Veggie Dinners

I've run into a bit of a dilemma. M likes to get takeout every night (of course I like it too, but it doesn't feel right!). And I'm not talking cheapie takeout - we get Cheesecake Factory (and CPK, BJ's, etc) takeout. It's costing anywhere from $40-100/night, and it's fatty. (Especially fatty because somehow a cheesecake always ends up in the order) M pays for it. Yes, he can easily afford it. But still... it's too much to spend on food!!

Neither of us is much of a cook, so we can't come near the "deliciousness" (his words) of these restaurants. I'd like to try though. He or I could at least cook a yummy side, and then pick up a pre-cooked meal at Whole Foods to go with it... right? I don't routinely shop at Whole Foods, so I'll need someone to enlighten me as to whether they have pre-cooked meals and if they're tasty. We also have a Trader Joe's close by, and a Co-op, and the Farmer's Market a couple times a week.

The second part of the dilemma is that M has decided he doesn't want to eat meat during the week. I'm fine with that. But can anyone offer suggestions as to filling, healthy, easy to make delicious dinners that don't involve meat (or tofu, because he hates it)? We discussed it and decided that fish once or twice during the week was ok.

Which brings me to the last part of my dilemma. ;) I want to lose weight, and he needs to gain it. He's still within normal range, but on the VERY low side. How can I fatten him up while slimming down myself? Just put more on his plate?

Any help is much appreciated! :)

7 comments:

j. said...

Whole foods has (usually) both cold and hot pre-cooked selections. They usually have a pretty good selection, and they list everything on the name-card, so you know what's in it. So for about a step up from take out, it's not bad- it is charged by the pound, though, so can get just as expensive fast.

Easy veggie recipes aren't that tough to find. Try one of the big recipe sites, and grab something marked easy and "less than 15 minutes" with 4 or 5 stars.

As for helping him gain weight while you maintain or lose, Just add stuff to everything he eats. If he has oatmeal for breakfast, toss in some nuts or raisins, while leaving yours more plain. nuts and avocado in his salad, but none or less in yours. Make sure you have snacks around that he'll eat but you don't like (if such a thing exists). That way you're not really missing out on anything, and you're not loading him down with junk.

good luck

Mallory Shoemaker said...

I've found that homemade rolls and breads are super easy and filling for the guys. My husband loves food too, meats and filling meals with "more than one thing in it" as he puts it, haha. Veggies are great fillers, and when I can I use them as the main portion of the meal and not just basics like corn and peas, but "random" ones like cabbage, brussel sprouts and anything else I can find on sale.

I also stumbled across this great website while surfing around one day: http://thepioneerwoman.com She uses quite a bit of butter, to be sure, but that can be adjusted for. Everything I've cooked for my man from her site he has LOVED! She really cooks with her man in mind, (:

Hope this helps even a little, love reading your blog!

-Mallory

Anonymous said...

Stews, chili, anything with beans, chickpeas, lentils? Veggie fried rice?

Ayashi said...

Stir fry can be great! While my husband and I don't have any "no meat during the week" rules, we sometimes still won't bother with it in the stir fry because it is already delicious without it :) Rice + eggs + any veggies you like + some soy sauce... so yummy.

Anonymous said...

Hey there --

I totally understand your dilemma on not being much of a cook or being able to make it taste as good as restaurant food. My husband and I are slowly learning the ways of the kitchen as we go. We used to eat out A LOT but it does get so expensive, not to mention the unhealthy aspect of it! We've got a few staples we've come up with to make, but we're trying to learn more.

I thought I'd point you to a friend of mine who has a blog. She's been doing what she calls "Real Food Boot Camp" for several weeks now. She posts tips on eating healthy at home, ways of doing it on the cheap, meal planning (including veggie eating), and a lot of other information. Maybe you could find some useful information there.

Her blog: http://www.betweengirl.com/

Hope that helps!

-- Sara (@aliasbob)

Sunflowers said...

Thanks so much for the comments and tips everyone!!! :) I checked out those two blogs - they look great! I'm looking forward to doing some cooking this weekend (trial run... ;))

Jenna said...

Start practicing easy meals and your deliciousness will improve, but you got to start somewhere. As for fattening the boy up, mayonnaise, beer and peanut butter. On everything or with anything. You just make sure to avoid it (unless your meatless week days have you way down on protein, then have some peanut butter).

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