Getting Husband to Eat Healthier

Hi J.,

I have a meat and potatoes guy too, but my meat and potatoes guy likes to pick his meal up from the drive-thru.

I have found that he likes homemade smoothies with banana, nectarines, strawberries, yogurt, and agave nectar. Since it is no problem at all to feed him a smoothie, I sneak a little spinach leaf in there too, learned that here on Mamapedia.

As well, he likes tuna or chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, the mayo is the downside, but since he likes nearly pureed, I sneak the spinach in there too. Soups and omelets, I like to sneak diced zucchini.

Pasta salads I use the crinkle slicers and add zucchini and he thinks they are pickles and so does everyone else. I never say a word. People think pickles are a strange thing to put in pasta salad, but they eat it all up.

Oatmeal is good for cholesterol. I can't get hubby to eat oatmeal, so I just add it to his hamburger patties. He has never noticed.

Best of luck.

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When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My doctor at the time told me to go home and eat 5 green olives every day, and that he would see me the following month. I hated green olives, but I did it. Within that time frame, my cholesterol level really fell.

That being said, you may want to put "Mediterranean Diet" into a search engine to see what you find. Most Europeans (who eat differently than we do) have great cholesterol levels. I have heard all kinds of advice, from using olive oils, upping omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and flax seed), and drinking red wine do be beneficial. But I am certainly no expert. You many want to do some research to see what would be best for your husband and the rest of your family.

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You can try substituting healthier options for some of the things you might be making already. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef for meatballs, burgers, meatloaf and in pasta sauce. Use whole wheat pasta and bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white rice. Sneak the veggies in if you have to - pasta sauce, etc. Use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.

My hubby is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy too, but he also likes grilled tuna and salmon (the salmon is full of omega 3 fatty acids that are good for the heart and can help lower cholesterol). We also will do spinach salads with grilled chicken, fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), walnuts (again high in omega 3) and light dressing (poppy seed or vinagrette). If you are going to have bread, dip it in olive oil instead of slathering it in butter.

If you are doing the bulk of the grocery shopping, you can also decide not to purchase any processed salty or fatty snack foods - chips, etc. Hopefully he will be less likely to eat them if they are not in the house.

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I asked almost exactly the same question once!

Cook with olive oil, not butter, and if you need a little flavor, you can do a mix of the two.

--I have had some luck with keeping lots of fresh fruit around, cut.
--Also the lean ground turkey instead of ground beef---sometimes I make patties of it and put a spicy seasoning on them and my husband loves them.

--Sometimes I cook less food, or just less meat, but lots of fruit and veggies, so if he is very hungry he will eat more veg/fruit.
--Chopped veggies and nuts in salad is good. Not a creamy dressing though.
--If you cook or soak veggies with some broth and wine it adds a lot of flavor.

--You can add oatmeal or oatbran to muffins/banana bread/zucchini bread/carrot bread (just exchange it for some of the flour).
--I find that a strong flavor is often appealing---it helps bland food. I like to add all kinds of spices, wine, vinegar, lemon, tart fruit (like berries) to food.

--Instead of mashed potatoes or baked potatoes that end up with lots of butter, I like to cut up potatoes (sometimes I even leave the peel on!) in small wedges and cut up chunks of onion, coat with some olive oil, and seasoning, and bake in the oven (450ish), stirring occasionally. This makes a sort of "breakfast potatoes" dish, but I make it for dinner. The onion and seasoning make the flavor great! Very simple but takes a while to cook. You can start the potatoes in the microwave to hurry it up, then brown in the oven. It might be good with some chopped bell peppers too (I just don't happen to like those)

--You can bake skinless chicken breasts or poach them and just season them a lot, and slice them. They are great if the seasoning is right.

--Some wheat pasta with some olive oil and cut things thrown in, like plain chicken chunks, cut tomatoes, cut squash or whatever you want.
--I like peas in almost anything!

--Dessert can be a fruit dish, like berries with a little bit of liqueur, or with lowfat vanilla yogurt and nuts.

