Dessert: dark chocolate. The good stuff..72 percent or higher.

You can fold up a paper towel and place it on top of the salad. Then use Saran Wrap over or just shut the kid of your Tupperware. Will keep it crunchy for a day or so.

OP,

I would try soup starters. There are healthy ones that you can make big batches of and freeze. Also, there needs to be a protein as well as fiber to help your husband feel full. Also salad doesn't have to be just lettuce. There can be broccoli salad, potato salad, tuna salad--all of which can be made healthily.

You guys might want to take a look at Volumetrics: http://www.webmd.com/diet/volumetrics-what-it-is

Basically, you both need to find a way to eat that you can continue long term. Carbs (if that's what he's trying to avoid with the salad kick aren't inherently bad for you.)

For desserts, I'd try mixing it up. I like rice pudding:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/rice-pudding-recipe2/index.html

Thank you everyone - lots of great advice here. The salads are definitely missing fats (besides a little dressing). I'm off to order the salad cookbook now.

Is he eating fat on the salad? Avocado, olive oil, nuts?

I have a great salad cookbook from Williams Sonoma;
http://www.amazon.com/Salad-Day-Williams-Sonoma-Recipes-Every/dp/1616282126

Everything I have made from it has been delicious.

You might want to get a salad spinner, I love mine. Try adding avocados and nuts, both filling healthy fats. I actually think your husband should go cold turkey on the dessert and have either fruit or nothing. It's hard at first but the best way to break the habit (I got into the habit of an ice cream a night after dinner and broke it this way).

ice cream substitute:

http://www.yonanas.com/

Start by buying the pre washed lettuce containers. Then, on your shop day, wash all veggies and dry well before putting them away.

I make all my salads the day of - if you have done the prep, it's fast and easy.

Some of my favorites are:

Chicken taco salad - salad greens, corn (cut it off the cob this time of year,) red pepper, jalapeno, grilled chicken, avocado, crumble up a few tortilla chips for crunch. Dressing, lime juice and evoo. S+p

Summer salad - lots of ripe tomatoes, salad greens, corn from the cob, red onion, blue cheese, chicken breast. Dressing, Balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken Cesare salad

A more fall ish salad - salad greens, dried cranberries, roasted butternut squash cubes, apples, blue cheese. Dressing, Balsamic vinaigrette.

Overall - the key for making my husband happy is a salad with lots of toppings. Just lettuce is so boring. Make it flavorful.

I also love the 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches PP mentioned.

Anonymous wrote:If your DH is anything like me he may want to start out focusing on portion size for his ice cream. If he is dishing up a big bowl have him switch to something like a Klondike bar. I know they are not healthy but it is half of what I used to scoop into a bowl.

WF sells 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches, called juliettes. Theyre the real thing, not low cal ice cream or anything, just about half the size of a normal one. That or an edys popsicle (85 cals) might do the trick if he really needs a sweet.

OP, DH needs to tell you if his belly is hungry or his mind is hungry. If his mind is hungry, then he should eat blindfolded for a couple of nights (no joke). Then feed him his salad in a blue or purple bowl that barely fits the whole salad in it. Don't forget to add seeds (mildly salted pumpkin seeds are great).

If it's his belly that is hungry, give him more lettuce, and cucumbers.

Anonymous wrote:If your DH is anything like me he may want to start out focusing on portion size for his ice cream. If he is dishing up a big bowl have him switch to something like a Klondike bar. I know they are not healthy but it is half of what I used to scoop into a bowl.

This is good advice. There are also single scoop servings made by Ben and Jerry's and Haagen Dazs. Fruit is always a good dessert option. My husband loves ice cream and will eat all there is in the house in a sitting. So we don't have it in the house and no non fruit dessert except Fridays. Sometimes if the sugar/chocolate craving is crazy we do pieces of dark chocolate an hour after dinner.
For the salads: make sure the portion is large since by volume lettuce etc is not as caloric as other stuff. I add chicken and chickpeas and hard boiled eggs to make dinner salads. Roasted vegetables are also great (broccoli, asparagus etc). You can add sautéed tofu as well.

If your DH is anything like me he may want to start out focusing on portion size for his ice cream. If he is dishing up a big bowl have him switch to something like a Klondike bar. I know they are not healthy but it is half of what I used to scoop into a bowl.

Dessert : Popsicles. Not the tiny 40 cal kind the kids have, but the 80-cal ones w pieces of fruit or the 100-cal WW ones.

You can store chopped veggies in plastic or glass snap it type containers. They will stay fresh for a couple of days. They will stay fresher for longer if you have one of those thinggies that goes on the bottom of the salad storage bowls that keeps the veggies from touching the bottom of the container.

Chicken is a good filler. Maybe some eggs. Or some cooked meat as a side should help keep him filled.

Fruit like bananas, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, etc are good for dessert.

DH has decided to lose some weight (it has been a long time coming) and has declared he wants to eat salads for dinner every night. I'm not sure it's the best method but at least he's trying, so I want to encourage him. Two questions:
1. If you chop vegetables in advance, how many days do you leave them in the fridge? Also what do you store them in? I use ziplocs and find they get a little soggy by day three. Wondering if there's a better way.
2. During week one of the salad crusade, DH complained every night that he was still hungry. We used grilled chicken breasts, beans, chickpeas, eggs and tuna (various combos each night, not all at once). What are some other hearty/filling but still healthy salad ingredients?
Bonus question: recommend a healthy dessert DH can substitute for his nightly bowl of ice cream.