Do you interfere with your DH's diet?

[sharond101]

DH is 32 and has a lousy diet IMO. Today he has had (that I know of!)

Breakfast: large bowl crunchy nut cornflakes with glass of milk
Snack:banana
Lunch: 2 slices seeded bread with bbq chicken and mayo + packet crisps + no sugar squash
Snack: chocolate biscuit + glass of milk
Snack: another packet of crisps
Dinner: Turkey mince withe vegetables served ontop of nachos and salad + sugar free squash
Snack: another packet of crisps

I got on at him tonight for eating so many crisps (he said he was hungry). He isn't into fruit or vegetables except bananas. If I put them in his lunchbag I find them decomposing in the car or in a bag someplace weeks later. Am I right to nag? How can I help? Do you nag your OH?

Ask him to have his doctor check his cholesterol.
That diet is shocking.
Does he drink alcohol?
He's headed for heart disease or diabetes. Is he overweight?
You can't force him to change his lifestyle. Only he can do that. But only healthy snacks in the house.

Agree - I wouldn't have crisps in the house. If he has to buy a packet each time it should slow down crisp consumption.

But I have to say that I do have some control over what my dh eats as I do all the cooking at home.

My DH has a terrible diet. But he is a grown up and I will not dictate to him what he eats. He makes his own dinner since he will rarely eat what I eat. He is aware of the risks to his health (as am I when I drink and smoke but he would never tell me what to do there) and I knew his diet before we got together (we were friends first) so who am I to start bossing him around?

Your DHs diet is better than my DHs!

I do the cooking so we always have a balanced evening meal. He is not overweight although he is getting a bit of a wobble around his middle he never had before. If I don't buy crisps he will simply buy them or eat something else. I feel need to get him on board with this as a consciuos decision to look after himself. He doesn't drink at all or smoke. His Mum has type 2 diabetes and heart problems so that is a risk factor.

I don't think that diet is too bad although his sugar levels are rising and dropping dramatically throughout the day. Obviously very high in refined sugar and salt. Can you persuade him to eat porridge for breakfast or egg on toast rather than crunchy nut crap? Don't buy cereal, crisps or choc biscuits. Do you like to bake? Maybe some oat flapjacks, savoury biscuits or muffins (add apples or blueberries) in the lunch box.

I think you will have to intervene, especially if he is overweight round the middle, smokes or drinks. My DH has pre onset Type 2 diabetes and it came as quite a shock to us as I thought our diet was good and he exercises regularly.

I would be furious if anyone criticised my diet (which is rather like the OP's DH's diet except I drink alcohol - doesn't sound too bad to me ).

Your DH is an adult, he can make his own choices, it sounds terribly controlling to comment on someone's else's eating habits unless they have asked for advice.

My DH is very fit and healthy, I am not; he probably would prefer it if I was healthier but he wouldn't dream of telling me how to live my life. Can you imagine the comments on Mumsnet if I came on here saying 'my DH is telling me what to eat'.

Yep, I totally interfere in DH's diet. I don't need to much anymore, but when we first got together he wouldn't eat ANY fruit, vegetable or salad. Nothing, except chips or roast potatoes - his diet consisted of pizza (with no veg on), pies, chips, pasta, sausage rolls - gross!

I started making pasta sauces blended with various veg in them so he didn't know. Like how you do with kids, except I've never had to do that with my son! Then I used to nag him "just eat that ONE bit of broccoli, smother it in BBQ sauce if it helps" (ugh).

Now he eats plenty of veg and salads. He's not a fruit lover, but he'll eat apples every day and fresh fruit smoothies too. He's now got a lower BMI than me and is pretty fit.

Nagging pays off sometimes!

My DH has high cholesterol, I do all the cooking so have obviously had to get involved in that to an extent. One of the first things I did was rid the house of salty snacks which has made a real difference. He does find other things to snack on but literally all there is is fruit now.

But I also have to accept he is an adult and can make his own choices. I can only do what I can do. I do agree about binning the crisps though. And also the nachos.

I bought fruit today I know he likes and made a big deal about how flavoursome and juicy it all is. I would resist buying the snacks but he will buy them for himself at higher cost when he is out and about so I don't see that working at all although am trying the tactic of "When it's gone it's gone" and not buying surplus to fill a gap before the next big shop.

I think the main problem is that he doesn't think he has a problem tbf. You can only control what you can control. You can also try swapping for slightly healthier snacks, eg popped crisps which have less fat. Still have loads of salt though... .

More protein at breakfast may stave off that first pack of crisps?

Oh god yes, I am a food nazi.

I have vetoed biscuits, chocolate, crisps etc from the house. He has porridge for breakfast or toast with Bovril. I bake our own bread (in the bread maker!!) so he has fresh bread made every other day and I make him a sarnie and an apple for lunch. Then dinner will be either something I've made, like a curry, bolognese etc or a packaged freezer meal (less healthy but not desperate). Then he will have a yogurt.

He doesn't criticise my diet as I'm a healthy weight and don't eat junk. I think it's really important to eat well and set an example to your children. I don't plan on having any junk in the house so if my son wants a sweet treat it will be found outside the house or it will be fruit.

Yes but he doesn't really notice. I try not to buy biscuits or crisps, keep the fruit bowl full and on the table. If I'm cooking, I try to add as much veg as possible. Little things but I think they help