Meal Planning Question

babe2331

So I have all these great ideas for things I want to make.  I will often by the ingredients and when I decide to make them, DH will tell me I don't want that tonight and rather than argue, we'll end up doing something else.  If it were up to him, we would eat Tony Luke's every night.  Any suggestions on how to get DH on board with the whole meal planning thing?  I will eat just about anything.  He is very picky. 

jessica0602

My two methods for that are either a) crock pot or b) don't tell him.

With the crockpot, once it's cooking, there's nothing he can do.  And since I get up earlier than he does, once it's on, it's on.

I also am the primary cook because he suuuuuuucks at it.  So I will just make it and say here it's ready.  If he doesn't eat it, he's on his own.  But since we're trying to be budget conscious, he usually eats it.

Kernel14

I'm a very picky eater but I'm also the primary cook so it works out. Why don't you sit down with him and pick out 5 meals for the week that you'll both eat. Then Monday you say "of the 5 which do you want tonight?" then Tuesday "of the 4, what do you want" and if dinner time rolls around and he's changed his mind, he can be on his own to figure something else out. This is pretty much what we do.

erbur78

The mr was a picky eater when we first moved in together. I came from a family where fresh veggies, salads, etc. were the norm. His family liked foods with lots of butter and/or sauces and most vegetables came from a can and were "overcooked" (his words, not mine).  I was not about to make two separate meals for the two of us, so he began to try more dishes and began just enjoying real food more and more.

Now, with us eating a mostly veggie diet, I have learned certain herbs or flavorings that he really enjoys. At the very least, he will try what I make (I attempted quinoa patties one night--they came out messy, but tasted pretty good). His palate has evolved over time and I think he came to the realization that his previous "22 year old man" dinner of 2 chicken breasts topped with bbq sauce was not part of a balanced diet and not sustainable as the sole food in a meal. 

tracyd21

I am the primary cook, and I pretty much make what I feel like eating.  Usually when I'm brainstorming for the week, I ask DH if there is anything he wants.  Most times he doesn't have a preference.  Sometimes I will email him during the day and ask him if he is okay with having X tonight - only because sometimes he ends up having the same thing for lunch that day. 

DH grew up not eating very many variations of food - so he wasn't necessarily picky, but he wasn't exposed to a alot.  Plus, his mom is a pretty lousy cook and doesn't eat very healthy.  I grew up in the opposite kind of household - exposed to everything and would try anything.  When I first started cooking for him, he would be nervous about certain veggies (basically anything besides canned corn/green beans), but he is great about trying stuff.  Usually he ends up liking what I make, but the off-chance he doesn't - there's always PB&J. 

babe2331

Thanks ladies for the suggestions!  I also think part of the problem is with what DH was exposed to growing up.  I get the impression they had a lot of take out and unhealthy meals and then when he was living on his own, it was very easy to just order pizza or go to McDonalds. 

JenD1018

Mr.D doesn't have a choice - he eats what I make or fends for himself

When I was growing up, if we complained about dinner, my mom always used to say "if you don't like it, you can lump it".  Silly saying but sometimes I say it to Mr.D when he scoffs at what I've made.

erbur78

Another angle: The other big thing in our house is food waste. The mr CANNOT stand to throw food out--he views it as putting cash in the trash can.  You may want to talk with your hubby that his not eating the dinners you make equates to food waste and/or unnecessary additional expenses (by paying for take out in addition to your regular grocery bill)

babe2331

Thanks!  In our house, I am the budget conscious one. I always joke if we ever hit the lottery, DH could spend the money in a week. 

Also, when we were growing up, there were no separate meals for us kids.  You ate what my mom made and that was it.  My dad doesn't like things with a lot of cheese, etc. so my mom was very limited with what she could make us, but she managed somehow.