A House Divided: Mealtimes

These days there are so many ways of eating.  Some do Atkins, some do Paleo, some are vegetarian, some are omnivores, have food allergies or intolerance, vegan, solely junk food eaters.......whew! The list is exhausting as it is extensive.  Everyone seems to have a food preference, whether out of choice or necessity.  

In our house, we have two completely different eating styles.  I have severe gluten intolerance and prefer vegetarian.  Now, that I'm pregnant I tend to crave this meat or that sometimes, and if i've only cooked a roast for him I'll probably eat some instead of making two meals.  Dustin is a Paleo follower through and through. Grains (making very few and small exceptions for tortilla chips or onion rings) are out, meat is in, and thankfully most vegetables.  

It can be extremely difficult to manage meals to suit everyone, especially when one of them will whine and complain if there isn't dead animal on the plate, or some rice has been thrown in with the tortilla soup (I'll give you a guess as to who is the whiner).  But thankfully, I've started learning how to make substitutions and compromises to make both of us relatively happy at meal time.  

1. Always have vegetables. You should be having vegetables at every meal anyway, but when you have a house divided like we do, it's crucial.  Even if I just sauté some zucchini, tomatoes and squash, I use that as the base of the meal.  For him, I'll have some chicken or pork baked or pan fried and ready to mix in.  For myself, I'll have quinoa and mozzarella prepared to have a make-shift "casserole".  Or if I'm in the mood for pasta, I'll have maybe a roast in the crockpot and then a huge beautiful salad made, where my pasta and his roast is the accompaniment instead of the main show.
2.     Find substitutions and alternatives.  I have no problem with ready-to-go Gluten Free flour mixes.  Dustin doesn't like all the grains that are in them.  So we found that almond and coconut flour work well for pretty much anything we need to make.  And seriously, fried chicken made with almond flour and spices is amazing!  I'll post the recipe for that later ;)  Finding the substitutions can be quite daunting at first, but that's what Google and cookbooks are for.  It gets easier, I promise.
3. Be willing to compromise.  There are some nights where it's too much effort for me to cook two meals. Or we're down to whatever is in the house and the grocery store is out for a couple days.  I'll have whatever I made him.  Or he'll suck it up and have some Mac n' Cheese (Gluten Free of course) with me.  Unlike Burger King, you can't always have it your way.  Sometimes you just have to find a middle ground and suck it up for the night.
4. Have staples on hand and in the pantry.  Yes, it can be annoying, and with many of us struggling to maintain a budget and get bills paid, the last thing we think of is stocking up.  I certainly don't have a huge stock pile, but even just stocking up on canned goods and dry goods when they are on sale, or buying just one or two extra things when you go to the store each time will lead to a decent stock so you won't have to worry about not having at least something on hand for each of you.  For him, it's ground meat and ready to cook sausages.  For me it's rice, beans and Gluten Free pasta.  Whatever you like to eat, and can have stored for a long time is a good idea to always have on hand.
5. Plan ahead.  I'm not disciplined enough to make meal plans for the week, but I do think a day ahead.  Just taking a few minutes to figure out what's on hand and what you can do for dinner will make a huge difference in lowering stress levels.  You don't have to rush home from work or school thinking about what needs to be defrosted, or wanting to make something in particular then realizing you don't have all the necessary ingredients.
6. Tell them what's up.  I've found that if I just tell him what I'm making for dinner, instead of asking what he wants, it's a lot less headache for me.  Confidence is key.  And he hasn't complained about any of my cooking so far, so I know he'll be ok with whatever is placed in front of him.  If you have a picky eater on your hand (adult or child), firmness is key.  "This is what is for dinner."  Done.  9/10 times, I guarantee they will happily pick up their utensils.  

I won't lie, at first it is very difficult when a house is divided at mealtime. But after awhile, with some (a lot of) figuring out what works and doesn't for all parties involved, things smooth out and cooking actually becomes pleasant again.  And when in doubt, do breakfast for dinner.  Seriously, who doesn't love quiche, or bacon and fruit salad and pancakes :)

Happy Eating