Anonymous wrote:Order a salad when you go out. Done.

This.

Order a salad when you go out. Done.

Still waiting to hear if OP lives with them? She sure knows a lot about what they eat every day of their lives

So go buy some food that you like. You're not going to die if you eat processed food for a week.

I have the opposite problem when I visit my SIL or MIL - they don't eat processed food, but they also don't really eat. MIL once asked if I wanted to split half a piece of toast with her. She thinks 2 eggs is plenty for 4 people. Lunch is ???, there is no such thing as a snack, wine drinking starts at 5 and dinner (which is at least homecooked) is at 9 or 10 because "no one is hungry yet" (um, I am! I cant live on a crust of bread, a bite of egg and wine!)

I bring Kind bars and make a store trip to make sure I have some yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, nuts, etc. Going out is such a relief. They can eat 3 bites of their entree and I can get a whole meal at a normal time.

Do they live in a small town or more rural area?

My DH's family is like this, but they are in New England, not the Midwest. They don't have great food options where they live, grew up working class and are used to buying groceries on a budget, and also have a very 1960s/70s sensibility about food and cooking, with lots of canned goods and casseroles that don't involve a single fresh vegetable. Or, yes, takeout, and since there are like 3 actual restaurants and a smattering of fast food places in their town, the quality of that is never good.

But we just go for shorter visits and suck it up. We eat the terrible food, and the first thing we do when we get home is eat the healthiest, freshest meal we can think of. It's always such a relief.

We also usually order pizza at least once or twice while there because, I mean, who doesn't like pizza. Plus even in their tiny town with all the awful food, the pizza is fine. Not great or anything, but good enough, and a relief compared to the other food there.

I also think you have to recognize that a lot of this isn't really about health, it's about class. We live in the DMV, are UMC, and are used to eating really high quality food because it's plentiful here and we can afford it. Don't look down your nose at people who don't have those luxuries, and recognize that they are likely doing the best they can to feed you as your hosts -- be very thankful and make sure to compliment them on whatever is served, whether they made it or not. It's a few days, you can suck it up.

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is about your family, NOT the Midwest. Your thread title is grossly misleading.

Lol. DP fron the midwest here. Yes of course this is too sweeping a statement. i agree with that. BUT I have to say, while there is some fine food to be had everywhere in the US including the midwest, most of my family and friends there put up with way more processed foods and mediocre restaurants than I experience here in DC. I have never understood it given how many farms there are. Some of the recipes my friends/family share (along the lines of Sandra Lee’s semi-homemade) are eye popping.

Here’s one that recently made the rounds:

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can condensed milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 package dry vanilla pudding
1 package Cool Whip

Mix all together and refrigerate overnight.

This is actually one of the healthier recipes, given the fruit.

Don’t worry. I say nothing except delicous! when I eat with them. I am after all a midwesterner and we are nothing if not nice.

Anonymous wrote:So don’t cook for all of them. Cook for YOURSELF, dummy. Stop whining and take control of your life. You and only you are responsible for what goes in your mouth. Point blank period. And if they deny you access to the kitchen or to a car to get groceries, you leave.

Bye.

Did you read? They don’t want the OP to cook. Also, to the “you need compassion” PP, your advice is misplaced.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is about your family, NOT the Midwest. Your thread title is grossly misleading.

But EVERYONE in the Midwest eats crappy food and doesn't know how to cook.

Not to mention…OP is *dying!*

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is about your family, NOT the Midwest. Your thread title is grossly misleading.

But EVERYONE in the Midwest eats crappy food and doesn't know how to cook.

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is about your family, NOT the Midwest. Your thread title is grossly misleading.

Yep. Half the people on DCUM don’t cook. It’s not a Midwest thing.

So don’t cook for all of them. Cook for YOURSELF, dummy. Stop whining and take control of your life. You and only you are responsible for what goes in your mouth. Point blank period. And if they deny you access to the kitchen or to a car to get groceries, you leave.

Bye.

Anonymous wrote:Title says it all. My in-laws only have ultra-processed snacks and frozen meats. They have THREE fridges in their home and yet every day, they’ll suggest takeout or fast food. I’ve offered to make something healthy but they say they don’t want me or their adult child to cook and they say they won’t eat it anyway. And they wonder why they have hypertension 🤨 Thanks for letting me vent.

Do you live with them?

OP, this is about your family, NOT the Midwest. Your thread title is grossly misleading.

Yup. Processed “food” is the fast track to sickness and death.

Title says it all. My in-laws only have ultra-processed snacks and frozen meats. They have THREE fridges in their home and yet every day, they’ll suggest takeout or fast food. I’ve offered to make something healthy but they say they don’t want me or their adult child to cook and they say they won’t eat it anyway. And they wonder why they have hypertension 🤨 Thanks for letting me vent.