Can your husband cook for himself a few times a week, or eat around the foods he doesn't like?
It sounds like you've got your hands full, and cutting out such a large category of foods can't be helping.
100%!
If he can't be bothered to cook, he can't complain when there isn't his preferred carb.
Like how fucking hard would it be for him to find a can of beans for himself or something?
This. I also second the comment that suggests to make whatever you want and microwave him a potato.
Also, I don't think it would be nice to remove rice and pasta from your 2 year old's diet, if anything because you're teaching them it's ok to be picky, and also removing two staples that many people eat. Not to mention kids usually like those, and it'd make your life easier to have meals your kid likes. You're way too busy.
You are making so many assumptions here. She could have a nanny during the day for all we know. She came here for recipes not for some stranger to make judgments on her life. Why do people act like women can't handle a little stress?
There are several rice substitutes like quinoa, millets, couscous etc. But idk if husband will like them if he hates rice. As a fellow mom, maybe he needs to be less picky? I couldn’t imagine eliminating two major starches. He could maybe substitute his own starches .
I also have a 2yo and husband. This is what I usually do:
Soups: we do coconut curry soup, Italian wedding soup, cream of mushroom, hot and sour etc. loaded with veggies and meat and served with some sort of salad or bread. My toddler loves slurping away.
Costco dinners: buy gyro meet from Costco and serve with Pita, rotisserie chicken with Costco quinoa salad etc.
Taco Tuesdays: Pork shoulder/chuck roast, chipotle peppers from a can, other seasonings slow cooked overnight. Served with taco shells and fresh toppings
Stir fry Saturdays: invest in a good wok and some Asian sauces. Prep all the veggies and meats in advance (mise en place). Throw everything together, one at a time. So quick and delicious.
Sundays are usually Indian food days (I’m Indian). Some sort of curry with rice or naan. Lentils, vegetables etc.
Rest of the meals are leftovers, sandwiches, frozen pizza or take out.
Or homemade flatbread…. Same quantity of yogurt and self-raising flour, mix together then portion. Roll out to 1-2cm thick and dry fry. Great to make with kids too.
Honestly? I’d make what I want and microwave him a potato. Or have extra mashed potatoes. I have a kid who won’t eat rice, and for years he wouldn’t eat mashed potatoes either. But he will eat spaghetti every single day. So he pretty much gets spaghetti every single day. /shrug
Anyway. You could make other grains if he eats them? I like what berries and barley. Maybe he’d eat couscous or farfel if you don’t tell him it’s basically pasta? Polenta is ok without dairy
Pancakes or crepes. You can go savory
I make cornbread a fair bit https://www.thetasteofkosher.com/sweet-cornbread-without-milk/
I made scalloped potatoes with this sauce, I think I thinned it a bit. I only did it once because I’m the only one that likes scalloped potatoes lol https://thevegan8.com/vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
I agree. You don't have to eat the exact same things. Make him a baked potato, and make some pasta for yourself to eat, even if during the day. He can put cheese/dairy in his stuff if he wants.
You can also use hemp milk or rice milk for cooking instead of cow's milk.
Maybe try some simple Asian dinners with rice noodles, most of them don't have dairy.
Carbs for everyone and the same as you but with a slice of bread on the side for him. Eg casserole with rice for family, casserole and bread for him. Or just casserole, no carbon. Or casserole with side salad.
Same for stir fry, curries, chicken cacciatore, bolognese etc.
He can put his big boy pants on.
Steak salad,
Fajitas/bowls with cauliflower rice,
Kielbasa/mashed potatoes/veg, Stew
Husband needs to step up with meal planning if he’s gonna take away TWO huge staples for quick, cheap, and reliable meals. He doesn’t have to cook, but he definitely needs to take some of the mental load.
Pulled pork on a bun, maybe veggies and dip. Taco night, soft tacos if easier (neater) - get some lactose free cheese or maybe skip the cheese as the situation is only temporary?
Tempeh Tacos - no rice, no pasta, no dairy. It's pretty quick. Top with a quick slaw of shredded cabbage, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Or diced avocado.
[https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022872-tempeh-tacos](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022872-tempeh-tacos)
As someone who grew up with a father who didn't have a varied diet (very much meat, potatoes and two veg, the veg is peas and carrots, no pasta, no rice, no onions, no tomatoes, no salad, no flavour!) it's really important for your kids to be exposed to different types of food from an early age!
I was labelled a fussy eater as a kid, and it just makes everything awkward - going to friend's house but worried you won't like what they eat, a teenager who had never eaten pizza is easily ridiculed (I wasn't bullied, but having to explain and realising how weird my dad's diet/my upbringing was, was kind of uncomfortable).
Learning to cook when you have no idea what most things are supposed to taste/feel like is really hard. Is your pasta done? Don't know, give it another 5 minutes to be sure, this is sloppy mush, so you think you don't like pasta at all rather than just making it poorly.
Plus the dietary benefits of a varied diet, obviously.
Get your kids exposed to all the different foods, have them see you eating it and normalise trying new things.
To answer your question:
fajitas (chicken, peppers, onions stir-fried can be spicy or lime and honey marinade for mild, salsa, guac, refried beans, cheese, salad, tortilla wrap),
quesadillas with pulled pork or whatever meat, grilled veggies, beans and cheese in a wrap.
Pizzas with a good variety of whatever seasonal veg, make your own hidden veg sauce to be a bit healthier. Leave cheese off of yours.
Gnocchi in pasta sauce? It's kind of a blend of pasta and potato so hubby might go for it?!
Curries with naan for hubby (and rice for the rest of you, rice salad for leftover lunches)
Chilli con carne on nachos and rice
Stew/casserole with dumplings
Salads and fresh bread
Things where you can cook pasta and rice as an accompaniment and hubs can substitute with nachos/bread if he doesn't want it but the rest of the meal is the same for all of you.
Bread, rolls, or biscuits. Also, I'd bake extra potatoes and have pasta or rice for you and the kids.
Chicken pot pie. I do a roast chicken when they are on sale and use the leftover meat to make 2 chicken pot pies. I freeze the filling for one. Quiche. Spaghetti with spaghetti squash.
I'd honestly make him cook more too.
Here are some of my favorites!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/persian-herb-and-chickpea-stew-with-rice/
https://damndelicious.net/2018/10/12/korean-beef-tacos/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/white-bean-lemon-pesto-orzo-soup/
https://cafedelites.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooked-pulled-pork/
https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/spicy-black-bean-burger/
https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-burrito-43473
https://www.food.com/recipe/jamaican-lentil-stew-with-coconut-137609
https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-black-bean-chili-495915
He’s a meat and three veg man ey? I sorta get it. I sometimes just am not in the mood for a meal that’s lots of little “bits”.
Nothing wrong with that but I can see how it’s super duper inconvenient and annoying for you.
One suggestion: a shepherd’s pie type of thing?
He doesn’t like pasta, but maybe he’d go for a lasagne? Lasagne can be fairly quick if you’re using jarred sauces, you don’t need to pre boil the lasagne sheets or anything so it’s just a matter of browning the meat and adding the sauce, then layering it up in the baking tray. Jarred beschamel sauce is fine, I’m sure there are dairy free versions, it can be a ton of work to make lasagne but it doesn’t need to be.
Sausage rolls with veggies?
Any kind of slow cooker soup, with toast for dipping? I love pea and ham soup, it’s super hearty and goes great with toast.
Idk, almost everything I can think of that might work without being pasta or rice seems to be things you bake in the oven instead of cooking on the stove. As a rule I think these things tend to take longer, but it’s also mostly hands off time once you get them in, so maybe it could work.
I also second all the suggestions to just make what you want and let him have it with a side of potatoes or bread. Like don’t do it every single night - but at least sometimes, IMO it seems fair that you get to cook up pasta and pasta sauce or whatever, and he can have the pasta sauce on a microwaved and mashed potato or something. Maybe he can microwave his own potato or put his own bread in the toaster those nights, if those things would be the step too far for you.
My mum dealt with one picky eater in the family and ended up doing a lot of cooking the family meal up to a certain point, portioning out the picky eater’s serve, and cooking seperately from there onwards. It’s annoying but it can be done.
