In laws and other family visiting

#1

Next week my inlaws (who are currently doing Weight Watchers) and my BIL and SIL with their 4 kids will be visiting for 4 days. Both my husband and I eat strict keto, while our 4 children eat keto dinners.

I know that WW will not help my MIL lose the weight, but she is adamant about following it carefully. I want to be respectful and honor her in that decision, but at the same time I will not cook low fat meals for them and high fat meals for us. So, I need some fairly budget friendly meals that both high fat and low fat eaters (and 8 kids) can enjoy! :grin: Kind of a tall order, and I realize that my husband and I can add fat to most everything, if it comes to that. Cooking for 14, 3 meals per day, is time consuming to say the least!

Any suggestions???

#2

I think the best thing to do with this is just serve the food family style - as in platters at the center of the table, where people choose what they want to put in their plate. It’s easy to cook up a platter of rice, or potatoes. You don’t have to eat it, but they are certainly welcome to take as much as they want. Any leftovers can be thrown into the breakfast frittata the next morning. So, for example, if you cook a pork or beef roast, with gravy on the side, and with steamed broccoli (with herbed butter on the side), and a plate of rice or potatoes, they can make their own decisions.

Another example of frugal is roasting whole chicken - they choose which piece of meat they want (light or dark meat, with or without skin). And, have a platter of vegetables and platter of potatoes/rice. Very simple…they will not even notice a change.

This way, you even train them on how to serve you when you go to their place for meals…so, they will be able to accommodate you, too.

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #3

My wife and I did WW in 2002 and she lost 40 pounds and has kept it off. She still goes to meetings every week and has told me that each time the program changes they get tighter on what processed carbs they allow and looser on the amount of fat.

My suggestion is to get a couple of lean meat items like boneless, skinless chicken: lean ground beef for their bigger meals. They can eat lots of fresh veggies so stock up on your usual favorites especially green salads. They will use less dressing and will use that in a small ramekin to dip their forks into.

You may get a few small potatoes, probably sweet, for them but they will not eat the huge ones! You can offer fat-free toppings like salsa or BBQ sauce to put on the potatoes. My wife, as a life-time member loves to use butter on her potato.

They will eat things like french toast or pancakes for breakfast or even just eggs. You could try a few keto breakfast recipes out during the visit just for a change. I would invite your MIL and SIL to do a shopping trip so they can pick out their poison (carbs) of choice in the bread aisle!

Overall, you can still make a lot of the foods you normally would and let them add their carbs. I cook steaks and my wife has a potato with it; I make spaghetti sauce and my wife has pasta; I make an omelet and she has one with an english muffin!

I really isn’t that hard and offering to let them pick up a few things they can’t find in your pantry will make it much easier!

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #4

Oh yes, I would also print on of the 22-page booklets the dudes put together that really explain the ketogenic diet and how it works!
http://pwop.com/download/TheKetogenicDietInANutshell.pdf

#5

I love that booklet!!! I need to print out several copies to hand to people when they ask what I’ve been doing!! (Down 42 pounds…)

#6

They are good about bringing fat free dressing and their low calorie breads… which I am thankful for! I also asked them to bring their low fat cheeses because Aldi doesn’t carry low fat cheese. I love making the cauliflower based casseroles, but can’t for them because of the high fat content! I suppose I could cook them a lean protein and they could have the casserole as a side…

#7

:blush: When we go to their place, I cook… cooking isn’t high on their areas of expertise or interest… and I enjoy it, so it works well!

#8

I :sparkling_heart: whole roasted chickens! I’ll probably have to make 3 for all the people though!

#9

awesome…you and i would be buddies in the kitchen then :grinning:

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #10

I might have to join as well!

#11

I learned to spatchcock a chicken and it changed my life!!

(James storie) #12

I think we should all band together and start a chain of ketogenic restaurants!

#13

YES!!! I am IN!!! Learning to apply cooking techniques to keto food has been my new hobby!! It’s amazing!

(James storie) #14

I’ve been cooking most of my life, I should have been a chef. Now this is just one of my dreams! Funny story, I was cooking the other day for a ministry I’m a part of through my church when a lady who knows me well asked how I learned to cook. I explained that I was a fat kid, I learned to cook out of necessity! :smile:

#15

Let’s also recruit people who have a passion for washing pots, pans and dishes, too! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#16

Yes… I don’t really have a passion for that at all… my mom is a cleaner and I enjoy cooking so we make a great team!

(James storie) #17

That’s what teenagers are for! Hahaha! Mine won’t do it at home unless you offer to pay them!

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #18

I cooked dinner for my future wife on our second date and she said: “You cook and I’ll clean!” That was 28 years ago!

#19

Best … deal … ever !!!

(James storie) #20

This is the same arrangement me and my wife have, but she still fusses when I use more than one pan! :laughing: