Madeover Man Meals: Get the Hubby to Board the Health Train

Let’s face it ladies, getting your hubbies to eat healthy is like getting the kids to clean [...]

Let's face it ladies, getting your hubbies to eat healthy is like getting the kids to clean their rooms. It's a battle, it's a war, it's a never ending chorus of pleas and pressure. So what's a wife to do? Get creative. Yup. You need to fine tune your man's favorite meals (with or without his knowledge) to be a bit healthier without losing the flavor and taste that he loves so much.

Try some of these manly meal makeovers and see if your husband even notices the skinny changes:

BBQ Pork Chops: Men and BBQ are like oil and vinegar - can't have one without the other. But too often those chops are swimming in a sea of sugary sauce. This incredibly tasting pork recipe will have your man thinking you cooked all day, but you can have this dinner wrapped up in a half-hour!

skinny baked barbecue pork chopsSliders:

Guys love their sliders. They are small, juicy little gems that can be eaten several at a time. Unfortunately, most of them are fatty and swimming in grease. Instead of using excessively fatty red meat, opt for lean ground turkey, pork or chicken. You don't even have to sacrifice all the fat since you can get ground turkey/chicken that is 90% lean and 10% fat. It will retain all the juiciness of a regular slider, but with more protein, less calories and a break from red meat. Season your ground meat with some salt, pepper and any other spices your man likes, shape it into slider-size burgers and grill. Top it off with lettuce, tomato, low-sugar ketchup, mustard and whatever else he prefers. Finish it off on a small whole wheat or multigrain bun. Small, delicious and a lot more heart-friendly.

three slider burgers on a plate

Pizza: What's great about pizza is that it lends itself to so many healthy variations that your hubby will never know. You can start with using a whole wheat crust made from pita bread (for smaller pizzas) or make your own using whole wheat flour. Then you can add on a reduced-sugar/sodium sauce or make your own using a combination of tomatoes, garlic, onions and oregano. Once you have your crust and sauce made, you can now add on his favorite toppings. Chicken sausage makes a healthier replacement for pepperoni and as for cheese, there are many low-fat options you can use without him ever noticing the difference. Add some extra tomatoes on top for an extra dose of lycopene which has been proven to help protect your cells from damage and prevent cancers of the prostate, colon and lungs. Some of our favorite skinny pizza recipes are Skinny Roasted Veggie and Ricotta Pizza, Roasted Red Pepper and Arugula Whole Wheat Pizza, and Skinny Cauliflower Pizza.

skinny mom veggie ricotta pizzaChili:

The smell of chili simmering on the stove can bring a man to his knees. But it can also bring a lot of heartburn, fat and digestive troubles. The first quick fix is to sub the overly fatty beef with leaner ground turkey. Cook it on the stove top along with some cut up peppers, onions and minced garlic. When the meat is cooked, transfer it all to a slow cooker along with a can of tomatoes and some chicken or vegetable broth. Add oregano, salt, pepper, cumin and a pinch of cayenne as well. Let it cook on low for about six hours. Your house will smell delicious and your man will be very satisfied. If he is a bean lover, add some into the mixture while it cooks so it soaks up all the flavor. When it's done, sprinkle some low-fat cheddar cheese on top or make a "manwich" out of it with a multigrain bun. Satisfy your hubby's chili craving with Skinny Taco Chicken Chili, Skinny Vegetarian Mexican Chili, Skinny White Chicken Chili, and Skinny Buffalo Chicken Chili!

skinny mom chicken chili recipe

Pancakes: Most men go gaga for pancakes. It's easy to know why. They're soft, sweet and leave you feeling very satisfied and very full. Here's one he will definitely love — banana split pancakes. You'll need 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 cup of your milk of choice, 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a small-medium banana (mashed), and two Tbsp of chocolate chips (you can use sugar-free, dark chocolate or carob chips). Mash the banana and mix in all the wet ingredients with it. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Preheat a pan and grease with either coconut oil or olive oil. Drop a few tablespoons of the batter into the pan and cook on both sides. Do that with the remaining batter. To make these pancakes even more indulgent, use sugar-free chocolate syrup and top it off with some sliced strawberries and/or cherries to get that real banana split taste. (photo credit)

banana chocolate chip pancakesBrownies:

He'll definitely be putty in your hands after tasting these surprisingly healthy chocolate brownies. In a blender or food processor, combine three tablespoons of soft tofu, 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce, one tablespoon of coconut oil, two tablespoons of your milk of choice and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Make sure the mixture is smooth. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of either whole wheat or oat flour, 1/4 teaspoon each of baking powder and salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar (or you can sub with stevia, but check the label to make sure you use the equivalent of a 1/2 cup of sugar). Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and combine it all together really well. If you want, you can add in some chocolate chips or nuts if you know your husband prefers them. Pour everything into a pregreased 4x6 pan and cook for 12-18 minutes on 325 degrees. When they're done, let them sit for at least 30 minutes before eating as they tend to get sweeter with time.

healthy brownies

Shhh! Your man doesn't need to know that you changed any of his favorite foods unless, of course, he asks. But these are so good that he probably won't notice that you changed anything at all. However it works out, you can take comfort in knowing that he is eating healthier while still enjoying all of his favorite comfort foods.

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