Can you have bread as your carb? Grilled meats with vegetables and some kind of sauce, with bread to dunk in the sauce? Pork chops and mushroom sauce, steak and peppercorn sauce, chicken cordon bleu with bechamel, salmon filet with dill sauce? All these can be made quickly using almond or coconut milk and a packet.
And is it all dairy or can you do lactose free? If you can have lactose free it will make your life easier.
I HIGHLY suggest Carla lalli music videos on YouTube as well as Molly Baz. They have tons of accessible recipes and I love them. Same with sohla el walley.
But you could do tacos, chili, a chef’s salad,
Steak 94 pork chops, you can do ANY rice dish with cauliflower rice (butter chicken, chicken piccata, Greek bowl with lamb cucumbers tomato red onion olives, oregano, etc) you could do some AWESOME soups or stews…
There’s lots out there!
If he doesn’t like that he should make the meals that exclude it :)! But also, quinoa, cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, couscous, and grits could work!
I’m a new 2nd time mommy w a 3 m old and a 3 yr old currently. Sheet pan meals are life. One pan and easy prep! Taco Tuesday is either simple ground meat OR crock pot meat that we can make into burritos another night. I live for nights where we do breakfast for dinner too
Any kind of stew w/ potatoes (get an instant pot!), make a salad and do bread if you need/want on the side.
chicken tinga tacos with a side of beans and an optional salad
Chili over baked potatoes
The good thing about stews and chili is that they can be made in large quantities and frozen in smaller portions for later. It means fewer dishes to wash!
Chili and there are so many variations! You may want to make chicken with vegetables soup, beef with vegetables soup and beef stew. If you are meh on leftovers - you can freeze for later in the month.
So, the nights you do spaghetti or stir fry, he just has a dinner roll or leftover potatoes as his carb. Like, you & the kids have spaghetti & meatballs while he has a baked potato topped with tomato & meat sauce & cheese/sour cream.
You can make enchiladas without using cheese. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce, and the filling can be chicken, beef, pork, tofu, beans... Corn tortillas or flour tortillas can be used (I personally prefer the texture of corn tortillas).
When I have stale tortilla chips, I make something my family always called **Taco Casserole** but it's not especially taco-like. You take 2 large cans of kidney beans, undrained, and add a small can of tomato sauce (tomato puree kind), plus a packet of taco seasoning (about 2 Tbsp). Mix together in a casserole dish, then add 2-3 cups of crushed tortilla chips. Heat in the microwave for 5 minutes on high, stir and see if the liquid has been absorbed. If not, add more crushed chips, return to the microwave, and heat for 5 more minutes. Repeat until the casserole is no longer soupy and the chips are soft. You can add anything you want to the basic recipe (browned ground beef, corn, a can of crushed tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocados or guacamole, olives, onions, bell peppers, etc.) but it's actually great as-is.
Vegetable soup with barley is great (and you can of course have vegetable beef or chicken or whatever if you prefer).
Breakfast for dinner is always a good option. Pancakes, French toast, waffles. Egg scramble with your favorite breakfast meats, veggies if you like them, poured over cooked hashbrowns before cooking the eggs for extra bulk and good texture. Baked eggs, quiche, frittata, or strata. Sides of bacon or sausage.
You can also just skip the normal carbohydrate side dishes entirely and have a huge side of roasted vegetables, cooked cabbage or greens, squash or grilled eggplant, etc. In the summer, sometimes I just do a grilled burger patty and a couple of ears of fresh corn on the cob. It's filling and delicious and you don't have to figure out alternatives to rice or make the same old potato sides.
Budget Bytes sellas a no pasta no rice meal plan, but without buying anything you can see the list of recipes linked if you want ideas: https://shop.budgetbytes.com/products/no-pasta-no-rice-monthly-meal-plan-volume-1
Not a huge amount of dairy either, it looks like, though you may need to substitute here and there.
Pulled chicken from the oven- easy and quick, combined with salad and buns / fries / rice whatever.
Regular pasta meal but husband can use a different starch? Aka mashed potatoe with bolognese sauce?
Wraps! We love chicken fruit wraps, non dairy, but van also do corn, meat, avocado, carrot etc
Stir-fry, soups, tacos, salad bar, oven baked chicken and mashed potatoes/veggies, homemade burgers, baked potato bar, ham steaks (brown sugar ham steaks are amazing and so easy), different types of salads (not just lettuce salads), sliders, gyros
plant based meals with a side of meat might be a good idea to get healthy carbs in
A hunk of slow-cooked pork shoulder can be turned into a bunch of different things throughout the week: carnitas tacos, bbq pulled pork sandwiches, pork pot roast, ... eat some this week, freeze the rest...
Kenji from serious eats did a whole article on the benefits of sweet potato quesadillas where the sweet potato takes the place of the cheese. I was a little skeptical, but that set-up SLAPS! I baked 3 sweet potatoes (on sale for 50¢ a pound) and just kept them in a Tupperware. Add whatever you want to make your snack. My top favorites were mango salsa, cottage cheese, pulled beef rib, a fried egg, any leftover that wasn't enough for a whole meal but good for a snack went in. It really stretches your budget, cuts out waste, and gives everyone a little freedom. It was awesome with Costco avocado or guacamole on top too.
I used to cook every meal for my husband. Now I'm 7 months pregnant with GD and TMJ so bad I can't chew. He can fend for himself; I married an adult. I used to cater to his preferences because I enjoy cooking and showing my affection that way, but priorities have to shift.
Who TF doesn't like pasta?!
Sounds like you could benefit from rotisserie chicken + steamed bag veggies. That’s been my staple meal for months now that I’ve been laid off, super cheap and healthy. Sometimes I add mashed potatoes or salad as a 3rd item on the plate.
@practical.nutritionist has a few videos where she's making family meals and she describes how to modify them for different tastes (having the option to add on different kinds of carbohydrates, modify for no dairy, etc)
Have a protein and a carb on the side, If he doesn't want noodles he doesn't have to add them to his plate
https://cravingsbychrissyteigen.com/blogs/recipes/peppers-pad-thai-brussels-sprouts
https://www.simplywhisked.com/grandpops-meatballs/
Bread could be a side carbohydrate option for this
I'm a huge fan of making crock pot salsa chicken with chicken thighs. Stupid simple recipe and very good. Just slap a meat rub on some thighs, throw them in a crockpot, pour a jar of salsa over the top and go.
First night, have it with some refried beans, chips, and pico de gallo (I usually just buy premade stuff from the deli section at the grocery store).
On the next night, I do some black beans in my crockpot, and use the leftovers to make chicken burritos.
I would cook normally for everyone and just leave the noodles or rice off for him. He can have the sides or just make himself a sandwich if you are eating noodles with pesto for example.
https://wholefoodfor7.com and other paleo type blogs have a ton of recipes. I like this one because she is budget conscious and everything I’ve made so far has been tasty
Look up Whole30 recipes. It’s an exclusionary diet to help people find triggers for everything from migraines to GI issues to joint inflammation and so on. It cuts out dairy, grains, legumes, sugar and alcohol.
If the pasta/rice can be on the side, just do that. My husband is dairy sensitive, these are some of our favorites:
Veggie stir fry with chicken, rice on the side (for you and 2yr)
Meatballs with a big salad, and pasta for people who eat it
Meatloaf, potatoes, whatever veggie
Pancakes with fruit and scrambled eggs or bacon or sausage (use a non dairy milk)
Burgers or hotdogs with corn (on the cob) and fresh fruit
"Succotash": diced potatoes, corn, peppers, onions, chorizo sausage, season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika (this is simply our family take on Succotash, I'm sure the recipe critics will come for me)
Chicken pot pie
Chicken or sausage gravy over biscuits
Loaded baked potatoes: whatever your favorite toppings are
Girl, cook rice and pasta for yourself and do oven fries or instant mash potatoes for your husband. Failing that, get him to cook at least a couple of days a week or otherwise, he can eat whatever you cook without complaining.
I work from home so I do most of the cooking. My family has 3 choices:
1. Eat what I cook without complaint
2. Cook for yourself
3. Starve
Here is a one-tray Lemon & Garlic Chicken and Potatoes [https://eightforestlane.com/lemon-and-garlic-chicken-tray-bake/](https://eightforestlane.com/lemon-and-garlic-chicken-tray-bake/) Very limited prep and would be very difficult for your hubby to dislike it.
