I hate food

[LottieMary]

Two children under 4. They seem to need to eat early around 5 and my husband likes to eat later around 7-8 so I’m basically doing tea time for about 3 hours a day which is torturous.
I hate food so much. I dislike planning for it, shopping for it, cooking it. I don’t particularly want to eat it - i find myself eating just because ‘it’s mealtime’ and hate the amount of weight I carry (16 stone/5’10) . If I say I’m not hungry it seems to trigger something in husband who’s then ‘really worried’ about me.
im not a great eater; picky, don’t like a lot of variety. I’d happily have pizza or cheese pasta every day but am very concerned about my children picking up habits that make them unwell in some way.

That’s normal for kids to prefer dinner around 5/6. Is there a reason your husband won’t eat until 7-8? Is he at work?

Not going to lie I think if husband isn’t working and is at home he should just eat when the kids eat, seems unfair to expect you to make 2 dinners at different times? If not he can cook it!

Cook for everyone at five and heat yours and DHs later? Get frozen veg, super easy to do and no faff.

I’d cook it all for 5 and then just reheat yours and your husbands later.

Yes don't cook twice if you don't enjoy cooking. Or just have simple dinners in oven for you both like a casserole or something ...so much choice to have as a couple when you don't have to factor in fussy kids ! Get him to help more.

Think of seven meals that you can make and do them on a rota during these years, OP. Thinking about it all is bad enough, never mind cooking it all. Do one thing, like a shepherd's pie, which everyone can have whenever they want to have it. Start a thread on here asking for ideas, then stick the list on the wall and just follow it. It'll make shopping much easier and cheaper, too.

Vaguely what do you eat in a day? Are you snacking and that's why you're not hungry at meal times? Because if you really aren't eating at all and you're still not hungry I'd suggest a trip to the GP.
In the absence of health issues, the obvious solution is to cut out snacking and focus on healthy meals. Hard to start I agree, but once you're into the swing of it you should be properly hungry three times a day and eager to tuck into any food, including the healthy tomato stew you shoved in the oven for you and the kids (DH can reheat his portion later)...

There are loads of people with great healthy super quick meals ideas on here, just ask..

You don't even need to cook every day, just make double portions three times a week, and reheat the second night. And get DH to cook one of the weekend days.

If you're not hungry don't eat in the evening. Or have a small amount.

You're probably eating enough in the daytime.

Make a meal for DC and DH can heat a plate up when he's ready. If he doesn't like that he can sort himself out.

You could eat leftovers for lunch the next day then you know you're having a decent meal each day and also not in the position where you're cooking food that you don't benefit from yourself
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Compromise, all eat at 6/6.30. Kids don't need to eat early and it's really beneficial to eat as a family

Why don't you batch cook some slow cooker or one pot meals one day a week, and reheat for the rest of the week or the next few days?

I hear you, it's constant - making the food, clearing up, planning the meals around all the kids activities, catering for fussy kids, doing the shopping, putting the shopping away, making packed lunches. I'm very serious about healthy eating and it seems the only way to eat healthily all the time is with a humongous amount of effort and planning. With fussy kids you're then also making more than one meal at a time. And to all the posters who say 'don't do it they eat what they're given' ...........no they won't. And I don't want to eat pasta with grated cheese on. So yes I feel your pain but don't have any particularly good advice. Although I would make it all in one go and heat yours and DHs up. At least then you're not clearing up late at night. I also do a jacket potato for everyone one night a week which is an easy meal. I tried Hello Fresh but that didn't work for us for various reasons and seems expensive. You could also try a 'something on toast or out of a tin' for tea. We do that some days that are busy.

Your husband needs to back off and stop pressuring you to eat with his 'worrying'. Your bmi is not in the healthy range, he should be supporting you in bettering your health instead.

Your husband is being a pita. I have lunch at two-ish, I'm k no it eating dinner at 5, even if I could, dont get until 7.

Kids get leftovers of the night before or you cook once and reheat for you later.

I couldn’t eat at 4-5pm either. When the kids were younger I did their dinner for 5ish as I was home from work first, then DH cooked for me and him for 7.30ish when the kids were in bed. It meant neither of us were cooking twice. Let me guess though, he does none of the cooking?
Now mine are a bit older (10, 9 and 5) we all eat together at around 6.30.

Don’t eat when you’re not hungry. Figure out when you like eating and need to eat and eat then. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Ignore anyone who says otherwise, including your DH.

DH can cook for himself if he won’t eat the same time as the children.

I am only hungry in the evening. I either eat with DD and DP at 6ish or just with DP once DD is in bed. I otherwise don’t eat during the day, because I’m not hungry. If DP is hungry outside these times, he fends for himself. Eating when you’re not hungry is the quickest way to overeating, ime. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight (6 stone+) I stopped doing it.

This.

I’d cook dinner once, if your DH doesn’t want to eat at 5 then he can reheat it. No chance i’d be making 2 separate meals

I hate eating that early too. Of you hate cooking, can’t you swap with another chore with your husband? If he’s working late, he can cook double at 20.00 and if you are home earlier then just reheat two portions the next day for the children.

He could always do some of the cooking?

Agree. Though I'd suggest more than 7!
And make meals that can be kept warm/reheated as per other PP.
This was my world for many years too. Then when we all ate together my DD became a veggie and I still had to cook 2 meals most nights.

5pm? Do adults really eat a main meal at 5pm? Can't imagine having an evening meal before 8/9pm

Different people have different schedules. I’m an early riser so I eat earlier. I couldn’t eat at 8 or 9… I’d be up all night, probably with indigestion lol.

This. And if you have a freezer and can batch cook a bunch of them and freeze then that removes all thinking about it for a few weeks

Yes, many do. I grew up eating around 5, many of my friends did. Maybe it’s a regional thing. I’m up at 5, so eat lunch at midday. I’d be snacking all afternoon if i ate late. Plus i’ve got things i want to do in the evening.

Either cook once and he can reheat his later, or you cook for the children and he cooks for you both. You must be eating above maintenance calories to be 16 stone at 5'10, are you not hungry at dinner as you eat most of your food during the day? Maybe have a bigger meal for lunch and then just a small dinner.