Topic: No control over menu?

[Shandon Bowden]

I'm 17 and still at home with my parents. I have zero control over the menu, and my mother's concept of "home-made" is to add Lowry's to Hamburger Helper. The rest of my family believes that "healthy food" is putting a leaf of lettuce on a burger. Do you guys have any tips on what I should do in this situation?

[Jake Vigil]

Offer to make dinner!

[Patrick Yang]

What Jake said.  Learning to cook is a skill that takes time to train, but it gives you great control over your diet.

If need be, get a job to buy healthier stuff.


EDIT: Cooking is manly and impresses the ladies.  Learn how to do it by starting here.

[Shandon Bowden]

Offer to make dinner!

I have tried, and, apparently, the only acceptable forms of me cooking dinner is for me to prepare a boxed meal. In fact, two nights ago, I offered to make dinner in an attempt to use some of the tastier sounding recipies found on this forum (specifically the Parmesan (sp?) Chicken or the Chicken Stir Fry), however, as I tried and failed to get the permission to make these, my mother actually said to me "Look, the only way you're cooking dinner is if you're preparing something that's already been cooked."
....yeah

And as for this:

What Jake said.  Learning to cook is a skill that takes time to train, but it gives you great control over your diet.

If need be, get a job to buy healthier stuff.


EDIT: Cooking is manly and impresses the ladies.  Learn how to do it by starting here.

I do know how to cook, I'm pretty much the chef in  our house. When my parents leave for business-related vacations (my mom used to win all kinds of trips for two due to her being such a perfectionist in her job), I generally do all the cooking, and I rarely ever use boxed meals. We have tons of cook books in our house, ranging from Rachel Ray stuff to cook books older than I am bearing the title "New Cook Book". Thanks for the advice and the article though. At this point, I think I'm going to have to just skip their dinner and make my own. I think that's permissable in my house...

[Chris Salvato]

Is your mom home all the time?  Just cook when she isn't there...or make your own dinner like you said.

If it is that important to you (and it should be) go to the grocery store yourself to get your food with your own dime.  It will suck for a while, but hopefully, after a short while, your mom will see you are serious and lighten up.

You should let her know a few things, too:
1) A lot of kids your age cook
2) A lot of people know that food taht is pre-prepared is less healthy.
3) A lot of Moms would actually LIKE their kids to cook once in a while.
4) Fancy my article up in a word document -- I may even do this for you.  Add pictures and tell her its from a "credible source" with "lots of experience".  Granted, I am not trying to say I am all knowing or powerful but in persuasion you want to make people think these things come from an unquestionable authority.

Some ideas, I hope they work.

[Muse_of_Fire]

These are all great suggestions. It may be easier to effect a large change by starting with something smaller. Eat dinner with your family, but always fix yourself a salad with some kind of animal protein source in it (chicken, tuna, etc.) to go along with the family meal. That way you'll eat less of the boxed stuff and more of the good stuff, and also the good stuff you are buying for yourself will cost less than if you were buying good stuff for a whole meal for yourself from scratch. Perhaps your change will help them change, and within a few months you'll all be eating healthier.

[Shandon Bowden]

Thanks for all the help guys. It was actually quite simple in the end. XD All I did was replace the batteries in the scale, and now my mom is back in uber-diet mode. I think I'll be using these recipes quite often now, thank you!

[Bret [Soundcrafter]]

Thanks for all the help guys. It was actually quite simple in the end. XD All I did was replace the batteries in the scale, and now my mom is back in uber-diet mode. I think I'll be using these recipes quite often now, thank you!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Well done, sir!

Another side note, about $20-30 dollars of my paycheck goes to groceries to supplement what my family buys. If having a job is viable for you, you may want to look into it. Just (as a general rule) don't eat the food from your workplace. It's usually gawdawful for you.