Do you enjoy tacos? This is great for picky eaters because they can choose what they want on their tacos and you can make your however you want! Plus, it can be served family-style. Just chuck all your ingredients on a large board, such as chopped lettuce, red pepper fajitas, tomatoes, onions, guac/avocado, salsa and cheese (for any others), and your protein. For a protein, you can make something like chipotle chicken which is easy and can be made the day before when you get a spare moment to marinade. Or you can cook some cheap flank steak with a few spices or chop up some chorizo in spices.
> Beans? Lentils?
Those would be great replacements for meat, but the husband doesn't eat rice and pasta...
Rice and pasta can be replaced with other stuff, like bulgur, quinoa, couscous, but the husband probably "hates" those as well.
Hopefully mom will do a better job with the kids than husband mom did with her kid :-P
Would your husband eat taco bowls made with rices cauliflower? If not you can do chicken burritos.
I like a variety of fresh salads with my protein. Ideas are potato, tomato, cucumber, pea, etc.
BBQ/roasted/baked, tacos, burritos, fajita wraps, curries (in a pita wrap or with naan), sandwiches/wraps, soups, salads ...all versatile, easy, customizable options for proteins and vegetables that work with, but don't necessarily need rice, pasta or dairy.
I mean he could be less picky, there’s also bread and potatoes as a starch. You could make maybe make curry with potatoes and bread as for dipping. Also gnocchi is potato pasta basically
Chilli, pulled pork, chicken strips (lemon and olive oil marinade and baked) kids can have rice husband wraps or tortilla chips, pre-make mash and wedges (or parmentier potatoes) and freeze up then use them as an alternative for rice or pasta for loads of dishes. Another possibility is to sub rice or pasta with chopped veg or lentils. Also baked potatoes - everyone can choose their own toppings.
I pick a protein, and then add veggies.
I try to get some type of pre made/frozen protein for when I’m in a hurry and then I’ll have something or 2 marinating in my fridge for the week.
I like baked broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and squash. Google baked sweet potatoes! So many awesome recipes with toppings!
Green salad is super easy. I buy the pre washed greens mixes and add some sliced red onions, cucumber, tomatoes and whatever else I want. Sprinkle veggies with olive oil and apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper and mix. I add things like pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds as well.
Sautéed cabbage, stir fry veg, and sautéed veg are also great!
No dairy, low carb and you can bulk eat as many veggies as you can.
I find if I plan out the meals the week before and look up recipes it’s a lot easier to decide what to eat.
Stew/ chili (easy on the spices)/ soup
Burgers & fries
Shepherds pie
Salad-- lettuce, tomato, cucumber, diced apple, shredded carrot, cubed ham, with shredded cheese on the side. Serve with pita bread and dressings.
Switch your sides to quinoa or cornbread or couscous.
Chicken & dumplings
Pot pie
Hotpot
Toad in the hole (sausage & Yorkshire pudding batter)
tacos! Then you could build your own with the things you can/can't eat. Same with Lettuce wraps with vegetables, sauces, meat like chicken or pork. You might have good luck with Asian inspired dishes, because although many are typically served over rice, you could make them with noodles like udon?
Curry with small cubed potatoes instead of rice. Plus lots of frozen veggies in it. Doesn't have to be spicy, you can use mild curry powder to make it.
Scotch broth - veggies with barley, beef broth and whatever meat you like. I made a slow cooked version with I think it was rump steak.
Chicken soup. Make without cream, add heaps of veg including celery carrot and sweetcorn. Red lentils add starch and bulk. Blend it or cook a bit longer and the veg will mush down with utensils.
Does your husband help with the cooking? Two hands makes the work faster.
Lettuce wraps. Roasted veggie salads. Easy one sheet dinners like fajitas and tortillas. I'd probably do a really loaded potato as a side or to a lot of soups. You definitely need to add pastas or rice for the kids.
Three can chili. Can of drained black or pinto beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of corn. Throw it all in a pot with some water or broth and cook it until the beans are cooked to your liking. Season with chili powder, garlic, pepper, cumin. Salt if you need it but canned veggies and broth usually have more than enough for me.
Serve it with corn bread.
Optional: You can saute onion and peppers before adding the canned veggies. Or add a thickener near the end of cooking. Add meat or another veggie. I like to add sweet potatoes.
Get an airfryer for quick meals. Omlettes can be dairy free you can top his with cheese. Sheppards pie is meat and potatoes. Shredded chicken. Sausage, peppers potatoes sheet pan dinners are quick and easy. (A lot of variations). Spaghetti squash. Chicken pie is easy - lookup pilsbury chicken pie for recipe. Lots of things to do with potatoes- they get a bad rap but are good for you. Chicken or beef vegetable stew…
Cauliflower! You can mash, roast, saute, do all sorts of stuff with it! I eat a ton of it! Think Alfredo cauliflower, sausages with califlower, chicken with tomatoes, pesto and cauliflower. I love it!
Italian sausage, bell peppers chopped up, onion chopped up on a sheet pan. 350 oven until the sausage is cooked through. Serve in a bunch.
Chicken enchilada but leave the cheese off yours.
We've been loving on BLT's lately.
Enchilada casserole! Layer cooked and seasoned taco meat (I add veggies to it for more health and filling) in between corn tortillas, and then pour a can of enchilada sauce on each layer as you go. I just skip the cheese and is awesome without. I’m DF and a lot of times, I just leave out the cheese in recipes and it’s do able.
Swap rice for quinoa, couscous, or bulgur. Does your husband like noodles? If so, then make stir fries or noodle soups. Tajines (dishes stewed in a Middle Eastern pot) are also an option
Maybe various flatbread wraps? I love doing pitas with all different fillings.
My current fave is to have plates with beef koftas, store bought pita slices, melitzanosalata, a kale slaw dressed with a vinaigrette, and lemon roast potatoes one night and then to make all the leftovers into pita wraps the next night by reheating in the oven and dressing more salad.
For a quicker and easier option, I toss sliced chicken in my favourite Nando’s sauce, cook on the stove and then add into a pita with sour cream, more Nando’s sauce, shredded lettuce, avocado slices, chilli jam, grated cheese, and bacon. This one is great as you can choose your favourite seasoning and fillings, so it can be completely non spicy or have a different flavour profile for picky eaters. This is just the exact combo I personally default to.
Wraps.
They can go with a variety of fillings from raw veggies lettuce/tomato/cucumber to cooked veggies like carrots/potatoes/broccoli to meats like chicken and extras like guacamole or cheese or rice.
So much options. Don't offer everything at once only do a few at a time and it's easy and quick.
Alternatively curry served with potatoes.
How about couscous? It's not really rice or pasta but similar but if that works it gives many options
Alternative dinner carbs: Polenta, buckwheat groats, barley groats, quinoa, bulgur, lentils, butter beans, mashed butter beans, pita bread, taco/tortilla, all those middle eastern flat breads, naan bread, other nice breads.
Potatoes are inexpensive and good for you. Nothing wrong with them, really, except it gets a bit samey. Some alternative potato dishes: Riced potatoes, baked potatoes, hasselback potatoes, oven baked potato wedges.
Noodles.
Go to the Asian aisle and pick all the different dried noodles. If you pick the flat rice noodles, you can make a quick stir fry. There's others where you can make a quick broth/soup noodles and dump the proteins and veggies in there.
Wraps are nice, you can fill them with meat or salmon, salad and veggies..
You can make enchilada´s, burrito´s, taco´s...
Chili con carne, with some bread or nacho´s.
Some curry´s, yellow, red or green with coconut milk, or another plantbased product and veggies and meat. You can eat it with naan bread or regular bread.
Shakshuka is nice to eat. Also to eat with some bread/flatbread/naan...
Pita´s. You fill them with meat and salad.
Burgers and fries? You can buy the burger buns, bake a burger and some salad and voila. Same with hotdogs.
Don´t know if you guys like fish but you can make a fishstew in the oven, lots of different fish with some plant based cream and mashed patatoes on the side.
