My mother always told her children that she wasn’t a short order cook & that everyone would eat the same thing or not eat at all. I am so thankful that I was raised to eat what was put in front of me! We want to encourage the same principles in our home, but sometimes it has been difficult with my 6’1″ and 150lb husband who has a super high metabolism and can’t seem to keep the weight on, and my 5’5″ self trying to maintain 120-125 lbs. I have also been trying to pack in the nutrition to prepare my body for pregnancy, Lord willing, without packing on the pounds before I’m evening feeding two!

How do I keep the weight on him without packing it on me? How do I maintain my healthy weight without starving him? How do we optimize our nutrition while we keep our tight food budget in check?

Small adaptations to the same base meal. Everyone eats the same basic meal that I cook, but hubby has a denser version and I have a lighter version.

Here is a real life example from a dinner that we ate the other night:

Base meal: Lemon Basil Chicken and Avocado
For hubby: served on a bed of rice, topped with shredded raw cheddar cheese
For myself: served on a bed of spring greens

The benefit to this is that I am cooking just one thing, but hubby’s meal is substantially denser than mine. We both get to enjoy the same tasty dinner, but mine is a lighter version. I don’t feel deprived, because I am still eating all of the spices and flavors that he is eating.

It is a usual occurrence for me to fill my man up with healthy, dense & frugal real food on top of a portion of the base meal. Multiple portions of the base meal can be expensive, but a single portion of the base meal plus budget friendly dense food is a win-win! Here are the frugal foods I use to keep him satisfied:
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Homemade bread/rolls

These are all pretty bland on their own, but paired with spices and whatever the based meal is (and possibly some chicken broth and/or butter), it makes a hearty, delicious meal! As for myself, I usually skip eating the above list or eat a very small portion. I have found that my body is happier with less grains, but his body does very well with grains.

I also load up hubby on the healthy fats. I will add twice the butter or twice the cheese to his plate. This also keeps the weight on and keeps him full for longer.

Take Home Tips For Read Food Eaters…
To Lose Weight: Cut back on/cut out the grains & starches, eat your meal on a bed of salad greens, eat your healthy fats, cut out/cut back on sugars, increase the amount of veggies you eat, make protein (meat/eggs/beans/nuts) the a larger portion of what you eat than carbs (other than veggies)
To Maintain Weight: Watch your portion sizes, especially your portions of grains and sugars & eat your healthy fats
To Gain Weight: Increase your grains & starches, double your healthy fats, moderate your sugars, increase your fruits/veggies, eat equal portions of protein & carbs

Look for my Lemon Basil Chicken & Avocado recipe soon! I will be sharing not only that recipe, but also recipes for other meals that I have adapted to meet the needs of our individual bodies.

Do you have a hard time balancing dietary needs? What’s your biggest challenge in this area? What do you do to keep your weight and budget in check? How do you balance different dietary needs for different family members?

Shared on: Frugal Days Sustainable Ways