Good morning!

My workout yesterday morning was slightly different than what I normally have on the agenda.

The 6am Bodypump class had a tug of war and push-up competition against the “Slim It to Win It” training groups at the gym I work at.

The Bodypumpers:slim it bodypump competition

Unfortunately, the Bodypumpers lost in the tug of war… 🙁

slim it bodypump competition

But we totally kicked but in the push-up competition!  So, at the end of the competition we were all winners!  It was such a fun way to workout and start the day.

slim it bodypump competition

Today’s post is about something I have been wanting to share with you for a while.
       A question I receive pretty frequently from readers is How do I maintain my healthy eating habits while living with my boyfriend/fiance/husband/significant other?
Eating Healthy While Living With Your Significant Other via Treble in the Kitchen.jpg
As far as maintaining my healthy eating now that I live with my husband…I will start by saying I think I have am pretty lucky in that department because Brian is not a very picky eater and will eat just about anything I make for him.  (not EVERYTHING but MOST things…)

 

It helps us both out when I get lots of healthy things ready on the weekend with my food prep.  We love to have cut fresh veggies, chicken made for Brian’s lunches, some sort of batch meal that will last a few meals, and easy to grab healthy snacks.  If I have that stuff ready, for me it’s easier to snack on when I get the craving to munch and it makes packing lunches a breeze.
Lunch salads
When it comes to meals, I typically make just enough for Brian and I to enjoy.  When I make something really good, Brian doesn’t always like that I make just 2 or 3 portions but I find that it helps me from going back for more when I don’t really need it AND we don’t have a ton of leftovers going bad in the fridge.
 

Also, I load my plate with tons of veggies and then eat the main course in a side portion.  That way if I do want more of the main course or the veggies I’m not overloading.

 

Brian does eat more than me at dinner and he typically enjoys more decadent foods.  To solve this problem, I put his meal on a larger plate and mine on a smaller plate (sometimes).  We will then dress our own salads so he can have ranch while I have a homemade vinegar based dressing and he will often add cheese to a meal or salad for a little extra creaminess.

Here are a couple of “his” and “hers” meals.

 

My dinner:  Zucchini noodles with cashew cheese topped with shrimp and a side salad with red wine vinegar dressing.

Tara's DinnerBrian’s dinner:  Zucchini noodles with cashew cheese and shrimp topped with parmesan with a side salad topped with more parmesan, croutons, and ranch dressing.

Brian's Dinner

Brian’s dinner:  Cauliflower crust pizza topped with sauce, pepperoni, and about three different kinds of cheese.

dinner outside Brian

My dinner:  Cauliflower pizza topped with tomato sauce, olives, kale, and basil.

dinner outside tara

Brian’s dinner:  Citrusy Garlicky Shrimp with brown rice, roasted veggies and a side salad with blue cheese and ranch dressing.

citrus shrimp dinner 1

My dinner:  Citrusy Garlicky Shrimp with roasted veggies and a side salad with a red wine vinegar dressing.

citrus shrimp dinner 2

For this date night we ate the same thing! Halibut with mango salsa, kale caesar salad, and roasted green beans.  Yum!

dinner

When Brian completed his board exams, I made him a special dinner…steak and potatoes 🙂

steak for Brian

While he enjoyed his steak and potatoes I enjoyed some yummy baked salmon and didn’t feel like I was missing out on a thing!salmon dinner

I also try to make sure I have healthier sweet options like Greek yogurt, fruit, and smoothie ingredients on hand so that if Brian wants something sweet after dinner we have single portions that he can help himself to, and I don’t have to have any if I don’t want toBut I certainly can if I DO want to!

 

Another little trick…if Brian does get something more decadent than what I would choose for my meal, or if he gets seconds or has dessert…often times I will literally just have one bite.  🙂  This helps me satisfy my craving for something indulgent without going overboard.
Brian loves a tasty donut treat!!

brian donuts

But we both love fro yo!

march date night 3

march date night 1

At the end of the day, I think it’s important to enjoy your meal time together, enjoy your food, and eat things that make you feel good (mentally and physically!).  I feel that the traditions and daily habits that you develop now in your life together and especially at meal time are going to be the traditions that you carry through when you have kids (if you want to!).

Question on the Day:

  • Do you eat the same thing at meal time as your significant other?
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    • Don’t get me wrong…if Brian was in control he would eat chicken tenders and fries every day too if he could!

  1. I won’t tell you anything new, but it’s just the same with everything in life.
    You’d think history showes us at least anything, but no.
    Hate all you want but the world is changing, and we have no control whatsoever over it.
    E.g., imagine Barack had enough balls to put Putin to his place, but it seems like it’s never happening, welcome third world war.
    A truly inspiring post, thanks!

  2. This is something I struggle with. My fiance is slowing eating healthier (because of an illness), but he’s extremely picky. We’re still trying to find a nice balance so that we don’t have to make 2 completely separate meals. I’m glad your husband will try most things! I’m sure that makes it a lot easier.

  3. I LOVE THIS POST! My boyfriend does not eat vegetables on his own merit, but recently he has tried to eat a salad (his way) almost every day. I used to eat the same things as him and the same size meals and I no longer do that. I add more vegetables and purposefully eat smaller portions than he has.

    • Good for your boyfriend and trying to eat veggies 🙂 And good for you for loading up on veggies!! Not saying that us girls can’t eat as much as guys or shouldn’t, but if it feels better to eat smaller portions and more veggies…then go for it!

  4. Overall, it seems like Brian is a pretty healthy eater too, which is SO nice. I don’t have a significant other to worry about, but I will be moving back in with my parents for the summer before I head to grad school, and I am VERY worried about continuing to eat healthy while I am there. These are great tips!

    • YES! I am so thankful Brian eats the healthy things I make for him 🙂 You will do great moving in with your parents. Just eat what makes ya feel good, and don’t stress too much.

  5. My boyfriend and I do most of these things! Usually his plate has equal parts protein, veggies, and starch, and mine has TONS of veggies, a good portion of protein, and a small amount of starch, if any. He used to request Texas Toast all the time, so I would pop one in the oven just for him. Luckily I’ve weaned him off this habit!

    • Yes! Gotta love the veggies 🙂 HA! Ya know…having the Texas Toast on hand for when your boyfriend wants it is kind of a quick and easy idea!! 🙂

  6. These are all such great tips. John and I do a lot of similar things. I definitely need to be better about taking smaller portions. Since I’m not much of a cook, I always stick to recipes, but that means if it feeds like, 3, we usually eat the whole thing instead of saving just a tiny bit, especially since we rarely have sides. Actually, maybe I should just make more sides. 🙂

  7. Your differences are a lot like Joshua & I’s. Infact, I felt like I was literally looking at meals similiar to ours. Ha Ha! Joshua always needs his ranch & croutons on his side salad too.

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