I know...you're probably thinking....when planning menus I can eat, what do I do for the rest of the family?

I consider that different folks prefer different menu items when writing out menus. I try to make meals that keep everyone smiling. That is why I simplify the menu from multiple items options to just a few.

At the Holloman home, our kids are not on their own, (although the grandkids may join us occasionally, usually breakfast is on your own. My husband is usually on the go and grabs a bowl of cereal, which he loves. Sometimes, however, I cook us both an egg and toast or an omelet.

Since lunch is usually solo as well, that means dinner is really the only meal that is centered around the family these days, which is usually just the two of us.  

However, I understand the dilemma—family meals and a bariatric menu. In the beginning of the consideration of gastric bypass surgery, I had a heart to heart talk with my husband. He was supportive and we made the decision that the meals would be focused on what I could eat and he would adapt. With that said, he is a very picky eater, and also he has been a real trooper, although I have been known to fix him a different menu item. Actually, this happens less and less as the years go by...I think I'm winning him over.

The goal is eating healthy. My theory is to keep it simple and streamline. My dinner meal usually consist of fish, seafood, or chicken, with occasional pork or red meat. We both like baked chicken, so I bake one almost every week. Or we barbecue at least two chickens on the grill on the weekends. We cook them without the BBQ sauce so Richard can add his own (which I don't eat). We make chicken salad with the leftovers for lunches or a quick dinner option. (Dont' forget leftovers when planing your menu.)

I usually fix one veggie we both like, such as broccoli. If he requests another, I fix one additional side for him. That way he has one he likes and I get one I like.

I roast a variety of veggies in the oven together. It's a great way to add to the mix without using too many pots and pans. And you can get the diversity with much additional effort. I can roast potatoes (which Richard prefers) with squash (which I prefer). I also roast beets, carrots, fennel, etc. Clean up is simple, we both get what we want without a lot of fuss and leftovers serve for an additional meal later in the week.

If I want a main dish menu item that he doesn't like, I use the same ingredients and prepare two different menu options. For instance, I like meatloaf, but Richard doesn't. So when I prepare meatloaf for myself, I usually fix him a hamburger patty for him. I wrap the patty in foil and place in the oven at the same time I cook the meatloaf. I cook the meat loaf in cupcake tins, so I have individual serving. I can freeze them for future meals. There is always an easy leftover option in the fridge or freezer for those times when someone wants something different.

On occasion, Richard plays Pickleball, which begins before mealtime. I cook fish and a veggie for me. This is his opportunity to fix himself a sandwich or a leftover he prefers when he returns home. 

This is a way of life. I encourage you take some time to consider how to make mealtime, simple, creative and pleasant for the whole family. Planning menu's ahead and gathering recipes both new and old can be a time-saver both at mealtime and in the grocery store.

I'm consistently on the lookout for new, simple recipes that are healthy, bariatric friendly and family friendly. So get out those menu pages and let those creative juices flow.