Gransnet forums

Chat

Men and salads

(42 Posts)
Aveline Fri 29-May-26 07:11:49

Is it just my DH who's not a fan of salads? I'm so fed up with it. In this hot weather I'm enjoying delicious crisp, nutty, juicy, tasty salads of all sorts. Often I'll have cold salmon as a base but use other things too. However, DH is always miserable if it's not hot and features lots of potatoes. Last night he made himself a big bowl of lentil soup despite the loaded salad nicoise I had for him. Are all men like this?

valdali Fri 29-May-26 16:26:22

DH used to think he didn't like salad.
When I was weekend commuting for my job & he had to cook for himself in the week, he quickly discovered he enjoys salad when weather's warm...
He will put mayonaisse all over a green salad though even if it's already dressed.

Oreo Fri 29-May-26 15:59:00

DP and other men in my extended family will eat very little salad and only if there’s other things with it, meat, fish, potatoes in some form or bread and butter😁

Aveline Fri 29-May-26 15:54:01

I really don't like dressings. I hate the way they make things slimy.

Jaxjacky Fri 29-May-26 14:29:48

MrJ has a token amount with the rest of the meal, decent dressing or not, as he did last night with bbq. I’m rather similar now after years of fighting a weight battle and eating loads of salads.
We all have likes and dislikes.

J52 Fri 29-May-26 13:48:49

My DH is a salad fan and is more than happy to make them, especially when they include produce that he’s grown.

Norah Fri 29-May-26 13:43:50

This is quite good, filling, easy to assemble.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/parsnip-spinach-artichoke-wild-rice-salad

Plevey08 Fri 29-May-26 12:48:37

I do know what you mean Aveline. My partner and me don't live together and I have got used to eating mostly salmon, salad, rice, chicken or potatoes. When he does come over he often wants a casserole, roasted veg etc. I inwardly groan as apart from not having the energy anymore I also have Coeliacs Disease which is a nightmare to navigate especially around gluten. He doesn't cook and lives on jacket potatoes or take outs. Can your DH cook? If so let him. There's so much expectation on women to do all the cooking. Our tastes and appetite change as we age. Glad I mostly live alone. Had my years cooking great meals for family.

M0nica Fri 29-May-26 12:42:14

I can't be bothered with all these complicated salads with lots of ingredients that at the end of the day do not taste as nice as simple fresh vegetables chopped with a nice dressing.

A plain potato or rice salad or colslaw beside the fresh vegetables is nice, but more than that, the results, even when others make it never seems worth the effort.

Norah Fri 29-May-26 12:42:11

paddyann54 It helps that I like to cook.

I could spend all day split between cooking in the kitchen and working in the gardens. I love to cook as does my husband.

We eat salad(s) at lunch and dinner. I think enjoying salads may be down to making delicious dressings, which keep a few days, refrigerated. A large variety of vinegars, oils, herbs, juices is necessary, imo.

JamesandJon33 Fri 29-May-26 12:25:17

My dad always called it ‘rabbit food’ and a meal wasn’t a meal without meat.
DH isn’t terribly keen on salad, but then he never had it as a child. They were definitely a meat and cake family.

Witzend Fri 29-May-26 12:03:34

PS, he doesn’t cook, but invariably clears up the kitchen and loads the dishwasher, and to me the clearing up from a roast is definitely the worst bit!

Witzend Fri 29-May-26 12:02:12

watermeadow

I thought this was a built-in natural difference between men and women. In my family the men liked meat, the women liked cake. The women read fiction, the men didn’t. Men grew vegetables, women grew flowers. Women like salads, men don’t.
Any man mad enough to want a cooked dinner in a heatwave must, of course, cook it himself and clear up afterwards.

The other day I had earmarked a joint of pork (already defrosted, needed using up) for dinner, but was going to roast it early and have cold with salad/potato salad.

Dh said he’d really like it hot, with roast potatoes and gravy! So that’s what we had.

Aveline Fri 29-May-26 11:55:53

At our local golf club there's a meal called Golfer's Salad - it's pie beans and chips!

watermeadow Fri 29-May-26 11:53:33

I thought this was a built-in natural difference between men and women. In my family the men liked meat, the women liked cake. The women read fiction, the men didn’t. Men grew vegetables, women grew flowers. Women like salads, men don’t.
Any man mad enough to want a cooked dinner in a heatwave must, of course, cook it himself and clear up afterwards.

Witzend Fri 29-May-26 11:13:09

Tizliz

Greyduster

My DH absolutely loved a salad. I hate them, no matter how carefully thought out and imaginative they are.

My DH likes a salad - with half a cos or iceberg lettuce. I only like a Glasgow salad (chips!)

😂😂!

Tizliz Fri 29-May-26 11:08:31

Greyduster

My DH absolutely loved a salad. I hate them, no matter how carefully thought out and imaginative they are.

My DH likes a salad - with half a cos or iceberg lettuce. I only like a Glasgow salad (chips!)

Esmay Fri 29-May-26 10:50:27

The men in my family are and were big fans of salads.
But our salads are rather adventurous-extremely varied and adventurous and always with a nice dressing .
As salads are light they enjoy a pudding afterwards- maybe that's part of the attraction !

MissAdventure Fri 29-May-26 10:42:58

I like a ploughmans, with chips as well! smile
My lad declares regularly that he "hates" veg, salads and all the things he used to eat.

Llamedos13 Fri 29-May-26 10:30:46

I quite like to add a few chunky chips to my salad.😋

Witzend Fri 29-May-26 10:25:25

I’m always thankful that dh will happily eat whatever he’s given, which lately does include a lot of salad. I usually add some sliced white cabbage, for the crunch factor, plus it keeps so well in the fridge.

Nannynoodles Fri 29-May-26 10:22:18

My husband likes a salad but does insist on potatoes.
Easy enough this time of year though with the delicious Jersey Royals in the shops now.
I just boil him a few of these and add them to whatever salad I’m having - doesn’t matter if it’s not in the recipe or whatever.
I think he was bought up on meat, potatoes and veg each day so this is a compromise. (He does like curry, Chinese etc, etc so no problem there).

Greyduster Fri 29-May-26 10:16:41

My DH absolutely loved a salad. I hate them, no matter how carefully thought out and imaginative they are.

paddyann54 Fri 29-May-26 10:03:39

My husband and I never eat the same thing haven,t for 40 years.I,m pescatarian with a twist I don’t eat bread ,potatoes rice or pasta…no tomatoes no fruit except for berries
OH likes meat off all kinds ,has mostly chicken but loves his roasts
He doesn’t cook so I cook meat for him.Last night he had lamb with rosemary and garlic potatoes and green beans I had a cheese omelette.
The adult children don’t eat lamb ,so sometimes it’s three different main courses.Our Son and his family last night had quiche..with bacon in it.Same veg as OH
My late mum did the same when we were young …she was a fussy eater and wouldn,t have expected us to eat something we didn’t like .It helps that I like to cook .

The lack of carbs is since a diagnosis of T2 diabetes which I got under control with dropping carbs.

hollysteers Fri 29-May-26 09:19:09

I can’t remember my late DH eating a salad. He liked the meat and two veg type of meal.
My MIL’s summer salad consisted of a slice of ham, a tomato and lettuce leaves and that included when the Bishop came for supper.

I really enjoyed an imaginative salad and with say baby potatoes no one can say it’s not filling.

Cossy Fri 29-May-26 09:08:29

My DH is not too keen on salads, I “jazz” them up as much as possible but I’m not cooking in this mad heat other than to hard boil eggs and cook salmon!!