At Macrostax our goal is to make cooking with family, loved ones, roommates and friends as easy as possible. Many diets can make it tough to cook for more than one person. We believe you can make cooking easy for more than one while still meeting your goals!
Here are some tips to help you with cooking for yourself and others:
Picky kiddos or kiddos that don't want to eat the same thing for a few days.
We hear it all the time, "My kids won't want to eat any 'diet' food." At Macrostax, we believe in all food in moderation. One approach we suggest when cooking for kids is have them pick out 3-4 recipes that sound good to them. If you are a busy parent, find one day of the week that you are able to make all 3-4 of the recipes. Making them ahead of time will ensure that you are hitting your goals and saving yourself time during the week! Make it fun, give them the option of the meal they want to have each night since all you have to do is reheat it. Some of our favorite dishes for kids are - Lightened Up Mac and Cheese, Lightened Up Cheeseburger Casserole, Chicken Spaghetti Casserole, Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki and the breakfast Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole or Baked Blueberry Pancakes!
Do you have a spouse or roommates that don't count macros but you do a lot of the cooking for the household?
It's very common to have a spouse or roommates who aren't also tracking their macros. Eating separate meals can be stressful! We suggest taking the same approach as with kids. Make it fun, have them pick recipes and sample things with you. They don't need to weigh anything or portion out their serving, but you don't have to worry about making separate meals. Have them pick a few items that sound good and make the recipes together. Plan ahead for the week on the days you will cook together, which recipe you will make and the days you will make recipes ahead of time. With over 400 recipes in our database, we guarantee there will be something that everyone loves!
Your significant other eats foods that you haven't accounted for.
One of the keys to counting macros is moderation! If the people living in your home, your children or your spouse like to enjoy foods in the evening that you feel like will derail you from your goals, remind yourself that moderation is key. If ice cream is a big thing in your house a few days per week, add ice cream into your log and build your day around it. Does your family like to do a Friday night pizza movie night, make sure to add your pizza in and build your day around. You don't have to miss out because you are counting macros!
The part we love the most about macro counting is the flexibility, not feeling like you are missing out and enjoying the foods you are eating with others. Planning or preparing ahead of time, especially when you live with others will always help you do the best at reaching your goals! Get the people around you involved as much as possible, or try to anticipate some of their behaviors so you can still feel successful while enjoying your time with them.