pounds if he wanted to.

But I do love to have ready made food in the freezer for me. Stuffed peppers, cooked cauliflower, meatloaf, casseroles...all done up into individual servings. That way I make them what they want and through mine in the microwave for a minute and I am still eating with them. So I do a batch cooking kind of thing.

[Bren]

There are many nights I prepare two meals. Is it extra work? Yes, many nights it is. But..... I refuse not to do it. The family still eats pasta and my husband believes potatos should be served with every meal. There are some nights I get off easy and they eat meat/chicken, vegies and a starch on the side. I take time on weekends to cook a lot so during the week is not so hectic. Yesterday I did up chicken breast, pork roast and today is a turkey. I work two jobs and weekends are my chance to do this. So, when I work nights there is always something here "everyone" can eat and something for me to heat up when I get home.

[slimndown]

Maybe I'm an awful person, but I don't cook 2 meals. It's just my hubby, me and our little girl and everyone eats the same thing. It's so much more practical and easier on the budget. Both my hubby and I could stand to lose about 50 lbs - so I don't feel bad not having starches for him to eat. Because my little girl is growing, I do have starchy type veggies for her - like peas, sometimes potatoes and I keep yogurt for her for snacks. I'm increasingly impressed by how this WOE has affected her tastes. Of course she likes McDonalds, if we ever go, but with a plate full of food in front of her that has many choices - she eats the veggies first, then the protein, maybe some potatoes. Kids adjust and learn good habits by the example we set for them. Thankfully, my hubby is mostly supportive of this and I don't monitor him if he wants something off plan when we go out to eat or he's by himself and wants to snack. He has IBS so he pays for what he eats without me saying anything . If my hubby was less supportive I suppose I would just be cooking an extra side of starches for him to keep him happy.

[Moochiecat]

I'm fortunate in that it's just bf and myself. From day 1 I told him if he wanted a starch he could cook it himself. Interestingly enough his eating habits are naturally quite Atkins'y (and he weighs a steady 118!) so he's not too troubled about this and occasionally will do up a potato. When we eat out, that's his chance to have a starch.

That doesn't help you too much, I realize but what you could do is cook a big batch of rice up ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Or you can approach your husband about cooking the starches for himself and the kids. Or, if your kids are old enough, you can start teaching them how to cook and they can pitch in.

Talk to them about how your health is really important to you, and that you want to be healthy so you can spend lots of quality years with them...make it into a team effort and show them how they can take credit for your successes as well, your husband included. Your family can be your biggest cheerleader in this.