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You can continue with your current dishes but substitute vegetable oil with canola oil or olive oil. Instead of butter use something lowfat. Avoid deep frying alot of things and limit the red meat intake to once a week. Eat chicken, grill fish or chicken. Make some hearty salads. The big thing that will help him is exercise. Get him to walk with you for 30 mins a day if possible. Once he drops weight and changes just little things in his diet it will make a huge difference but avoiding fried foods, alot of cheesy things, and rich foods, will make a big difference and the exercise component is key

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I'm in a similar situation. Hubby gained 40 lbs (just like me!) during my pregnancy....but I lost the weight and he didn't! His Dr. just told him also that his LDL cholesterol is way too high and he cannot continue in this direction. I've found that if I don't pack him a lunch for work- he will eat out, which of course means unhealthy food. So now he gets a salad, sandwich, and a "soup-at-hand" (Campell's) every day for lunch. He still gets full- but that keeps it around 400 calories. It would be at least double that with fast food. For dinner I try to do most of the cooking, because if I don't make anything we'll either order out or he'll make something which means it's either steak or burgers! If you're pressed for time...try the crock-pot! There are a lot of great pork and chicken recipes. If your hubby is a griller try switching from steaks to pork tenderloins...they are awesome on the grill! Also, you could try buying a set of smaller plates (which I intend to do this weekend!). LOTS of studies have shown that the bigger the plate you have- the bigger servings of each thing you'll eat! : ) Good luck to you both!

Try just changing one or two things at at time. Eventually, you will be able to eat primarily healthy foods, and learn to live without the junk. Try to give him as much raw foods as you can (vegies/fruit-uncooked). You might try sugar snap peas or cut up cucumbers as a side instead of something cooked. (or carrot sticks, peppers, grapes, etc.) Have prepared foods in the fridge for him to grab as a snack (the same ones I already listed, plus apples, and any other fruit he might like). If they are already washed and ready to go, he will probably be more likely to eat them. Serve a salad with every meal. Fresh, green (no iceberg lettuce--use Romaine or another dark green leafy lettuce). Make it colorful, it is much more appetizing to eat that way. Chicken-grilled, cut up into a salad is a great meal in itself. My family loves that for dinner. Stay away from casseroles because they contain junk (mostly, not always). Think fresh, crisp, yummy! I think it is great that you are trying to help your husband in this way. It will be good for the whole family!

What I don't see anyone addressing is that cholesterol is both inherited genetically as well as being impacted by dietary choices.

Do you know his LDL/HDL ratio? That's really important because the higher the HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) the better. Also, what are his triglycerides? That's a very important number as well.

I'd HIGHLY recommend contacting the Registered Dietician at your local hospital and getting an appointment scheduled so you can make your decisions from a really educated point of view.

There's mixed scientific data on using things like butter vs. margarine, for example. So, an RD can really help you learn how to pick great options.

Also any cookbooks from either the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association are likely going to be low car, low cholesterol, lower fat and low sodium - all factors that have a major impact on cardiovascular health.

My husband sells a billion dollar cholesterol drug - he takes it himself because he can't control his eating and to incorporate more healthy foods. It drives me crazy that, at 35, he has to take a powerful medication. In his case, it's both dietary as well as hereditary.

Go to your local library and see if they have any cookbooks that will help. Maybe get some books about nutrition too.

If your husband is like my husband, he'll be able to tell the difference between ground turkey and ground beef. You can still use ground beef, but just make sure it is lean ground sirloin. More expensive, but you get that great beef taste. Or you can do a mix.

For mashed potatoes, use fat free chicken broth instead of butter to make it creamy.

Substitue olive oil or canola oil for butter. I saute pork chops (pork loin chops) in a little bit of canola oil to brown them and then cover with salsa and cook until done. I serve that with brown rice and a vegetable.

Make little changes and substitutions. He might not even notice.

lots of fruits an veggies...boil or bake potatoes..more chixen an fish then red meat...

Fish is always a good substitute for red meat. A lot healthier. Chicken. Baked or Broiled. If he just needs Steak one night do Fajitas, Instead of sour cream use plain yogurt. No flavored ones. Works just as good but is alot healthier as well. Try and have him eat veggies at every meal, if possible. My husband hates veggies so its very hard for me to get him to eat them... Good Luck.

Grapeseed oil is the best oil for cholesterol. If you sign on with Wildtree just for your family they have infused oils that make cooking alot of fun. It does have a distinct taste but will lower cholesterol (I prefer the infused). Men can be so difficult, I wish you great luck with this!!

