Partner and kids not primal page

[Lizzielou]

Hi all

I'm pretty new to all this primal stuff and have lots of questions that I'm slowly figuring out - mostly finding some great answers on here.

My problem at the moment is that while I am really enjoying the whole primal thing and have totally eliminated most carbs from my diet, my husband and kids are not really ready to make that move with me. I think once I've been going a while and the results speak for themselves this will be enough evidence to convince them all. In the meantime I've made some changes to the way we are eating (our main evening meal mostly) and the kinds of foods we have in the house. What we want to know is that with them not eliminating carbs (maybe slightly reduced at most) are these primal meals/foods going to cause them more harm than good?

I get that as a low carb person I can use all these good fats and proteins just fine, but will my husband find that he'll start gaining weight by us swapping to full fat milk and cooking with plenty of butter (etc) while he is still a carb consumer?

I hope this makes sense, its a bit tricky to put into words! We have always lived fairly healthily according to CW and trying to fight against these ingrained behaviours is so difficult. I just don't want to do anything that might actually harm them, this feels a bit like an experiment with my health just at the moment.

[Meatgrrrl]

Totally get what you're saying... it's hard isn't it?!
I have stopped my kids from mainly eating carbs (toast) in the mornings and asked them to keep the bread to a lunchtime only, which they agree to. When they get home they have boiled eggs with a little mayo. I'm working on making their lunches healthier, though two pieces of bread a day, compared to cereal, toast, then sandwiches, then more toast after school (or whatever they can inhale from the fridge!) and then potatoes etc at night is a win no matter how you look at it.
If you have control over the morning and evening meal, you're essentially two thirds of the way there.

I'm interested to know the answer to this too. Suspect the answer is that if you increase fats along with carbs, then the eater will put on weight ...

[ljq309]

I have wondered the same thing. I've been eating more and more primally since October last year and I don't think any of us have put on any weight despite the OH and the kids still indulging in carbs and sweet stuff while eating more good fats at the same time. Having said that I will also say that they do eat WAY better, and increasingly better as time goes by. The other night I made couscous for the kids to go with the meal (chicken) and salad, and the youngest asked me why I was serving pasta, isn't it bad he said? This from the biggest spaghetti bolognese addict on the planet!

I find that my kids still eat bread (but I make my own sourdough) often for breakfast or even lunch on the weekends, but they are happy to have largely carb free school lunches and carb reduced dinners. Slowly, slowly.

[Annieh]

Lizzielou you have been going a while now. Are the husband and children getting on board?

I would say my dh is about 50% primal, maybe even a bit more since I do all the cooking and he eats what I give him, and is getting some of the benefits. Wish he would want to commit fully.