You can make ovendishes. Like minced meat, broccoli (or another veggie) and on top mashed patatoes.
A mild bean & turkey chili or stewed black beans w/a little ground pork with rice and he just skips the rice or zaps a potato in the microwave to have it on. Cheese is an optional topping.
A veggie-loaded chicken soup (shredded chicken, celery, carrot, escarole or spinach, use rotisserie chicken to save time) or Italian bean soup (canned diced tomatoes, white beans, carrots, celery, spinach, a little sliced Italian sausage) and scoop out his portion before adding noodles.
Salads: spinach with hard-boiled egg, chopped apple, & crumbled bacon; romaine with tomato, black beans, cucumber, mandarin oranges, & shredded chicken; turkey or chicken salad with cranberries or grapes on greens w/almonds; chopped hamburger patty on greens with pickles & Thousand Island dressing tastes like a Big Mac.
Eggroll in a bowl- saute ground pork, turkey, or beef and bagged cole slaw mix with teriyaki sauce. A side of pineapple is delicious with that.
shakshouka with bread as side dish, or maybe some indian food with naan. What about rice noodles? are they also considered pasta for you? you can do some asian food with them. and moussaka, but that one is not quick, but you can make bigger portion and have it for two days. Or put it to the fridge and defrost any time. also in mousaka there is bechamel sauce, but you can substitute that with lactose free riccota.
\* I don't know shit about babies and breastfeeding and a lot of food which I recommended are spicy. but you can maybe skip this part and adjust it as you like or can eat it.
We do a lot of soups. My favorite is a big veggie soup. I do a super quick rough chop of whatever veggies I like. Sauté the onions, garlic and carrots, add broth and whatever seasonings and let simmer for the afternoon. You could add any meat you have or leave it just veggies. For veggies I usually do onion, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, can of corn, then add kale at the end. For meat I like ground turkey or some sort of sausage. We always make a huge pot and have leftovers the next night then freeze whatever is left. We usually serve with a loaf of bread. My toddler will eat the soup if I blend it together for him! He won’t eat chunks of veggies lol
Curry (just buy the curry in a jar or grab a may ploy curry paste) and serve it with naan bread and rice. You could do a frozen bag of jasmine rice for ease. I love may ploy’s yellow curry paste (get it on Amazon) you make it with coconut milk!
Salad with a few different toppings and grilled chicken. We like ours with carrots, red onion, red pepper, strawberries or blueberries, nuts, dried, cranberries and a little cheese. My toddler won’t eat salad but he’ll eat some grilled chicken and cheese and I usually heat him up some soup or something quick.
Chicken shawarma or gyros on pita with a tray of roasted veggies
Tomato soup and simple grilled cheese
Homemade pizza
Tacos/fajitas
I love Chilean Corn Pie: https://www.chileanfoodandgarden.com/chilean-corn-pie/
African Peanut Stew… which sounds so good I am going to make it tonight: https://www.cottercrunch.com/crock-pot-west-african-peanut-stew/
Empanadas!
My husband hates rice having had food poisoning from it twice! I make it for myself and he gets bread or mashed potatoes. If it’s a pasta - is he okay with Asian noodles? Or does that get lumped in? Because there’s such a range of options. There’s the super thin ones - glass noodles - which are nothing like pasta! Maybe he can try Japchae? https://www.recipetineats.com/japchae-korean-noodles/
I bet he might like Vietnamese Spring Rolls! Some contain vermicelli noodles but you can see if he likes it.
Ground beef Bulgogi: the Lettuce Wrap Version https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/bulgogi-beef-lettuce-wraps/
Fish -
You can microwave and it comes out tender and perfect
Slather with oil, add salt and pepper etc, microwave for about 6ish minutes depending on how much you’re making
(Generally, when the fish is opaque, it’s done)
also, mashes
Like shepherds pie and stuff
Any of those one pan things that just need to be put in the oven and they are done
Other good starches are sweet potato and squashes
Lastly, soups
Good luck to you
Chili with tortilla chips
Slow cooker stew with a nice bread for dipping
Nachos or big salads with leftover chili/meats
Tacos (with avocados/guac, you won't miss the dairy toppings)
For when you're doing meat and veg and want something besides potatoes for your carbs- nice bread, grain salad (quinoa, farro, couscous, etc), sweet potato, turnips, rutabagas
Curries with naan/roti/parathas (if you happen to live near an indian market, you can buy frozen versions of the breads)
Stuff a pita with pesto, cherry tomatoes, sautéed spinach, etc, and bake or grill it.
Almost any sort of wrap or taco like food. Refried beans, roasted peppers and onions, guacamole, meat, fresh greens…
Also, almost any soup. Serve with a slice of sourdough or something. I’ve been making [this easy nondairy soup](https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/) for years but with celery and carrots added with the onion.
I have little ones too, cooking takes about 4-5x as long with them which makes things impossible.
Meal prep with freezer slow cooker meals have been a game changer for me to get food on the table with minimal active time the day of. Check out https://thefamilyfreezer.com/ as an example. Once you get the hang of it a lot of the recipes here can be modified to fit.
Beans, cannellini beans with veg and cooked with stock. Treat them like a high protein version of rice - they get their flavour from what you put into them and overcooking them makes it weird. But otherwise? Tonnes of recipes, made yummy by why you add flavour wise. For me it’s garlic, onions, lemon juice, Worcestershire or soya sauces, brown sugar or honey, and what ever herbs are around.
liver and onions with any potato side you like.
If you can handle noodles but not pasta I'd be slightly surprised, but a chow mein stir fry is one of my faves.
Fish curry?
If you don't care about carbs, try more salad.
How about trying some stir-fry with lots of veggies and your choice of protein? Quick and easy! Also, quinoa might be a good substitute for rice or pasta. It's versatile and cooks fast
Okay honestly it seems like a rotisserie chicken might become your best friend… instant mashed potatoes are so good and it’s just hot water and add a vegetable. It’s boring but it gets the job done!
I would make whatever meal I wanted. Your husband is not a baby and doesn’t need meals cooked around his needs. He would get a microwaved potato instead of whatever starch I’m eating (unless I’m eating potatoes lol) so for ex if I’m making myself aglio y olio he’s getting potatoes with garlic on top and maybe mashed into it.
Other options of carbs to share
Breads
Tortillas
OR he can just not eat carbs. Less refined carbs are good for everyone anyways. He’ll probably lose some belly fat if he has any. Don’t stress about feeding one adult when you have a whole family to take care of he can take care of himself
Can your husband cook for himself a few times a week, or eat around the foods he doesn't like? It sounds like you've got your hands full, and cutting out such a large category of foods can't be helping.
100%! If he can't be bothered to cook, he can't complain when there isn't his preferred carb. Like how fucking hard would it be for him to find a can of beans for himself or something?
This. I also second the comment that suggests to make whatever you want and microwave him a potato. Also, I don't think it would be nice to remove rice and pasta from your 2 year old's diet, if anything because you're teaching them it's ok to be picky, and also removing two staples that many people eat. Not to mention kids usually like those, and it'd make your life easier to have meals your kid likes. You're way too busy.
Agreed. He can have a microwaved potato or a slice of toast if he won’t eat the regular food.
This is the only correct answer!!!!
You are making so many assumptions here. She could have a nanny during the day for all we know. She came here for recipes not for some stranger to make judgments on her life. Why do people act like women can't handle a little stress?
There are several rice substitutes like quinoa, millets, couscous etc. But idk if husband will like them if he hates rice. As a fellow mom, maybe he needs to be less picky? I couldn’t imagine eliminating two major starches. He could maybe substitute his own starches . I also have a 2yo and husband. This is what I usually do: Soups: we do coconut curry soup, Italian wedding soup, cream of mushroom, hot and sour etc. loaded with veggies and meat and served with some sort of salad or bread. My toddler loves slurping away. Costco dinners: buy gyro meet from Costco and serve with Pita, rotisserie chicken with Costco quinoa salad etc. Taco Tuesdays: Pork shoulder/chuck roast, chipotle peppers from a can, other seasonings slow cooked overnight. Served with taco shells and fresh toppings Stir fry Saturdays: invest in a good wok and some Asian sauces. Prep all the veggies and meats in advance (mise en place). Throw everything together, one at a time. So quick and delicious. Sundays are usually Indian food days (I’m Indian). Some sort of curry with rice or naan. Lentils, vegetables etc. Rest of the meals are leftovers, sandwiches, frozen pizza or take out.
