Meal planning after surgery with a foodie spouse.

[Hoven 33]

How have folks dealt with eating with family after surgery. Do you cook separate meals? Do you eat a separate times? Do you do your own grocery shopping for specific items? Its just me and my husband. While he is very supportive of my decision to move forward with surgery, I fear that our relationship after surgery surrounding food will be an issue for both of us. He loves, loves, loves to cook. He can spend an entire Sunday in the kitchen cooking. Over the years I've tried to curb his cooking, steering him to cook more healthy meals (and he has) and modifying recipes. He is pretty much on board with all of that, however I'm concerned that my new meal plans may be a hardship. How have you overcome living with someone who loves to cook with after surgery meal planning.

[Babbs 14,681]

What ever he ends up cooking, just eat the Protein and vegetables and stay away from the Pasta, potatoes and rice sides. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be. You will adapt. And he will learn the types of things he needs to cook that both of you can enjoy. Keep it simple. Lean protein and veggies.

[ProjectMe 909]

I am a foodie & love to try new recipes. That hasn't changed after my surgery. The only thing that has changed are the type of recipes I cook now. I am experimenting with low fat, high Protein, bariatric friendly recipes. Mostly found on the Internet, but there are some good cookbooks on Amazon . My family are picky eaters, so I do cook separately for them. But what I've noticed more and more is they are starting to see & smell what I'm cooking and they want to try it . So hopefully I can sway them to the light side over time!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Actually, what I have noticed (as someone who has never cooked and is starting to learn so I can eat more healthy) is that good bariatric-friendly cooking seems more "Top Chef" and less "junk food". If you focus on great flavors and small portions he may be a great asset. I got a good cookbook from Amazon (can't remember the name) that has some gourmet recipes that look really good.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Challenge him to make you the perfect tapas or amuse bouche. Both are forms off small plate meals perfect for a sleeve diet. You don't want bland, boring food you're just eating in smaller portions.

[Djmohr 6,965]

I am with everyone else. I am the cook in the family and my husband eats what I eat for the most part. I sometimes with cook potatoes or rice with our Protein and veggies. I usually will stay completely away from the starch although sometimes I try one fork full. I stay away from Pasta all together because it is one of my triggers.

I also do not make sweets, neither of us need these in our house.

I then use a vacuum seal system to package leftovers in me size portions and freeze them so I can have a quick lunch or dinner another time.

[Sparklingbeauty53 202]

Are you going to support meetings? Bring him along so he is prepared for what people face. If he is into this with you he will adapt nicely. There is a gentleman in my support group who had to take over cooking as his wife had complications and he was sharing recipes with us and giving us advice-and he is a comical guy. he cooks all meat at 17 minutes, no longer so she doesn't get sick and it is working for them. If he supports you he will adjust. Have him make homemade chicken broth and freeze it-homemade is so much healthier and tastier!

[Elode 8,093]

@@Hoven I've turned in to a "I don't care" person when it comes to food. I use to call my husband everyday at work and ask him what he wanted for dinner, either cook or plan take out. Now I don't call anymore. He calls me and I always say the same thing "I don't care" I'm not going to eat it anyway. Ha! I eat I just don't eat hardly anything they eat. I still cook for them though. I'm one of the few who doesn't have hunger so food is of no interest to me anymore. Even when we go out to eat I don't even order any thing I just eat a few bits off the family's plate and I'm good. It takes some getting use to. Eating out was always a big deal in my family, I will go with them just to be with them but the food is not anything I care about. I freaking love it though! It's amazing when I think about how I Use to be about food and how I am now. It's a miracle!

[Hoven 33]

Thank you for all your replies. Hearing your responses about eating anything just not much is also helpful. I guess I'm trying to wrap my head around not even have the desire. I also realze that I've been heading down the "I don't care" path for a while as I don't care what we have now because what ever I eat or don't eat now isn't making a difference. I haven't been to any support groups yet. I'm very new to the idea. I've been to an information session and I have my first consultation for WLS this week. Due to insurance I won't be having surgery til June. So, I'm on my way to planning. Thanks.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Hoven

[Wynnie 186]

I am the cook in my family and I love to cook. I have incorporated almond flour/meal when I make chicken cutlets, I make only enough rice, potatoes, etc for my husband and sons to ensure there isn't enough left for me, I have my family test the Pasta vs me as pasta is a trigger and I won't take even one taste. When I make pasta I always incorporate meat, either ground or pork, ital sausage etc this allows me to eat the meat and not the pasta, and my family loves the meat as well. I have begun adding different spices that I never tried prior, as well as steaming fresh veggies in a microwave steamer, so now we are all eating a different variety of veggies and textures. I can't lie the first few months were very hard, but now it's second nature.

[Hoven 33]

Thanks, this is making me feel better. We both like to cook and we'er already limiting our carbs. And due to my insurance, I've got 5 months to further make adjustments now. My husband is on board so that isn't an issue, but I also know we'll have to make compromises. Funny thing is his grandparents had a regional Pasta manufacturing facility. They are no longer in the business, but as you can guess, Pasta is in his DNA. But as you said, let him eat pasta and I can eat whats goes on the pasta.

[Wynnie 186]

@@Hoven, a wonderful Pasta alternative is spaghetti squash or thin sliced lengthwise zucchini and then slice that slice into 3 lengthwise segments, thus making a butter noodle width strip then steam them and add sauce, stroganoff, etc. I find this really helps me feel like I am partaking in the real deal, and my family also likes it as a side dish. I've learned so much since my sleeve! I am not a Biggest Loser fan HOWEVER Bob Haper's cookbook has a slew of high Protein, low carb easy meals, and many of my carb alternatives are from there.

[Wynnie 186]

The name of the book is Bob Harper's Skinny Meals. I bought it as an Ebook for approx $10 and I read the receipe from my iPad

[drmeow 323]

You can buy a http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Julienne-Protector-Stainless/dp/B0000CEWJD/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1422894639&sr=8-11&keywords=julienne+vegetable+peeler Julienne peeler, or they also make something called a Spiral Slicer, to make your "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) I've been using one for a couple years doing Atkins.< /p>

[Wynnie 186]

I am going to look for this spiral slicer now, thanks!