Dips, dips and another dip! Years ago i self-appointed to be the designated chef at family gatherings...both families, and full of real, imagined, self-inflicted, moral, or just plain attention seeking dietary needs. (one year my niece and nephew, 6yrs and 12, announced vegan, lol) For game-side i would make dips with every dipper veg available. I ended up getting the list for different diets and made stuff up. Actually ended up being not much different than what we eat with a few adjustments...for example, a humus without beans.... 4 cups peeled & chopped raw zucchini 2 cups roasted califlower, chopped (optional) 3/4 cups tahini (sesame paste) 1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste) 1 Tbl ground cumin tender center with leaves of celery cilantro with stems, to taste -puree in blender A salsa, a bana coda, a goat cheese pesto dip...i use my harvested roasted toms with veggies from the freezer and add lime, cilantro, and red onion when thawed for salsa. I have even included the recipe under the serving bowls, lol. So tired of all the questions of ingredients,...(after a few days when everyone turns kook.) Cooking keeps me out of the chatter for the most part. I make a ton of each, have serving bowls prepped and ready but have back-up quarts for re-filling if needed. (and good left-overs if one dip is not so popular) I like the chicken strips on skewers idea and maybe shrimp. Prepped ahead and popped in the oven if something warm is needed. With a nice Asian nutty sauce. (roasted pumpkin seeds?) A family favorite is tortilla pizza. Low carb, gluten-free, this and that tortilla options in a health food store. Many options for toppings and can be chosen for each diet individually. I prep all ahead in the morning...onions mushrooms simmered, roasted peppers and veg, a variety of cheeses, different meats...a mandoline is key for a thin edge of potato or sweet potato. The tortilla is thin and gets crispy quickly. Not a dough thick pizza...more about the toppings. Seems to please everyone no mater the diet issues. A prosciutto roll up with cheese and veg on parchment is a no crust option. This one is asparagus, mozz, tom and arugula with pesto under the thin potato edge. -my personal favorite is onion, gorgonzola, prosciutto, artichoke heart with an egg, (broken yolk) cracked on top. : )...with a pesto potato edge. This post was edited by sleevendog on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 1:04

Gazpacho is nourishing as is bean and bacon soup from the blender. Mashed potatoes are easy and better if you make them thin best if you use some beef stock or chicken boullion. Cream of wheat and cream of rice are easy to eat but better if you put in some ground up fruit or even ground ham/beef/chicken. Tell him that he has to roll the food around with his tongue for a bit if he can't chew. The enzymes in the mouth are very important for digestion and if he just swallows not all of the nutrients are absorbed and the stomach has to work harder. With what is going on with him he doesn't need to have indigestion too. Nancy

I can relate to how you feel! I'm fighting the same thing. He had a heart attack in Jan. and won't try different things. He hates vegetables. Once in a while he'll eat a little corn that's it. His idea of a balanced meal is anything with lots of sugar. One thing our cardiologist told us was stay far away from ANY kind of red meat (lean or not) and limit the fat to 10 to 20mg. daily. So that leaves fish and chicken and how many ways can you fix that. He's also a steak and potato man so there's another problem. He hates anything with tomato and also won't eat fruit. Maybe there's a little place in heaven for wives like us who are trying so hard to hang onto our hubby's just a little longer,huh? Don't give up. Just keep trying to fix small amounts of different things so you won't feel too bad when you have to throw it out or eat it yourself and maybe one day our hard headed husbands will wake up and realize that we CARE. Library has lots of things also. Wish I could be more help but it may help to know you are NOT alone. Thanks for letting me vent my frustration and good luck to you.

In order to eat lo-fat you need to omit meats and the addition of oils in recipes. Have a diet of no fats, no refined sugars and no white flours and you WILL lose weight. Eat whole grains, veggies, fruits, beans and seeds. This is a high fiber way of eating and as a bonus your cholestrol will plummet. When you reach your weight 'goal' have 2 meals a week of anything you want. Refer to drmirkin.com for more info on this way of eating. Sorry, no recipes, just go to the bulk food section to find grains and hit the produce area of the grocery.