Help extremely picky husband, need ideas

[jacquelinejoel]

I need help in finding some recipes and lunch ideas to accomidate my husband. He doesn't like almost all sauces except alfredo, marinara (can't be chunky), bbq sauce and teryaki sauce. He doesn't even eat mayo or any thing, everything is dry. Finding recipes is about impossible, since I would have to omit about everything. He only eats corn and green beans for vegetables, not even lettuce. All the recipes I seem to find have all most all onion or pepper or some veggie he would never touch. I need to cook healthier for him I just don't know how. I feel bad that he has to eat the same dry sandwich, yogurt and crackers for lunch everyday at work for the last few years. Any ideas would be sooo much appriciated.

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by jacquelinejoel

I need ... ideas ...

I say get New husband, the one that will appreciate and enjoy what you are cooking.

P.S. You can tell him I said so.

[jacquelinejoel]

tell me about it.... he's an awsome guy besides that.

[NancyG]

I'm pretty picky as well - although not THAT bad :) So, maybe he likes the same 'dry sandwiches' that he eats every day. If he's picky and that's what he likes, that's what he likes. Ask him if he'd like something different and if the answer is yes, maybe he can offer up some suggestions. Pulled pork BBQ sandwiches are yummy - maybe put the pork mixture in a tupperware container and he can add it to a warmed kaiser roll at work - that way it won't get soggy. Stir fried green beans and beef in a teriyaki sauce over rice. It's kind of difficult to cook without onions. Try mincing them up really fine before sauteeing them - I don't think he'll even notice :)

[Shunka]

I'm with CharlieD!!!! My son-in-law was bad (but not as bad as your hubby with pickiness) 8 years ago when we first met him (before he married our youngest) and now he has become more open to try new foods. If your hubby "won't" try new things than let him eat the same old stuff while you enjoy what you want. Eventually, he will get curious and try some of what you are having. Just don't deprive yourself!!!! Marriage is compromise in all things; those that don't or won't don't know what they are missing!!!

[jkath]

Here's a thought - what has his doctor said about his lack of vegetable intake? Perhaps that would be a good shove in the right direction.

Other than that, have you ever considered making a marinara sauce that you've cooked many veggies into (and then put them into the food processor till they are smooth)?

As for onions, does he not like the flavor, or is it because he gets stomach issues afterward?

Does he like eggs? Perhaps a lunch of a couple of hard-boiled eggs might be a nice change.

As to the mayo question - does he hate it, even when it's disguised?

Don't worry - we'll come up with some good ideas for you!

[jacquelinejoel]

I know, he's pretty extreme in pickiness. As far as veggies, I always cook veggies with dinner, we just eat a lot of green beans and corn and potato's. If he has any inkling of an idea that there is onions or anything else in something he wouldn't touch it. He's not rude about it or anything. There are certain things that he won't eat together, like green beans and beef in teryaki sauce on rice. I think that sounds great but, lets just say he didn't even eat pizza until he was in highschool because he "new" he wouldn't like the sauce.
Thanks for the advice.

[TATTRAT]

I wouldn't feel bad about him eating the same ol dry sandwich, it is his choice.

I would make what you want to make, and if hes doesn't want to eat it, oh well. Force him to expand his palate. It can be a loooong life together if you are constantly having to cater to only his needs. I had the same problem with my finance when we first started dating, 5 years ago. Now she will eat anything or at least try it.

[BreezyCooking]

It can be hard living with a "challenged" eater. My husband hasn't eaten any red meat or red meat products in 35 years. Not ANY. So we eat vegetarian, poultry, & seafood, but even then he doesn't care much for certain fish like Bluefish or Mackerel. He also doesn't like onions or celery.

I cater to him as much as I can, but only to a point. I LIKE onions & celery, & lets face it, there are very few recipes that don't call for some onion. What I do is buy sweet onion varieties, chop them small, & cook them down. If they're not cooked down enough & he picks them out, so be it. I really don't care. I do the same thing with celery.

Your husband, however, sounds a lot worse than mine. Mine is very good about eating pretty much all vegetables, & with his "no red meat" edict, we probably eat a lot healthier than a lot of people. And he has absolutely no problem if I feel like having a steak or lamb or something. He just cooks for himself. He's really very accomodating.

If I were you, I'd just start cooking what "I" wanted to eat, & hope that my husband grew up from the "little boy" he obviously is & at least start wanting to try different things. It really is juvenile to not even want to try different vegetables - I mean, he's not going to die - lol!!!!

When my brother & I were growing up, my parents were very adventurous cooks. While they never forced us to finish anything we didn't like, we absolutely HAD to taste something before we decided we didn't like it. That was non-negotiable. It was a strict rule that "you can't just decide you don't like something without tasting it". We both grew up enjoying pretty much everything the planet has to offer, thanks to my parents.

I have to agree with Tattrat - cook the healthy foods that YOU want to eat. If he doesn't, he can pick thru & eat what he wants or cook for himself. Life is too short for that kind of nonsense.

[Franca]

When my brother & I were growing up, my parents were very adventurous cooks. While they never forced us to finish anything we didn't like, we absolutely HAD to taste something before we decided we didn't like it. That was non-negotiable. It was a strict rule that "you can't just decide you don't like something without tasting it". We both grew up enjoying pretty much everything the planet has to offer, thanks to my parents.

This is what my parents did and I am so grateful! We always had to take "two polite bites" of anything on our plates before deciding we didn't like it, so I grew up trying and liking almost everything. I will still try things I think I don't like (though if it's one of the two or three things I really hate I may wait seven years before I try it again, LOL). I was born and raised in San Francisco and my parents started taking my sister and me out to eat at restaurants (Chinese, French, Italian, etc.) from a very early age. My parents were also fairly health-conscious so I was fed mostly fresh things rather than a lot of stuff out of cans.

I have encouraged my husband to try things since I met him and he is now almost as adventurous as I am when it comes to food. But I know plenty of men who unfortunately wouldn't be as open to changing their ways as my husband has been.