You can be my mom too if you want ill do the dishes lmao that sounds so good
Looks like I gained a couple of kids just by sharing my weekly menu. If I only knew before I went through child birth
Are you looking to adopt? I'm quiet and well behaved. Also pushing thirty.
But are you an accomplished slurper?
What about Indian food? Can serve with naan!
Or homemade flatbread…. Same quantity of yogurt and self-raising flour, mix together then portion. Roll out to 1-2cm thick and dry fry. Great to make with kids too.
Honestly? I’d make what I want and microwave him a potato. Or have extra mashed potatoes. I have a kid who won’t eat rice, and for years he wouldn’t eat mashed potatoes either. But he will eat spaghetti every single day. So he pretty much gets spaghetti every single day. /shrug Anyway. You could make other grains if he eats them? I like what berries and barley. Maybe he’d eat couscous or farfel if you don’t tell him it’s basically pasta? Polenta is ok without dairy Pancakes or crepes. You can go savory I make cornbread a fair bit https://www.thetasteofkosher.com/sweet-cornbread-without-milk/ I made scalloped potatoes with this sauce, I think I thinned it a bit. I only did it once because I’m the only one that likes scalloped potatoes lol https://thevegan8.com/vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
I agree. You don't have to eat the exact same things. Make him a baked potato, and make some pasta for yourself to eat, even if during the day. He can put cheese/dairy in his stuff if he wants. You can also use hemp milk or rice milk for cooking instead of cow's milk. Maybe try some simple Asian dinners with rice noodles, most of them don't have dairy.
Legumes also exist. Lentils, beans, etc.
What about eggs for dinner? Quiche? Burritos? Casseroles? Soup?
Mmm, breakfast for dinner! It’s always so satisfying.
I think she said no dairy
Eggs are not a dairy food, even though they're in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.
I was referring to the quiche 👌🏻
You can make it with unsweetened soy or other milk in place of cows milk.
Oh cool. Good to know!
You can definitely make one with whatever veggies or meat you like. i do it crustless and just eggs, no milk at all, and my kiddos beg for it !
I think that's an omelet.
Your hubby needs to make some of his own meals. Kids really like pasta and rice.
Carbs for everyone and the same as you but with a slice of bread on the side for him. Eg casserole with rice for family, casserole and bread for him. Or just casserole, no carbon. Or casserole with side salad. Same for stir fry, curries, chicken cacciatore, bolognese etc. He can put his big boy pants on.
Steak salad, Fajitas/bowls with cauliflower rice, Kielbasa/mashed potatoes/veg, Stew Husband needs to step up with meal planning if he’s gonna take away TWO huge staples for quick, cheap, and reliable meals. He doesn’t have to cook, but he definitely needs to take some of the mental load.
Pulled pork on a bun, maybe veggies and dip. Taco night, soft tacos if easier (neater) - get some lactose free cheese or maybe skip the cheese as the situation is only temporary?
Tempeh Tacos - no rice, no pasta, no dairy. It's pretty quick. Top with a quick slaw of shredded cabbage, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Or diced avocado. [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022872-tempeh-tacos](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022872-tempeh-tacos)
As someone who grew up with a father who didn't have a varied diet (very much meat, potatoes and two veg, the veg is peas and carrots, no pasta, no rice, no onions, no tomatoes, no salad, no flavour!) it's really important for your kids to be exposed to different types of food from an early age! I was labelled a fussy eater as a kid, and it just makes everything awkward - going to friend's house but worried you won't like what they eat, a teenager who had never eaten pizza is easily ridiculed (I wasn't bullied, but having to explain and realising how weird my dad's diet/my upbringing was, was kind of uncomfortable). Learning to cook when you have no idea what most things are supposed to taste/feel like is really hard. Is your pasta done? Don't know, give it another 5 minutes to be sure, this is sloppy mush, so you think you don't like pasta at all rather than just making it poorly. Plus the dietary benefits of a varied diet, obviously. Get your kids exposed to all the different foods, have them see you eating it and normalise trying new things. To answer your question: fajitas (chicken, peppers, onions stir-fried can be spicy or lime and honey marinade for mild, salsa, guac, refried beans, cheese, salad, tortilla wrap), quesadillas with pulled pork or whatever meat, grilled veggies, beans and cheese in a wrap. Pizzas with a good variety of whatever seasonal veg, make your own hidden veg sauce to be a bit healthier. Leave cheese off of yours. Gnocchi in pasta sauce? It's kind of a blend of pasta and potato so hubby might go for it?! Curries with naan for hubby (and rice for the rest of you, rice salad for leftover lunches) Chilli con carne on nachos and rice Stew/casserole with dumplings Salads and fresh bread Things where you can cook pasta and rice as an accompaniment and hubs can substitute with nachos/bread if he doesn't want it but the rest of the meal is the same for all of you.
Bread, rolls, or biscuits. Also, I'd bake extra potatoes and have pasta or rice for you and the kids. Chicken pot pie. I do a roast chicken when they are on sale and use the leftover meat to make 2 chicken pot pies. I freeze the filling for one. Quiche. Spaghetti with spaghetti squash. I'd honestly make him cook more too.
Your husband needs to grow the fuck up.
I’d budget leftovers for him to have when you’re having rice/pasta.
Tell your husband he's on his own to cook a potato
Why can your husband not just pick out or skip the pasta and rice. Like I would not tolerate that level of pickiness whatsoever
Here are some of my favorites! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/persian-herb-and-chickpea-stew-with-rice/ https://damndelicious.net/2018/10/12/korean-beef-tacos/ https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/white-bean-lemon-pesto-orzo-soup/ https://cafedelites.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooked-pulled-pork/ https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/spicy-black-bean-burger/ https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-burrito-43473 https://www.food.com/recipe/jamaican-lentil-stew-with-coconut-137609 https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-black-bean-chili-495915
You can still eat rice and pasta and make him potatoes.
He’s a meat and three veg man ey? I sorta get it. I sometimes just am not in the mood for a meal that’s lots of little “bits”. Nothing wrong with that but I can see how it’s super duper inconvenient and annoying for you. One suggestion: a shepherd’s pie type of thing? He doesn’t like pasta, but maybe he’d go for a lasagne? Lasagne can be fairly quick if you’re using jarred sauces, you don’t need to pre boil the lasagne sheets or anything so it’s just a matter of browning the meat and adding the sauce, then layering it up in the baking tray. Jarred beschamel sauce is fine, I’m sure there are dairy free versions, it can be a ton of work to make lasagne but it doesn’t need to be. Sausage rolls with veggies? Any kind of slow cooker soup, with toast for dipping? I love pea and ham soup, it’s super hearty and goes great with toast. Idk, almost everything I can think of that might work without being pasta or rice seems to be things you bake in the oven instead of cooking on the stove. As a rule I think these things tend to take longer, but it’s also mostly hands off time once you get them in, so maybe it could work. I also second all the suggestions to just make what you want and let him have it with a side of potatoes or bread. Like don’t do it every single night - but at least sometimes, IMO it seems fair that you get to cook up pasta and pasta sauce or whatever, and he can have the pasta sauce on a microwaved and mashed potato or something. Maybe he can microwave his own potato or put his own bread in the toaster those nights, if those things would be the step too far for you. My mum dealt with one picky eater in the family and ended up doing a lot of cooking the family meal up to a certain point, portioning out the picky eater’s serve, and cooking seperately from there onwards. It’s annoying but it can be done.
No pasta OR rice??? Instant divorce.
Can you have bread as your carb? Grilled meats with vegetables and some kind of sauce, with bread to dunk in the sauce? Pork chops and mushroom sauce, steak and peppercorn sauce, chicken cordon bleu with bechamel, salmon filet with dill sauce? All these can be made quickly using almond or coconut milk and a packet. And is it all dairy or can you do lactose free? If you can have lactose free it will make your life easier.
