How Many of Us Make Seperate Meals For Family?

I am just curious.  My hubby is open minded about certain things but not fish.  I love fish.

How many of us make seperate meals for family members so that you can eat healthier?  How often?

I do, almost every Day...

My hubby and kids get what they want, I make what I want.

Almost every day if I am taking proper care of myself.  When I do not take care of me I eat what I cook for Ken.  He refuses to eat veggies so I would go without.  I have t remind myself that I need veggies every day.  For some reason he does not, his body works differently. 

One of the things I find that makes this easier is if I keep things that cook the same time on the same day.  So if I make him fried chicken (that ends up finishing to cook in the oven), I will make myself a chicken breast that cooks in the oven.  This way everything is ready at the same time. 

I think of it more like making more items for dinner and we all get to pick what we want. 

A great way for you to add your fish is to make cold salads that include cooked fish (salmon is great).  I also recently read that you should take your salad out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you eat it so it can take the chill off.  This will help enhance the flavors.

I cook my own meal, my daughter gets a different meal, and my fiance cooks for himself.  We all eat something different for dinner :p 

When we get together I make combo meals. For instance for Sunday dinner I made braised pork sirloin with gravy, string beans, squash. I microwaved a potato for my daughter and made mashed cauliflower for my husband and I. So when I sit down I had like 2 oz of pork and the rest was all veggies.  I guess I'm lucky in that my family likes vegetables. It's just the starches that we all don't eat.

I took all of my families favorite meals and tweeked them to be loads healthier. as far as the other meals of the day I make different for everyone.

Hee hee!  It's just me here, so no problem.  When I have guests I just make something healthy for all of us and they don't even notice, because I'm such a good cook.  I brag about it with no apologies.

I do it - Something for me and something for hubby and son. Double duty!!

I only do on occasion.  Like if I have something planned for the family that it isn't worth it for me, the calories being way too high,  than I make myself something different, but generally, we all eat the same thing, I just use portion control.  I have 2 teenagers and one that is 9 and I have always tried to make rounded meals, veggies, meat, bread and potato.  Now trying to bring in more healthy versions. 

We also generally have a salad with most meals. 

I rarely do it. I had a Boca burger last night but made my son a real burger, but that is very rare. He eats whatever I fix, and I'm not into making two dinners. My ex is coming over for dinner tonight, and I'm making the same thing for all of us: chicken breasts with feta cheese and tomatoes, broiled portobello mushrooms, and cous cous.

HA HA!  No way, they may get a bigger portion but I'm no short-order cook!

Im vegetarien, my boyfriend is pretty near a carnivore... but I only cook for him on weekends, the rest of the week he has to make due himself.

I make the same meal, but give myself much smaller portions of things like potatoes, pasta and meat.  It's much too hard to make up two different dinners every night after work.  On the plus side hubby is quite happy to be eating healthy and loves salads.

Are you kidding?  If I'm going to cook, people better not complain.  Period.  The rule in our house is that you have to try it.  This is how we were both brought up.  The picky eater thing is not acceptable to us.

We usually divide up the cooking duties per night.  That way, if one of us isn't so keen on something, we get to have something we really like when we cook. 

Also...for people cooking differently - do you cook something equally as healthy for the other people?  If not...doesn't it seem like you are setting them up for health problems/weight gain later?  

I make my husband make his own food now, I feed myself and the kids. My husband was complaining about the food I was making so now he can fend for himself. He is the type that likes to sabbatage my healthy lifestyle and I no longer allow it : )

Nope... I do pretty much all the cooking - and it's healthy. My husband likes my cooking so he hasn't complained as of yet (almost 7 months in 12 days - lol a long time I know!)

I'm a single mom, so no man-whiners around to complain.  I'm lucky my youngest is pretty willing to try anything, and she likes almost everything, too... so... she gets what I cook or she starves.  My oldest is away at college though, and she won't eat a damn bite of anything I make anymore, LOL.  Oh well.

Nope.  We all eat the same food, I just measure my portions before putting the food on the table.  I usually cook, and I'm amassing a lot of really good healthy recipes.  Luckily, my kids will eat anything, and will ask for second servings of fish and veggies.   My husband will also eat whatever I cook, although he's been know to cook himself a steak after.

I'm really conscious of trying to model healthy eating for my kids, and so I want them to know that "normal" food and "healthy" food are the same thing.  I also think that eating together is really important, and that would be more difficult if I had to prep and eat an entirely different meal.  And since we're all talking about making "lifestyle changes" rather than "dieting", who honestly thinks that they're going to be making a separate meal for themselves for the rest of their lives?

I just started counting my calories 3 days ago and I believe that my husband will sabotage my healthy eating also.  He already is getting an attitude about me not eating what he is eating.  But since I am the one that does the cooking, either he will have to eat what I put on the table or go without.  I will continue to cook what he likes to eat, and maybe tweak the recipes a little towards the healthy side without him knowing it.  When I go grocery shopping this weekend I intend on repackaging the meat in one serving packages.  That way if I want to eat what I am cooking for him I can just take out 2 packages and if I don't...  I know it is going to take time to get my husband (the junk food junkie) to eat healthier, but like everyone is saying this has to be a lifestyle change in order to work.   I know I won't want to cook separate meals forever.

I agree with nicoley!

One of the reasons I joined this group was to set a good example for my kids.  I don't want them growing up with the poor eating habits I had.  Fortunately, I have never catered to them in the food department - they get what they get and as a result, they will eat a wide variety.  On the odd chance that I cook something really spicy, I will make them an alternative, but it's usually what we're having without the hot stuff.

In our house, every meal is an opportunity to learn about what's healthy eating and what isn't.  My kids know that most peanut butter has hydrogenated fat and know to look for that when we shop.  They know what fiber is and why it's important.  They can read a label and do it all the time.  And sometimes they put a snack back if they decide the label doesn't meet their standards and they make a healthier choice.  I am very pleased with what they have learned!

gvaughn, My daughter just read your post and said... look that sounds like you mom!  so your not alone: )