[Shandon Bowden]

I'm looking into a job now so I can afford my own good stuff. My mother has the willpower of a pig faced with a trough of food, so the diet isn't going well for her, but I'm doing okay I think...Next question. My dad recently found out he's diabetic and needs to eat stuff with lots of dietary fiber and whatnot, but carbs are bad for him. Should I follow his eating patterns (IE looking for stuff with high dietary fiber and low carbohydrates) or should I do something else. I just wonder because it would be so much easier to stay faithful to a diet if I just have to follow what my father does. Thanks for all your help!

[Patrick Yang]

Even if your dietary goals are different from your father's, it's a good idea to control one's insulin, which I assume in included in the dietary goals of most type II diabetics.  (If I'm wrong on this, one of the fitness gods will correct me.)  It's a good idea to read up more on insulin, starting with the article I linked.  You'll be doing both yourself and your father a favour.

[Bret [Soundcrafter]]

He's right. Maintaining a decent insulin level is something EVERYONE should do, not just athletes. High fiber is good, low carb is better.

[Patrick Yang]

High fiber is good, low carb is better.

Erm, not exactly low carb.  Just understanding how carbohydrates work, how carbohydrate sources interact with the body and other foods, and so forth.  Low caloric density, low GI carbs generally allow for better insulin control than do things like bread or rice.

[Shandon Bowden]

Even if your dietary goals are different from your father's, it's a good idea to control one's insulin, which I assume in included in the dietary goals of most type II diabetics. 

Erm...I'm not sure if it's very important to the discussion, but my father isn't type II I think he's just on the verge though. Pretty much all the doctor's making him do right now is watch his blood sugar and stuff. He's on heart pills though if that has any relevance. He's got high blood pressure (Which apparently is to be expected...)

[Chris Salvato]

Poppa mentalstrike needs to lay off the salt and control his insulin.  Pre-diabetics show great results in terms of weight loss and avoiding diabetes by switching to "low-carb" or more "carb controlled" diets.

[Shandon Bowden]

That's what I figured. He's been dropping weight like a bad habit (whihc I guess, technically, it is) and I was wondering if the whole diabetes scare had anything to do with it. Actually..it wasn't the diabetes part that scared him. But the second my doctor said the word "stroke" my father paid strict attention XD All you have to do to get my dad to change his eating habits is to let him know that he could have a stroke....strokes have obliterated most of his side of the family...so they scare the crap outta him...So, then, following my dads diet is definately a good idea?

[Patrick Yang]

So, then, following my dads diet is definately a good idea?

That depends on what the rest of his diet looks like.  So… what's it look like?

[Bret [Soundcrafter]]

High fiber is good, low carb is better.

Erm, not exactly low carb.  Just understanding how carbohydrates work, how carbohydrate sources interact with the body and other foods, and so forth.  Low caloric density, low GI carbs generally allow for better insulin control than do things like bread or rice.

What I meant, thank you.

[Shandon Bowden]

That depends on what the rest of his diet looks like.  So… what's it look like?

Umm...let's see...he eats whatever he wants as long as it's low in carbs and stuff...he's been eating a ton of salad lately...umm, we don't go out to eat as often anymore....I can't really tell you much other than that, I only really see him at dinner...sorry

[Chris Salvato]

That depends on what the rest of his diet looks like.  So… what's it look like?

Umm...let's see...he eats whatever he wants as long as it's low in carbs and stuff...he's been eating a ton of salad lately...umm, we don't go out to eat as often anymore....I can't really tell you much other than that, I only really see him at dinner...sorry

heh...if you only see him at dinner then how are you going to replicate his diet for yourself?  Did you read my article here?  That will get you off on the right track.

[Shandon Bowden]

That depends on what the rest of his diet looks like.  So… what's it look like?

Umm...let's see...he eats whatever he wants as long as it's low in carbs and stuff...he's been eating a ton of salad lately...umm, we don't go out to eat as often anymore....I can't really tell you much other than that, I only really see him at dinner...sorry

heh...if you only see him at dinner then how are you going to replicate his diet for yourself?  Did you read my article here?  That will get you off on the right track.

I haven't yet, but I will do