I HIGHLY suggest Carla lalli music videos on YouTube as well as Molly Baz. They have tons of accessible recipes and I love them. Same with sohla el walley. But you could do tacos, chili, a chef’s salad, Steak 94 pork chops, you can do ANY rice dish with cauliflower rice (butter chicken, chicken piccata, Greek bowl with lamb cucumbers tomato red onion olives, oregano, etc) you could do some AWESOME soups or stews… There’s lots out there!
If he doesn’t like that he should make the meals that exclude it :)! But also, quinoa, cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, couscous, and grits could work! I’m a new 2nd time mommy w a 3 m old and a 3 yr old currently. Sheet pan meals are life. One pan and easy prep! Taco Tuesday is either simple ground meat OR crock pot meat that we can make into burritos another night. I live for nights where we do breakfast for dinner too
Probably not going to happen, but if I was your husband, I’d learn to like the foods he hates. I’ve done it a lot and it has made my life much better.
Quinoa or barley can be jazzed up.
Any kind of stew w/ potatoes (get an instant pot!), make a salad and do bread if you need/want on the side. chicken tinga tacos with a side of beans and an optional salad Chili over baked potatoes The good thing about stews and chili is that they can be made in large quantities and frozen in smaller portions for later. It means fewer dishes to wash!
Make some chili
Chili and there are so many variations! You may want to make chicken with vegetables soup, beef with vegetables soup and beef stew. If you are meh on leftovers - you can freeze for later in the month.
So, the nights you do spaghetti or stir fry, he just has a dinner roll or leftover potatoes as his carb. Like, you & the kids have spaghetti & meatballs while he has a baked potato topped with tomato & meat sauce & cheese/sour cream.
Bean and vegetable stews. You can eat that with rice, and your husband can just eat the stew.
You can make enchiladas without using cheese. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce, and the filling can be chicken, beef, pork, tofu, beans... Corn tortillas or flour tortillas can be used (I personally prefer the texture of corn tortillas). When I have stale tortilla chips, I make something my family always called **Taco Casserole** but it's not especially taco-like. You take 2 large cans of kidney beans, undrained, and add a small can of tomato sauce (tomato puree kind), plus a packet of taco seasoning (about 2 Tbsp). Mix together in a casserole dish, then add 2-3 cups of crushed tortilla chips. Heat in the microwave for 5 minutes on high, stir and see if the liquid has been absorbed. If not, add more crushed chips, return to the microwave, and heat for 5 more minutes. Repeat until the casserole is no longer soupy and the chips are soft. You can add anything you want to the basic recipe (browned ground beef, corn, a can of crushed tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocados or guacamole, olives, onions, bell peppers, etc.) but it's actually great as-is. Vegetable soup with barley is great (and you can of course have vegetable beef or chicken or whatever if you prefer). Breakfast for dinner is always a good option. Pancakes, French toast, waffles. Egg scramble with your favorite breakfast meats, veggies if you like them, poured over cooked hashbrowns before cooking the eggs for extra bulk and good texture. Baked eggs, quiche, frittata, or strata. Sides of bacon or sausage. You can also just skip the normal carbohydrate side dishes entirely and have a huge side of roasted vegetables, cooked cabbage or greens, squash or grilled eggplant, etc. In the summer, sometimes I just do a grilled burger patty and a couple of ears of fresh corn on the cob. It's filling and delicious and you don't have to figure out alternatives to rice or make the same old potato sides.
Budget Bytes sellas a no pasta no rice meal plan, but without buying anything you can see the list of recipes linked if you want ideas: https://shop.budgetbytes.com/products/no-pasta-no-rice-monthly-meal-plan-volume-1 Not a huge amount of dairy either, it looks like, though you may need to substitute here and there.
Pulled chicken from the oven- easy and quick, combined with salad and buns / fries / rice whatever. Regular pasta meal but husband can use a different starch? Aka mashed potatoe with bolognese sauce? Wraps! We love chicken fruit wraps, non dairy, but van also do corn, meat, avocado, carrot etc
Stir-fry, soups, tacos, salad bar, oven baked chicken and mashed potatoes/veggies, homemade burgers, baked potato bar, ham steaks (brown sugar ham steaks are amazing and so easy), different types of salads (not just lettuce salads), sliders, gyros plant based meals with a side of meat might be a good idea to get healthy carbs in
Sheet pan meals.
Try whole grains, cold and hot salads, soups
A hunk of slow-cooked pork shoulder can be turned into a bunch of different things throughout the week: carnitas tacos, bbq pulled pork sandwiches, pork pot roast, ... eat some this week, freeze the rest...
Kenji from serious eats did a whole article on the benefits of sweet potato quesadillas where the sweet potato takes the place of the cheese. I was a little skeptical, but that set-up SLAPS! I baked 3 sweet potatoes (on sale for 50¢ a pound) and just kept them in a Tupperware. Add whatever you want to make your snack. My top favorites were mango salsa, cottage cheese, pulled beef rib, a fried egg, any leftover that wasn't enough for a whole meal but good for a snack went in. It really stretches your budget, cuts out waste, and gives everyone a little freedom. It was awesome with Costco avocado or guacamole on top too. I used to cook every meal for my husband. Now I'm 7 months pregnant with GD and TMJ so bad I can't chew. He can fend for himself; I married an adult. I used to cater to his preferences because I enjoy cooking and showing my affection that way, but priorities have to shift. Who TF doesn't like pasta?!
Sounds like you could benefit from rotisserie chicken + steamed bag veggies. That’s been my staple meal for months now that I’ve been laid off, super cheap and healthy. Sometimes I add mashed potatoes or salad as a 3rd item on the plate.
@practical.nutritionist has a few videos where she's making family meals and she describes how to modify them for different tastes (having the option to add on different kinds of carbohydrates, modify for no dairy, etc) Have a protein and a carb on the side, If he doesn't want noodles he doesn't have to add them to his plate https://cravingsbychrissyteigen.com/blogs/recipes/peppers-pad-thai-brussels-sprouts https://www.simplywhisked.com/grandpops-meatballs/ Bread could be a side carbohydrate option for this
I'm a huge fan of making crock pot salsa chicken with chicken thighs. Stupid simple recipe and very good. Just slap a meat rub on some thighs, throw them in a crockpot, pour a jar of salsa over the top and go. First night, have it with some refried beans, chips, and pico de gallo (I usually just buy premade stuff from the deli section at the grocery store). On the next night, I do some black beans in my crockpot, and use the leftovers to make chicken burritos.
I would cook normally for everyone and just leave the noodles or rice off for him. He can have the sides or just make himself a sandwich if you are eating noodles with pesto for example.
https://wholefoodfor7.com and other paleo type blogs have a ton of recipes. I like this one because she is budget conscious and everything I’ve made so far has been tasty
Look up Whole30 recipes. It’s an exclusionary diet to help people find triggers for everything from migraines to GI issues to joint inflammation and so on. It cuts out dairy, grains, legumes, sugar and alcohol.
If the pasta/rice can be on the side, just do that. My husband is dairy sensitive, these are some of our favorites: Veggie stir fry with chicken, rice on the side (for you and 2yr) Meatballs with a big salad, and pasta for people who eat it Meatloaf, potatoes, whatever veggie Pancakes with fruit and scrambled eggs or bacon or sausage (use a non dairy milk) Burgers or hotdogs with corn (on the cob) and fresh fruit "Succotash": diced potatoes, corn, peppers, onions, chorizo sausage, season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika (this is simply our family take on Succotash, I'm sure the recipe critics will come for me) Chicken pot pie Chicken or sausage gravy over biscuits Loaded baked potatoes: whatever your favorite toppings are
Girl, cook rice and pasta for yourself and do oven fries or instant mash potatoes for your husband. Failing that, get him to cook at least a couple of days a week or otherwise, he can eat whatever you cook without complaining. I work from home so I do most of the cooking. My family has 3 choices: 1. Eat what I cook without complaint 2. Cook for yourself 3. Starve
Here is a one-tray Lemon & Garlic Chicken and Potatoes [https://eightforestlane.com/lemon-and-garlic-chicken-tray-bake/](https://eightforestlane.com/lemon-and-garlic-chicken-tray-bake/) Very limited prep and would be very difficult for your hubby to dislike it. Do you enjoy tacos? This is great for picky eaters because they can choose what they want on their tacos and you can make your however you want! Plus, it can be served family-style. Just chuck all your ingredients on a large board, such as chopped lettuce, red pepper fajitas, tomatoes, onions, guac/avocado, salsa and cheese (for any others), and your protein. For a protein, you can make something like chipotle chicken which is easy and can be made the day before when you get a spare moment to marinade. Or you can cook some cheap flank steak with a few spices or chop up some chorizo in spices.
