Sometimes, husbands need a little motivation. Back when you were dating, he’d move the mountains and the sea for you just to get your attention. Now, he’s sitting on the sofa in his underwear not batting an eye when you ask for help taking out the trash. While you can't make your husband do anything, you can get his attention and set an example of your efforts—and put him in a good mood at the same time.

It doesn’t matter where your husband is from, every man thinks with a certain part of his body. Oh no! Not there! We’re talking about the stomach. You can motivate even the most lethargic of husbands by speaking to his stomach. Not with gurgling sounds, but with delicious food; the kind you’d get when you order takeout from your favorite restaurant.

Of course, not everyone can afford to order takeout every night of the week. The good news is you don’t need to. Follow these tips grabbing your husband's attention with home-cooked takeout-style food!

1. Determine his favorite foods. Sure, you know he likes pizza, but does he like other Italian dishes? What about Chinese, Thai, or even Indian cuisine? If he likes all of these things, then it can be as simple as rotating them into your weekly meal plan to spice things up.

2. And yes! Spicing things up. Unless he has a complete aversion to spicy foods or they make him ill, don’t be afraid to add a little heat to what you’re making. It doesn’t need to light his mouth on fire, but putting a little more spice into things will definitely get his attention—in a good way.

3. Focus on dishes he likes. If you know what dishes your husband likes to order when you get takeout, try to focus on those first before branching out into new territory. For example, if he’s always ordering sweet and sour pork at the Chinese restaurant you guys love to order from, learn how to make that. Not only will he gobble it up, but he will be absolutely impressed that you can make it yourself.

4. Try new things based on flavors he gravitates toward. Once you master a dish or two from your favorite takeout place, try making new dishes he hasn’t tried by focusing on flavors he usually picks. Look at his habits with Chinese food. Does he always order sweet and sour pork? If so, trying out orange chicken won’t be such a far stretch that you risk him disliking it. However, if he likes to try lots of different things, you can really have fun experimenting with the spices and sauces.

5. Make ribs. Unless he’s vegetarian or vegan, there isn’t a man alive who won’t look at his wife with absolute adoration and agree to anything she asks him to do if she makes him ribs. You can make them in your slow cooker for absolutely perfect fall-off-the-bone meat that melts in your mouth. Plus, you can use your newfound cooking skills to add unique twists to them. Ribs are always great with barbecue sauce, but if you really want to grab his attention make ribs with an ethnic twist. Try using garam masala to give them an Indian-flair, or add Chinese seasonings to make them taste just like those pork ribs they serve for appetizers in every Chinese restaurant across America.

Now you will have his undivided attention. As he’s savoring every bite of the new dishes you’re preparing, his eyes rolling back in heavenly bliss, ask him in a kind way to help you wash the dishes, take out the garbage, mow the lawn, wash the car, or anything else you would like him to do. It's very likely his happy stomach and heart will respond kindly.

Maggie Zhu is the author of "The Chinese Stir Fry Sauce Cookbook" and the owner of Omnivore’s Cookbook since 2013. Her passion is sharing modern Chinese recipes that teach you how to cook better food with a less labor-intensive approach. Her website was featured by Yahoo News as one of the seven food blogs you should be following for Asian cuisine. She is originally from Beijing, and now cooks from her Austin, Texas kitchen.