Just do a little bit at a time. If you use ground beef, try the ground turkey. It works great for things like tacos, meatballs, chili. I have switched and we can't tell at all (except for an actual burger) Encourage him to eat oatmeal for breakfast. The good stuff, not packaged sugary junk. I make it with a little cinnamon, brown sugar and lots of dried fruit. And go with whole grains when ever possible as far as breads and pasta is concerned. I had blood work done last fall and the Dr suggested meds for my cholesterol. I told him to give me a few months to watch my diet and 6 months later I am all in the clear. I love a greasy burger or steak now and then, but once a month now instead of once a week. And the other thing to avoid is anything packaged like sweets and chips. If he wants french fries, tell him sure, but he has to cut and fry the potatoes from scratch. Sweet tooth? Bake a cake from scratch. You will find that you eat the junk much less often when you have to make it all yourself. And if you do make it. it will be far healthier then the packaged food.

im so sorry for the loss in your family :(

my advice: just do it.

in my experience, most men will eat what you cook. so if you want change, you just have to do it without talking about it, without telling him, just do it. the number 1 source of fat in our diet is animal products. i mean, how many vegetables or fruit can you think of with fats in them ? its just not something you equate with fats.
SO, that being said, DECREASE DRAMATICALLY the amount of animal products you eat. when you do use them, use lower fat versions, or lean meats like turkey, chicken, and even venison. beef is pretty high fat and pork is EXTREMELY dangerous for your health, so avoid those if at all possible.

there are many very delicious options that arent meat at all, but replace meat quite nicely. morning star and boca have many very good yummy options! :) they are more expensive, but for example, with their corn dogs, instead of feeling like i could eat 3 of the things, usually i can eat one and feel satisfied. thats a major difference!

also, this brand of foods its DELICIOUS!!!!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3...

if you have an confusion as to how to cook them, please dont hesitate to let me know. but for example, the fry chick we usually do like we do fish; dunk in egg and then in crushed crackers, and fry. :) YUM YUM YUMMY!

anyway, increase the portion size of veggies and or fruit, and even beans, and DECREASE the portion size of what we americans think is the "main course" (aka the meats).
another good tip is to simply swap your large dinner plates for the smaller plates. this will help to control portion size, and you might even find that you dont need to eat a full dinner plate of food, and you are satisfied even after just a small plate.

something else i thought of; drink water with meals. this is good for your whole body for so many reasons. stock your fridge with skim milk ; use it in cooking or your cereal, but for the most part, you dont need to drink milk (dispite what the milk industry will tell you).
you can take a multivitamin, but really, oranges have calcium in them, and its more easily and completely digested from the fruit rather than from milk anyway. ;)

just making simple changes here and there you can make a huge difference. as far as other habits, try to make a family habit of going out for a walk in the evenings or something, even starting once a week is better than not at all. put all other events and responsibilities aside one night or one day a week, and take a walk together as a family. or go to a rink, park, whatever. something. maybe take turns in your family having each person choose an activity. search out a list of free activities in your area that you can do as a family. take up a new hobby like rollerblading or sledding or training for a charity run/walk. ;)

but most of all, dont feel the need to nag, just decide to do it. if your husband doesnt want to come with you and the kids just go, and eventually, the asking and you guys coming back having had a great time together might just motivate him to be with you instead. dont let anyone stop you from having a good time.

anyway.
good luck. its hard to change our eating and activity habits, but its needed, especially in your case where there is already immediate family history of health related death :(

HI J..
I have a friend like your hubby- yet he read the handwriting on the wall only once he hit 40 yo. His is hereditary , so only supplements or prescripts will help lower it- food is a minimal factor yet he did make those changes too.
The easiest way to make those changes, is if you cook and just serve what is best when you can.
Then - cook for color. The proteins should be tan in color and the only other thing on your plate tan like that would be things like LOWFAT cottage cheese- otherwise bright colored fruits and veggies.
You can add in omega 3's and plant sterols- those you would supplement. They naturally lower and shift the type of cholesterols between good hdl and ldl.
Once his body gets used to eating that way- it will actually crave better foods too.
A tough situation for you - be thankful he's not a smoker and hang in there with gentle concern.

About me: 49 yo perfusionist (heart surgery), wellness coach also doing a nationwide online weight loss challenge for $, mom with almost 9 yo fraternal twin girls.

B. J