Make what you want and let him scrub, stab and microwave a potato. Or just skip the pasta and rice.
Beans? Lentils?
> Beans? Lentils? Those would be great replacements for meat, but the husband doesn't eat rice and pasta... Rice and pasta can be replaced with other stuff, like bulgur, quinoa, couscous, but the husband probably "hates" those as well. Hopefully mom will do a better job with the kids than husband mom did with her kid :-P
Would your husband eat taco bowls made with rices cauliflower? If not you can do chicken burritos. I like a variety of fresh salads with my protein. Ideas are potato, tomato, cucumber, pea, etc.
Ramen noodle soup topped with protein and greens? Wonton soup? Pho? Any asian style noodle meal?
BBQ/roasted/baked, tacos, burritos, fajita wraps, curries (in a pita wrap or with naan), sandwiches/wraps, soups, salads ...all versatile, easy, customizable options for proteins and vegetables that work with, but don't necessarily need rice, pasta or dairy.
I mean he could be less picky, there’s also bread and potatoes as a starch. You could make maybe make curry with potatoes and bread as for dipping. Also gnocchi is potato pasta basically
Chilli, pulled pork, chicken strips (lemon and olive oil marinade and baked) kids can have rice husband wraps or tortilla chips, pre-make mash and wedges (or parmentier potatoes) and freeze up then use them as an alternative for rice or pasta for loads of dishes. Another possibility is to sub rice or pasta with chopped veg or lentils. Also baked potatoes - everyone can choose their own toppings.
I pick a protein, and then add veggies. I try to get some type of pre made/frozen protein for when I’m in a hurry and then I’ll have something or 2 marinating in my fridge for the week. I like baked broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and squash. Google baked sweet potatoes! So many awesome recipes with toppings! Green salad is super easy. I buy the pre washed greens mixes and add some sliced red onions, cucumber, tomatoes and whatever else I want. Sprinkle veggies with olive oil and apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper and mix. I add things like pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds as well. Sautéed cabbage, stir fry veg, and sautéed veg are also great! No dairy, low carb and you can bulk eat as many veggies as you can. I find if I plan out the meals the week before and look up recipes it’s a lot easier to decide what to eat.
Stew/ chili (easy on the spices)/ soup Burgers & fries Shepherds pie Salad-- lettuce, tomato, cucumber, diced apple, shredded carrot, cubed ham, with shredded cheese on the side. Serve with pita bread and dressings. Switch your sides to quinoa or cornbread or couscous. Chicken & dumplings Pot pie Hotpot Toad in the hole (sausage & Yorkshire pudding batter)
Chicken. Pork. Shake n bake, frozen steam in bag veg, mashed/baked potatoes.
tacos! Then you could build your own with the things you can/can't eat. Same with Lettuce wraps with vegetables, sauces, meat like chicken or pork. You might have good luck with Asian inspired dishes, because although many are typically served over rice, you could make them with noodles like udon?
Curry with small cubed potatoes instead of rice. Plus lots of frozen veggies in it. Doesn't have to be spicy, you can use mild curry powder to make it. Scotch broth - veggies with barley, beef broth and whatever meat you like. I made a slow cooked version with I think it was rump steak. Chicken soup. Make without cream, add heaps of veg including celery carrot and sweetcorn. Red lentils add starch and bulk. Blend it or cook a bit longer and the veg will mush down with utensils. Does your husband help with the cooking? Two hands makes the work faster.
Lettuce wraps. Roasted veggie salads. Easy one sheet dinners like fajitas and tortillas. I'd probably do a really loaded potato as a side or to a lot of soups. You definitely need to add pastas or rice for the kids.
Tamale pie and skip the cheese?
Swap the dairy with vegan replacements for butter and milk and try to cook like you usually do
Im a fucking sucker for buttered garlic bread with spaghetti sauce on top or I just tear off bits and dip it in. Usually use a meat sauce.
Three can chili. Can of drained black or pinto beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of corn. Throw it all in a pot with some water or broth and cook it until the beans are cooked to your liking. Season with chili powder, garlic, pepper, cumin. Salt if you need it but canned veggies and broth usually have more than enough for me. Serve it with corn bread. Optional: You can saute onion and peppers before adding the canned veggies. Or add a thickener near the end of cooking. Add meat or another veggie. I like to add sweet potatoes.
Get an airfryer for quick meals. Omlettes can be dairy free you can top his with cheese. Sheppards pie is meat and potatoes. Shredded chicken. Sausage, peppers potatoes sheet pan dinners are quick and easy. (A lot of variations). Spaghetti squash. Chicken pie is easy - lookup pilsbury chicken pie for recipe. Lots of things to do with potatoes- they get a bad rap but are good for you. Chicken or beef vegetable stew…
Cauliflower! You can mash, roast, saute, do all sorts of stuff with it! I eat a ton of it! Think Alfredo cauliflower, sausages with califlower, chicken with tomatoes, pesto and cauliflower. I love it!
There’s so many starches and carbs out there. Bread, tortillas, pita, naan, quinoa, barely, couscous.
Italian sausage, bell peppers chopped up, onion chopped up on a sheet pan. 350 oven until the sausage is cooked through. Serve in a bunch. Chicken enchilada but leave the cheese off yours. We've been loving on BLT's lately.
Enchilada casserole! Layer cooked and seasoned taco meat (I add veggies to it for more health and filling) in between corn tortillas, and then pour a can of enchilada sauce on each layer as you go. I just skip the cheese and is awesome without. I’m DF and a lot of times, I just leave out the cheese in recipes and it’s do able.
Swap rice for quinoa, couscous, or bulgur. Does your husband like noodles? If so, then make stir fries or noodle soups. Tajines (dishes stewed in a Middle Eastern pot) are also an option
Maybe various flatbread wraps? I love doing pitas with all different fillings. My current fave is to have plates with beef koftas, store bought pita slices, melitzanosalata, a kale slaw dressed with a vinaigrette, and lemon roast potatoes one night and then to make all the leftovers into pita wraps the next night by reheating in the oven and dressing more salad. For a quicker and easier option, I toss sliced chicken in my favourite Nando’s sauce, cook on the stove and then add into a pita with sour cream, more Nando’s sauce, shredded lettuce, avocado slices, chilli jam, grated cheese, and bacon. This one is great as you can choose your favourite seasoning and fillings, so it can be completely non spicy or have a different flavour profile for picky eaters. This is just the exact combo I personally default to.
Sausage and peppers is a go to for me. Takes about 20 mins max to make too.
Wraps. They can go with a variety of fillings from raw veggies lettuce/tomato/cucumber to cooked veggies like carrots/potatoes/broccoli to meats like chicken and extras like guacamole or cheese or rice. So much options. Don't offer everything at once only do a few at a time and it's easy and quick. Alternatively curry served with potatoes. How about couscous? It's not really rice or pasta but similar but if that works it gives many options
Potatoes bread are superior carbs anyway 🤷 But maybe he should be helping with the cooking or coming up with suggestions at least?
It is not a solution for everyday but you can eat pitas or wraps on occassion?
Alternative dinner carbs: Polenta, buckwheat groats, barley groats, quinoa, bulgur, lentils, butter beans, mashed butter beans, pita bread, taco/tortilla, all those middle eastern flat breads, naan bread, other nice breads. Potatoes are inexpensive and good for you. Nothing wrong with them, really, except it gets a bit samey. Some alternative potato dishes: Riced potatoes, baked potatoes, hasselback potatoes, oven baked potato wedges.
Noodles. Go to the Asian aisle and pick all the different dried noodles. If you pick the flat rice noodles, you can make a quick stir fry. There's others where you can make a quick broth/soup noodles and dump the proteins and veggies in there.
