Family Food Preferences

Not all of us have the option of preparing meals for just one.  Some of us have to consider our family, friends, roommates, etc. when choosing the weekly menu, shopping, and preparation of meals.  With Chuck living away for work, I must feed myself and our son.  The problem comes in that we don’t all like the exact same foods.  Chuck prefers extra-spicy foods while I prefer only slightly spicy with our son somewhere in the middle.  We each have different nutritional needs based on gender, age, and activity level.  We each have food sensitivities – again, these are different for each of us.  All of this makes selecting ingredients and recipes difficult but it can be done.

I try to set aside some time during the week to search my cookbooks and the internet for recipes.  Very rarely do I find a recipe that I can make as written, I have to make adjustments.  Sometimes it is as simple as using chicken breasts instead of thighs, quinoa instead of rice, or reduced-fat or sodium items instead of the traditional version.  Sometimes a recipe will just spark an idea for an entirely new recipe.

Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Switch up ingredients.  Experiment with new recipes.  Experiment with new foods.  You might just find things that your entire family likes.

If your spouse or child enjoys spicy food, they should add spice to it.  Make it mild and they can adjust it to meet their tastebuds.  

The bottom line: Spicy food can help keep your waist slim and your state buds happy. Enjoy!