Encouraging your significant other to eat more healthy foods

[Taualumna]

Mr. Tau is a very picky eater. He pretty much only eats chicken, potatoes (mashed or fried), burgers, meatloaf and pasta. Not a lot of fruits or veggies (drinks juice though). Drinks a lot of soda pop (especially Coke...that's where he gets his caffeine from). Any ideas how he can widen his palate?

[tld221]

fruits and veggies are for petite clothes-wearing suckas.

ok, seriously. if you do the cooking in the house, then just change how you cook it.

chicken: fried -->baked, broiled
potatoes: fried --> baked (well theyre pretty starchy, so just cut down)
burgers:beef --> turkey, grill them instead of frying.
pasta: tomato/alfredo sauce-->olive oil and spices. or, use tomato chunks (like in the can, or fresh tomatoes) instead of tomato sauce.

as for fruits and veggies, the only way i eat them is if theyre already cleaned and prepared for me to eat. so maybe its worth the $ to buy fruit/veggies already sliced and packaged.

and juice can be just as bad as soda. let him keep the coke, just throw some water in the mix.

now, if its a fend-for-yourself kinda house, well, he's gonna eat what he wants. and to be really honest, he's gotta want to eat better. you just cant go sticking broccoli and stuff in his face.

(realize that it is almost 2am, and im talkin out my @ss. im not in the best shape and i pretty much eat whatever. so take it how you see it)

[kddani]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Mr. Tau is a very picky eater. He pretty much only eats chicken, potatoes (mashed or fried), burgers, meatloaf and pasta. Not a lot of fruits or veggies (drinks juice though). Drinks a lot of soda pop (especially Coke...that's where he gets his caffeine from). Any ideas how he can widen his palate?

Why you do you want to change him? Maybe he doesn't want to change. You can't make someone change their tastes in food. Take it from a picky eater who is the child of an enormously picky eater father. I've branched out in my own time.

[adpiucf]

Just shame him in public when he orders. Eventually he'll become anorexic.

[tunatartare]

Only try to change his eating habits if you wanna scare him off. Seriously, if you start trying to change this about him, he's going to freak out and think that you're going to want to change more things later on in the relationship and will eventually bolt.

[Drolefille]

Wait, isn't this Mr. Tau... I don't think he's going to bolt

The only solution is make the meals and only the meals. I was another kid raised by a picky father (and a mom who TRIED to get me to eat green things) and I don't eat veggies because he didn't.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Prepare a meal full of healthy foods for him. Give him options of fruit and vegetables and hope he eats them.

[tunatartare]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Wait, isn't this Mr. Tau... I don't think he's going to bolt

The only solution is make the meals and only the meals. I was another kid raised by a picky father (and a mom who TRIED to get me to eat green things) and I don't eat veggies because he didn't.

Some guys might think that if you're trying to change their eating habits now, then later on you're going to try to change things like haircut, clothes, friends, etc. Not all guys feel this way obviously, but some do.

[Drolefille]

I was only suggesting that, while I don't know how long Taualumna and Mr. Tau have been married, I don't think that anyones going to run for the hills over this one

[tunatartare]

They're not married. That's why I suggest she err on the side of caution. Once they're married however, it's a whole other ballgame.

[Drolefille]

My bad!

[Dionysus]

I don't see much wrong with this. I grew up an extremely picky eater, and still am to a degree. My family members (with food) and some friends (with alcoholic drinks, lol) persuade me to try new things. I'm glad that they do, because some of the things I end up liking. And what's any fun to have a boyfriend (girlfriend or platonic friend) who won't try any new things?

Just introduce these foods slowly and make them tasty. Don't give him boiled broccoli w/ salt. Instead stir fry some broccoli w/ olive oil or something and throw some spices in there. Bland shit like oatmeal and apples taste really good with a little sugar and cinnamon.

[Intense1920]

I agree with Dionysus. My Fiance had eating habits that weren't the healthiest. I just slowly introduced some new foods, some he likes and some he doesn't. I didn't force him to eat them and there was other food in the house that he could have. He's introduced me to foods that I wouldn't have tried before as well.

[valkyrie]

Soak fruit in vodka.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

Soak fruit in vodka.

MMMMMMMMMMMM delicious.