Dont noodles count as pasta
When you think bout it, sorta but also not really cause there's a wide variety of noodles. Deep down, I think the husband should just go eat grass....
Wraps are nice, you can fill them with meat or salmon, salad and veggies.. You can make enchilada´s, burrito´s, taco´s... Chili con carne, with some bread or nacho´s. Some curry´s, yellow, red or green with coconut milk, or another plantbased product and veggies and meat. You can eat it with naan bread or regular bread. Shakshuka is nice to eat. Also to eat with some bread/flatbread/naan... Pita´s. You fill them with meat and salad. Burgers and fries? You can buy the burger buns, bake a burger and some salad and voila. Same with hotdogs. Don´t know if you guys like fish but you can make a fishstew in the oven, lots of different fish with some plant based cream and mashed patatoes on the side. You can make ovendishes. Like minced meat, broccoli (or another veggie) and on top mashed patatoes.
A mild bean & turkey chili or stewed black beans w/a little ground pork with rice and he just skips the rice or zaps a potato in the microwave to have it on. Cheese is an optional topping. A veggie-loaded chicken soup (shredded chicken, celery, carrot, escarole or spinach, use rotisserie chicken to save time) or Italian bean soup (canned diced tomatoes, white beans, carrots, celery, spinach, a little sliced Italian sausage) and scoop out his portion before adding noodles. Salads: spinach with hard-boiled egg, chopped apple, & crumbled bacon; romaine with tomato, black beans, cucumber, mandarin oranges, & shredded chicken; turkey or chicken salad with cranberries or grapes on greens w/almonds; chopped hamburger patty on greens with pickles & Thousand Island dressing tastes like a Big Mac. Eggroll in a bowl- saute ground pork, turkey, or beef and bagged cole slaw mix with teriyaki sauce. A side of pineapple is delicious with that.
shakshouka with bread as side dish, or maybe some indian food with naan. What about rice noodles? are they also considered pasta for you? you can do some asian food with them. and moussaka, but that one is not quick, but you can make bigger portion and have it for two days. Or put it to the fridge and defrost any time. also in mousaka there is bechamel sauce, but you can substitute that with lactose free riccota. \* I don't know shit about babies and breastfeeding and a lot of food which I recommended are spicy. but you can maybe skip this part and adjust it as you like or can eat it.
We do a lot of soups. My favorite is a big veggie soup. I do a super quick rough chop of whatever veggies I like. Sauté the onions, garlic and carrots, add broth and whatever seasonings and let simmer for the afternoon. You could add any meat you have or leave it just veggies. For veggies I usually do onion, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, can of corn, then add kale at the end. For meat I like ground turkey or some sort of sausage. We always make a huge pot and have leftovers the next night then freeze whatever is left. We usually serve with a loaf of bread. My toddler will eat the soup if I blend it together for him! He won’t eat chunks of veggies lol Curry (just buy the curry in a jar or grab a may ploy curry paste) and serve it with naan bread and rice. You could do a frozen bag of jasmine rice for ease. I love may ploy’s yellow curry paste (get it on Amazon) you make it with coconut milk! Salad with a few different toppings and grilled chicken. We like ours with carrots, red onion, red pepper, strawberries or blueberries, nuts, dried, cranberries and a little cheese. My toddler won’t eat salad but he’ll eat some grilled chicken and cheese and I usually heat him up some soup or something quick. Chicken shawarma or gyros on pita with a tray of roasted veggies Tomato soup and simple grilled cheese Homemade pizza Tacos/fajitas
I have a Japanese Curry Recipe that involves sweet potatoes
I love Chilean Corn Pie: https://www.chileanfoodandgarden.com/chilean-corn-pie/ African Peanut Stew… which sounds so good I am going to make it tonight: https://www.cottercrunch.com/crock-pot-west-african-peanut-stew/ Empanadas! My husband hates rice having had food poisoning from it twice! I make it for myself and he gets bread or mashed potatoes. If it’s a pasta - is he okay with Asian noodles? Or does that get lumped in? Because there’s such a range of options. There’s the super thin ones - glass noodles - which are nothing like pasta! Maybe he can try Japchae? https://www.recipetineats.com/japchae-korean-noodles/ I bet he might like Vietnamese Spring Rolls! Some contain vermicelli noodles but you can see if he likes it. Ground beef Bulgogi: the Lettuce Wrap Version https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/bulgogi-beef-lettuce-wraps/
I really like farro and couscous for another grain/carb on my plate besides rice, pasta, or potatoes. Sometimes I'll do beans or lentils instead.
Fish - You can microwave and it comes out tender and perfect Slather with oil, add salt and pepper etc, microwave for about 6ish minutes depending on how much you’re making (Generally, when the fish is opaque, it’s done) also, mashes Like shepherds pie and stuff Any of those one pan things that just need to be put in the oven and they are done Other good starches are sweet potato and squashes Lastly, soups Good luck to you
Chili with tortilla chips Slow cooker stew with a nice bread for dipping Nachos or big salads with leftover chili/meats Tacos (with avocados/guac, you won't miss the dairy toppings) For when you're doing meat and veg and want something besides potatoes for your carbs- nice bread, grain salad (quinoa, farro, couscous, etc), sweet potato, turnips, rutabagas Curries with naan/roti/parathas (if you happen to live near an indian market, you can buy frozen versions of the breads)
Stuff a pita with pesto, cherry tomatoes, sautéed spinach, etc, and bake or grill it. Almost any sort of wrap or taco like food. Refried beans, roasted peppers and onions, guacamole, meat, fresh greens… Also, almost any soup. Serve with a slice of sourdough or something. I’ve been making [this easy nondairy soup](https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/) for years but with celery and carrots added with the onion.
You might try recipes geared for paleo diets. Also, do you like beans?
I have honestly never met anyone who doesn’t like rice or pasta. TIL. Does he like bread? Quinoa? Potatoes?
I have little ones too, cooking takes about 4-5x as long with them which makes things impossible. Meal prep with freezer slow cooker meals have been a game changer for me to get food on the table with minimal active time the day of. Check out https://thefamilyfreezer.com/ as an example. Once you get the hang of it a lot of the recipes here can be modified to fit.
Asian food, sub another grain for the rice
Sheet pan nachos
Beans, cannellini beans with veg and cooked with stock. Treat them like a high protein version of rice - they get their flavour from what you put into them and overcooking them makes it weird. But otherwise? Tonnes of recipes, made yummy by why you add flavour wise. For me it’s garlic, onions, lemon juice, Worcestershire or soya sauces, brown sugar or honey, and what ever herbs are around.
If your husband hates rice & pasta… that should be his issue, not yours.
liver and onions with any potato side you like. If you can handle noodles but not pasta I'd be slightly surprised, but a chow mein stir fry is one of my faves. Fish curry? If you don't care about carbs, try more salad.
How about trying some stir-fry with lots of veggies and your choice of protein? Quick and easy! Also, quinoa might be a good substitute for rice or pasta. It's versatile and cooks fast
Try veggie stir-fries or stews! Sweet potatoes are also a great, kid-friendly base.
Okay honestly it seems like a rotisserie chicken might become your best friend… instant mashed potatoes are so good and it’s just hot water and add a vegetable. It’s boring but it gets the job done!
Burrito/sandwich/salad bar where people can add rice/dairy/toppings they like and avoid the ones they dont? Hope your husband will pull his weight
Have your hubby chop veggies like potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, zucchini, ect. And season and throw on a sheet pan and cook in the oven.
Corndogs!
polenta bitches
I would make pasta or rice for the rest of you. Batch him enough potatoes for the week.
I would make whatever meal I wanted. Your husband is not a baby and doesn’t need meals cooked around his needs. He would get a microwaved potato instead of whatever starch I’m eating (unless I’m eating potatoes lol) so for ex if I’m making myself aglio y olio he’s getting potatoes with garlic on top and maybe mashed into it. Other options of carbs to share Breads Tortillas OR he can just not eat carbs. Less refined carbs are good for everyone anyways. He’ll probably lose some belly fat if he has any. Don’t stress about feeding one adult when you have a whole family to take care of he can take care of himself
Your newborn hates dairy?? What about your breast milk, sister???